Prosper Portland

Prosper Portland Prosper Portland (formerly Portland Development Commission) creates economic growth and opportunity for Portland.
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Our vision is to make Portland one of the most globally competitive, healthy, and equitable cities in the world. Our vision is to make Portland one of the most globally competitive, healthy, and equitable cities in the world by investing in job creation, encouraging broad economic prosperity, and fostering great places throughout the city. We aspire to be a workplace of choice with passionate staf

f excelling in an open and empowering environment and sharing a commitment to our collective success .

Last week, Mayor Keith Wilson was joined by Senator Ron Wyden, Senator Jeff Merkley, State Representative Rob Nosse, Pro...
08/24/2026

Last week, Mayor Keith Wilson was joined by Senator Ron Wyden, Senator Jeff Merkley, State Representative Rob Nosse, Prosper Portland Executive Director Cornell Wesley, and staff from Prosper Portland’s Business Advancement Team to celebrate the grand opening of OpConnect's new facility in Southeast Portland.

This expansion is a major milestone for the company as they scale local manufacturing for electric fast chargers, adding 45 new jobs over the next five years. OpConnect’s charging infrastructure is already in place supporting critical local fleets at the City of Portland, Multnomah County, Beaverton School District, and Portland General Electric. The company’s growth directly drives Portland's climate goals and our city's transition toward net-zero carbon operations by 2050.

Prosper Portland has partnered with OpConnect for more than a decade, supporting their journey from a local startup into a vital pillar of our green economy through strategic financing—including a $2 million business loan and a $100,000 forgivable job-creation loan—alongside workforce grants, investor connections, and participation in Portland Means Progress.

Prosper Portland's Business Advancement Team helps manufacturers and other traded sector businesses grow by providing support and identifying opportunities that foster the creation of living wage jobs for all Portlanders. To learn how they can assist your business, visit prosperportland.us/BAT

Pictured:
Slide1 – (L-R) State Representative Rob Nosse, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, OpConnect Founder/CEO Dexter Turner, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, Mayor Keith Wilson
Slide 2 – OpConnect Founder/CEO Dexter Turner
Slide 3 – (Top) OpConnect Founder/CEO Dexter Turner speaks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. (Bottom, L-R) Mayor Wilson, Sen. Merkley, Dexter Turner, Sen. Wyden
Slide 4 – (Top) Prosper Portland staff with Mayor Wilson, Sen. Wyden, Sen. Merkley, and CEO Dexter Turner. (Bottom) Prosper Portland staff with Angela Jackson of Portland Seed Fund

08/14/2026

From concerts and sporting events to festivals and markets, the Portland waterfront is busy this summer! With so much fun stuff going on, here’s a list of places to catch a meal before or after heading out to the waterfront.

If you have a favorite establishment near the waterfront that we missed, please feel free to tag them in the comments below!

08/14/2026

Events like PDX LIVE bring thousands of visitors to the heart of downtown Portland every summer. Whether you’re looking for a quick nibble and or a full meal, here are some of the many restaurants that are within walking distance of Pioneer Courthouse Square! If you have a downtown favorite that we missed, please feel free to tag them in the comments below!

July was a busy month! Today, we’re highlighting just a few moments from the past month spent with the businesses and co...
08/08/2026

July was a busy month! Today, we’re highlighting just a few moments from the past month spent with the businesses and community partners that help make Portland great.

Photo 1: Executive Director Cornell Wesley and staff joined Palindrome Communities to break ground on The Perry, a new $54.5 million multifamily residential project in the Lents Town Center Tax Increment Finance (TIF) District. Prosper Portland provided a $10.8 million loan and a long-term ground lease for this project, which will transform a long-vacant parcel into 171 units of much-needed housing. The Perry is scheduled for completion in October 2027.

Photo 2: Prosper Portland took part in this year’s PNW Climate Week, which featured many of the innovative projects happening in Portland and across Oregon. Executive Director Wesley and Green Cities Industry Liaison Katherine Juengel spoke at an interactive event entitled “Climate Innovation at Work.”

Photo 3: REAP USA () recently celebrated the grand opening of its new Behavioral Health Clinical Building in Gateway with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. As part of the day's celebrations, Executive Director Wesley led a Q&A panel during the organization's annual Next Gen Market with .

Photo 4: (Top) Prosper Portland leadership joined 1803 Fund () for a walking tour and boat tour of 1803’s planned transformation of The Low End in the Albina neighborhood.
(Bottom) Staff from the Entrepreneurship and Community Economic Development team met with city and federal officials to share more about the team's work with federal Community Development Block Grant funding.

This Wednesday, Portland City Council voted unanimously to reappoint Marcelino Alvarez and Eric Cress to the Prosper Por...
08/05/2026

This Wednesday, Portland City Council voted unanimously to reappoint Marcelino Alvarez and Eric Cress to the Prosper Portland Board of Commissioners.

Marcelino Alvarez is the CEO of Photon Marine, which is building the world's most powerful and intelligent electric outboard motor system, tailored to commercial boat fleets. He was first appointed to the Board in September 2023.

Eric Cress is a real estate principal and civic leader with nearly two decades of executive leadership in the real estate sector. He currently serves as President and Founder of Urban Development + Partners (UDP). Commissioner Cress was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Board in March 2026; he now begins a full three-year term.

Congratulations and thank you for service to the City of Portland, Commissioners! We’re fortunate to have your expertise guiding our work.

(Pictured, Left to Right: Executive Director Cornell Wesley, Commissioner Marcelino Alvarez, Commissioner Eric Cress, and Chair Gustavo Cruz.)

07/28/2026

On Friday, Executive Director Cornell Wesley spoke at the groundbreaking of The Perry, a new multifamily residential project in the Lents Town Center Tax Increment Finance (TIF) District. Developed by Palindrome Communities, this $54.5 million project will transform a long-vacant parcel into 171-units of much-needed housing, help activate commercial spaces along SE Foster Road, and enhance the mixed-use character of the neighborhood.

Prosper Portland provided a $10.8 million loan and a long-term ground lease for this project, which is scheduled for completion in October 2027.

Image Description: A video montage of scenes from the groundbreaking of The Perry: a rendering of the completed building displayed on a large wooden easel; two speakers at a podium; and people in hardhats shoveling dirt as a crowd claps.

Has your small business experienced a break-in or vandalism? The Local Small Business Expanded Repair/Restore Grant prog...
07/20/2026

Has your small business experienced a break-in or vandalism? The Local Small Business Expanded Repair/Restore Grant program provides funding to small businesses located in the City of Portland that have sustained physical and economic damage due to break-ins and vandalism. Grants help eligible businesses to remain open and operational and contribute to maintaining a healthy street environment.

The Repair/Restore Grant has been extended into the new fiscal year, with an additional $400,000 in grant funding available for FY2026-27. Funds will be available on a first-come, first-served basis until all available funds have been disbursed.

Prosper Portland will provide the grant on a reimbursement basis; eligible entities may receive up to $25,000 over the life of the program.

To learn more and apply, visit: prosperportland.us/restore

June has been a time to celebrate building and growth in Portland and today, we’re highlighting just a few moments from ...
07/02/2026

June has been a time to celebrate building and growth in Portland and today, we’re highlighting just a few moments from the past month spent with the businesses and community partners that help make Portland great.

Slides 1 & 2: Prosper Portland staff attended the groundbreaking for The Courts 2.0 skatepark on the Portland State University campus. Prosper Portland provided a Community Livability grant for this project, which is scheduled to open in August.

Slide 3 (Top Image): Prosper Portland staff attended the groundbreaking for the International School of Portland’s new ADA-accessible playground and outdoor classroom, which will be open to the public outside of classroom hours. Prosper Portland provided a Community Livability grant for this project, which will open this fall. (Bottom Image): Executive Director Cornell Wesley + Economic Development Director Andrew Fitzpatrick attended (pictured here with International School President Bobo Heiliger) joined staff at the Japan-America Society of Oregon's annual gala.

Slide 4 (Top Image): Staff attended the Fujian SBS Zipper’s first office in the United States, here in Portland. (Bottom Image) Staff also joined Mayor Keith Wilson and officials from the Port of Portland for the groundbreaking of Alaska Airlines’ new maintenance hanger at Portland International Airport. The $135 million facility will provide at least 100 living-wage jobs. The Business Advancement Team is proud to have been able to support both of these exciting expansions in Portland.

Slide 5: Governor Tina Kotek, Mayor Keith Wilson & Executive Director Cornell Wesley spoke at the opening of the new National University of Natural Medicine campus in downtown Portland. Prosper Portland provided a $300,000 Community Livability grant for this project.

Slide 6: Things are blooming on Burnside! Prosper Portland is proud to partner with P:ear to bring P:ear Flower Works to a Prosper Portland-owned property Old Town. Flower Works is a hands-on agricultural education program that provides young people with paid training, mentorship, and meaningful work experience in sustainable agriculture, floriculture, environmental stewardship, and creative design.

Prosper Portland is pleased to announce two additions to the agency’s leadership team: following an extensive recruitmen...
07/02/2026

Prosper Portland is pleased to announce two additions to the agency’s leadership team: following an extensive recruitment and hiring process, Lisa Pettinati will serve as the agency’s Director of Real Estate & Community Development and Jenna Diallo has been selected as the agency’s Director of Capital Access.

As Director of Real Estate & Community Development, Director Pettinati will lead the agency’s urban development efforts in Portland’s 13 Tax Increment Finance (TIF) districts and throughout the city. She is a strategic enterprise leader with an extensive background in large-scale real estate and construction finance. As Deputy General Counsel for the Oregon State Treasury, she helped negotiate financial strategies and public-private programs for the state’s $140+ billion investment portfolio. She previously served as Assistant General Counsel for the US International Development Finance Corporation, helping structure complex transactions and strategic public-private partnerships.

As Director of Capital Access, Director Diallo will oversee the agency’s lending and grant-making work. She has more than 20 years’ experience designing investment programs and strategic partnerships that leverage grants and loans to advance inclusive economic opportunity and social impact. She has led global teams to expand access to finance through grants, guarantees, and public–private collaboration in frontier markets across Africa and Asia, with a focus on translating mission into measurable outcomes. She has experience managing multimillion-dollar grant portfolios and deep networks in impact investment. She most recently served as Regional Investment Director for the United States Agency for International Development in West Africa.

Welcome, Director Pettinati & Director Diallo!

This Tuesday, Mayor Wilson joined staff from the Portland of Portland (), Business Oregon (), and Prosper Portland’s Bus...
06/17/2026

This Tuesday, Mayor Wilson joined staff from the Portland of Portland (), Business Oregon (), and Prosper Portland’s Business Advancement Team to celebrate the groundbreaking of Alaska Airlines’ new maintenance hangar at Portland International Airport. Located adjacent to the airline’s existing Horizon Air Ops Center & Maintenance Hangar, the $135 million facility will add approximately 125,000 square feet of space for indoor aircraft maintenance of Alaska Airlines () and Hawaiian Airlines’ mainline fleets and at least 100 new living wage jobs for maintenance workers, engineers, and service professionals.

Prosper Portland’s Business Advancement Team worked closely with Alaska Airlines and local partners to support this expansion. If your business is looking to expand or relocate in Portland, visit ProsperPortland.us/BAT to learn how the City can help!

(Facility renderings courtesy of Alaska Airlines.)

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220 NW Second Avenue, Suite 200
Portland, OR
97209

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