The Bayside Neighborhood is bounded by Forest Ave on the west, Franklin Street on the east, Congress Street on the south and I 295 on the north. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Portland and one of the few that survived the two fires that destroyed much of the peninsula.
Historically Bayside has been home to many vibrant immigrant communities, including Italian, Polish, Jewish, Irish, and Armenian, and more recently African. But the neighborhood has also been subjected to redlining, slum clearing, discriminatory zoning, neglect and disinvestment for almost a century. The east side of Bayside, between Franklin Street and Elm Street, is the poorest census block in Portland with 75 per cent of residents living in poverty and the highest crime rate – roughly 20 per cent, the same proportion as in the 1960’s. The west side, from Elm Street to Forest Avenue, has a much lower poverty rate of 46 per cent.
The vision for Bayside in the year 2000
A New Vision for Bayside is a plan adopted by the City of Portland in 2000 as an official part of its Comprehensive Plan. The Vision was developed by a working group comprised of a wide variety of community stakeholders, including a future BNA president, the late Steve Hirshon. Few of the goals and recommendations in the plan were realized in the twenty-two years since its publication, yet the Vision remains instructive in envisioning how Bayside could be revitalized.
Book 1: The Plan and Book 2: Implementation to see Bayside’s future as envisioned twenty-two years ago. The October 2022 purchase of a large swath of under-developed properties by local developer Port Property, and their planned development of the area, holds promise for fulfilling the promise, if not the particulars, dreamed of in A New Vision for Bayside.
Trees – Evidence of Inequity
Bayside has very few trees, a symptom of decades of tree removal and death from neglect with no thought of replacement on the part of city leaders. Combined with the acres of asphalt parking lots this has created a heat island and less healthy air for the residents, many of which are immigrant families with children. Bayside has the lowest tree equity score in Portland.
The BNA has called attention to this inequity, and currently a tree planting surge is under way with the help of American Rescue Act funding. We are also supporting the City’s application for additional funding to allow for additional trees. This infusion of money and attention are welcome. It will take vigilance and continued advocacy to ensure proper care for these new trees so they may survive to maturity and fully benefit Bayside.
