Nearly a half-billion in federal dollars are being awarded to projects to revitalize one of Portland’s neighborhoods and transform 94 acres centered on the Rose Quarter into a high-density, mixed-use area.

Congressman Earl Blumenauer, Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, along with Congresswoman Bonamici and Mayor Ted Wheeler announced nearly $500 million in federal grants toward the revitalization of Portland’s Lower Albina neighborhood. The area is one of the city’s largest historically Black communities, but its population was largely dispersed by freeway construction and other infrastructure projects.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is providing $450 million for the construction of a highway cover over a portion of I-5, reconnecting the Lower Albina neighborhood. An additional $38.4 million in federal funding will support the redesign of Broadway and Weidler Street in Lower Albina. The Albina Vision is a restorative redevelopment and urban design concept focused on transforming the Albina neighborhood.