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City Parks Manager Proposes Revenue Generator

GRESHAM, OR-In response to a request for ideas to fund parks without property taxes, the preliminary proposal suggests a piece of Main City Park could be used for a city-owned three-story mixed use development that would throw off enough cash flow to pay for ongoing park maintenance.

By Brian K. Miller | Updated on September 01, 2004

GRESHAM, OR-In response to a request for ideas to support parks and recreation without property tax, the city parks manager here has proposed using a piece of Main City Park for a city-owned mixed-use development. The proposal calls for a three-story building that would have residential units on the top floor, office space in the middle and retail on the ground floor. The theory behind the idea is that the project could throw off enough cash flow to not only cover construction debt payments but also to fund ongoing maintenance of the park.City Manager Erik Kvarston tells GlobeSt.com that the proposal by Robb Courtney is in its “embryonic stages” and is by no means something that is definitely going to happen. “One of (Courtney’s) charges when we hired him was to find ways to support parks and recreation aside from the traditional property tax method,” says Kvarston. “We’re in the process of vetting it with the city council and folks around town to get some sense if there is any support for the idea.”The project would be the first of its kind for Gresham. Courtney, who came to the city from the City of Glendale, CA, did not return a phone call seeking comment. Kvarston says that if the idea gets a good response, it will go through an advisory committee analysis that could set the stage for an eventual council hearing on the matter.

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