The real estate market is tanking, and government-subsidized downtown booms are busting. But Gresham — Portland’s largest suburb, with more than 100,000 people — has a plan.
The new plan is going to make downtown a “vibrant” place by making it “the focus of the community.” Yeah, right. Downtowns haven’t been “the focus” of major cities since the 1960s. A focus, yes, but not the focus.
How will they do it? Why, with public/private partnerships, of course. In other words, subsidies. In other words, tax-increment financing.
