There’s a New Priest in Town

Posted on by Eliot Neighborhood
Reverend Maria McDowell
Reverend Maria McDowell the new priest at St Phillip the Deacon.

St. Philip the Deacon Episcopal Church is an historic African-American and diverse community church located in the Eliot Neighborhood. The Reverend Dr. Maria McDowell has recently become the newest priest-in-charge, and yes, she is a woman! Rev’d Dr. Maria is from Portland and has studied theology at schools in Los Angeles and Boston. She always knew that she wanted to serve so that she can do what she loves – to teach and think deeply with others about things that matter. She loves being with people where God and life meet, where the rubber hits the road.

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Eliot Sewer and Stormwater Project

Posted on by Eliot Neighborhood

Construction of the Eliot Sewer and Stormwater Project begins this fall and will take about a year to complete. City of Portland Environmental Services will be replacing or repairing approximately 10,000 feet of public sewer pipes in the southern part of the Eliot Neighborhood. These pipes are deteriorating due to age or are undersized for the sewer and stormwater flows in this area. The oldest pipe being replaced is 115 years old. These improvements will help protect public health, property and our environment by reducing the possibility of sewage releases into streets, homes and businesses.

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Letter from the LUTC Chair

Posted on by Allan Rudwick
Bikeway Marking
Rodney Bikeway Marking

There wasn’t too much Land Use news this month, but on the transportation side of things there were a number of things happening.  First and foremost, the gas tax increase of 10 cents/gallon increased, which will provide money for repaving and reconfiguring some streets.  This is seen as an opportunity to get changes on NE 7th avenue including removing the unsafe roundabouts which have caused many crashes over the years.  There is a group of folks focused on making NE 7th a better place to be and a safer place to walk and bike.

Continue reading Letter from the LUTC Chair

Intersection Repaint Block Party

Posted on by Jeri Bee
Freshly Painted Community Crossing
Freshly Painted Community Crossing

Celebrate as we bring the Eliot Community Crossing intersection crossing back to life! Join the fun as Eliot neighbors potluck and paint, block party style. This is a family friendly event with live music, free food & drink from local businesses, kid activities and more!

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Eliot School Then and Now

Posted on by Clint Lundmark

Eliot School c1951

Eliot School corner of Knott and Rodney c 1951. Portland Archives A2001-030
Eliot School corner of Knott and Rodney c 1951. Portland Archives A2001-030

The Eliot School, named after Thomas Lamb Eliot,  was built in 1909 on NE Knott at the corner with Rodney.  In the late 1940’s or early 50’s the school’s teachers and students were relocated. Portland Parks took over the building in the early 1950’s and it became the Knott Street Community Center.

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Eliot Repaints the Street this Spring

Posted on by Jeri Bee
Freshly Painted Community Crossing
Freshly Painted Community Crossing

This spring, Eliot neighbors will once again gather to refresh the landmark intersection painting.  “Eliot Community Crossing” is at the corner of NE Rodney Avenue and NE Tillamook Street  It will be an experience you will not want miss, filled with painting, eating, music, and fun for the whole family.   Join us and invite your friends and family to share in this memorable and unique Portland experience. This will be the last repainting for two years due to sewage repairs in 2017.

Continue reading Eliot Repaints the Street this Spring

C. Mebus House Demolished

Posted on by Clint Lundmark
2318 Rodney
C Mebus house just before final demolition

Another historic single family home in Eliot was demolished back in July. At the same time the large old trees were removed leaving a flat, barren lot. The house sat at 2318 NE Rodney and according to a neighbor was occupied by the same family for a very very long time.  It had fallen into disrepair over the last 25 or so years. However, like most houses that have been erased from the neighborhood, it is very likely it could have been salvaged and restored into a great starter home for a new family.

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Update on Rodney Greenway

Posted on by Allan Rudwick
Ivy Diverter June 2015 Proposal
Ivy Diverter June 2015 Proposal

Starting 6 years ago, there was a long series of discussions about N Williams and what the community wanted to see there. A big part of that was seeing a neighborhood street with thriving businesses; seeing a street that was easy to cross and one that was not a racetrack for cut-through drivers. We have nearby MLK Blvd and Interstate-5 serving those purposes.

Continue reading Update on Rodney Greenway

Intersection Painting Save the Date

Posted on by Jeri Bee

Save the date for the upcoming intersection repaint block party for the Eliot Community Crossing, intersection of NE Tillamook and Rodney Ave. as a part of the city wide City Repair’s Village Building Convergence.

Can you believe that we are four weeks away from our 3rd annual block paint party? Time sure is flying by! Looking forward to seeing the many familiar and new faces of Eliot neighborhood.

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Repainting the Street this Spring

Posted on by Jeri Bee

This spring, Eliot neighbors will once again gather to refresh the landmark intersection painting.

“Eliot Community Crossing” is at the corner of NE Rodney Avenue and NE Tillamook Street.  It will be an experience you will not want miss, filled with painting, eating, music, and fun for the whole family.   Join us and invite your friends and family to share in this memorable and unique Portland experience.

Continue reading Repainting the Street this Spring

Williams Reaches Substantial Completion

Posted on by Clint Lundmark

Williams Safety ProjectJust before the ball dropped to celebrate the new year, Portland Bureau of Transportation announced that the “N Williams Safety Project reached substantial completion”.  One of the major tasks completed in December was installing the permanent light at Cook.  There is still some minor work to do on Williams and the Rodney Bikeway portion has yet to begun.  It is nice for travelers along the corridor, whether in a car, on a bike or on foot, to see construction wind down and to take advantage of the improvements.

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Rodney Greenway Coming Soon

Posted on by Eliot Neighborhood

By Stuart Malkin –

Rodney Diverter Map
Expected traffic flow due to Rodney diverter

You may have already noticed the speed bumps being installed on NE Rodney. The Portland Bureau of Transportation is converting NE Rodney into a family friendly bike route, known as a Neighborhood Greenway. Neighborhood Greenways are a type of street treatment that provides a safe shared-use environment for bicycling. The road conversion will run south to north from NE Broadway to NE Killingsworth and offer a calmer alternative bike route to the soon to be improved Williams street bikeway.

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Community Crossing Painting

Posted on by Jeri Bee
Community Crossing 2014
Volunteers during the Street Repainting at Tillamook and Rodney

This past June, neighbors gathered at the Eliot Community Crossing, the intersection located at NE Tillamook Street and Rodney Avenue, bringing last year’s installed pavement art back to life. The entire repainting process, which took a whopping twelve hours to complete, was a culmination of countless hours by many committed neighborhood volunteers and months of planning.

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