Portland School Board Considers $16 Million Building Purchase for Center for Black Student Excellence

The Portland School Board will vote Tuesday on a proposed $16 million building purchase for the Center for Black Student Excellence.

Portland Public Schools proposes to acquire the One North progress at 3506-3514 N Vancouver Ave. and 25 N Fremont St.,located in the albina neighborhood.the development includes two buildings, both constructed in 2015, offering approximately 72,000 square feet of space, according to a district staff memo. (A may appraisal valued the property at $15.2 million.)

Funding for this project will come from the district’s 2020 bond, which allocated $60 million to the Center for Black student Excellence. This center aims to provide both physical and programmatic resources to advance student success and community connection, as stated in a School Board resolution. The center has experienced delays as the bond’s approval. In May, a coalition of 38 nonprofit and community organizations urged the district to secure a building by December 1.

“PPS could not build a building like the One North property for anywhere close to $16 million, and PPS expects the building to be largely move-in ready for many of its component uses,” the staff memo explains. “Other options explored by PPS, working with its commercial real estate broker, did not yield a better, more cost-effective option.”

Following the purchase and sale agreement, the district will conduct due diligence, including physical and environmental inspections to assess the property’s suitability. The agreement, pending Tuesday’s vote, will allow Portland Public Schools to perform thorough due diligence and prevent the sale of the building to other potential buyers during this period.

The School Board will vote to proceed with the purchase after a 90-day due diligence period. Plans for the Center for Black Student Excellence’s physical building have remained largely internal and have not yet been reviewed by the School Board. The start date for the due diligence period and the date of the final School Board vote remain unconfirmed.