Merchants & Makers Minutes October 10

Presentation by Scott Cohen from PBOT

Winter Warm UP- Free get together to get bike gear and amenities for the winter. Lucky Lab Free bike lights, discounts from showers pass, raffle prizes. Transportation Wallet available at event: for Central Eastside workers $99 street car and Bike town annual pass and $50 on a hop pass for Tri-Met. www.transportationwallet.com  Staff will provide work address for verification.

Central Bike, Walk, Transit project in Central City in planning phase. Looking for input from businesses about needs and priorities for district.  The Green Loop is part of this planning process, but they won’t be building it. Sign up for mailing list on website. They’ll also have open houses. “Central City in Motion”

They also take care of providing bike racks in the area.

Contact Scott as well to give your feedback scott.cohen@portlandoregon.gov

Portland Winter Light Festival

Lyndsay Hogland, Director

3 days. Thurs-Sat, shortened it a day. City-wide, PNCA, North Park Blocks, Rose Quarter. This is our festival hub. Festival catalogue will come out this year on December 15 with map. Available for distribution to all retailers. Affiliate sites and sponsors can be in the catalogue. Deadlines November 15th print deadline. Artist installations and Community partner installations  from local business deadline Oct 20. Portland Streetcar is one of their sponsors, First Friday want to work with them. Lantern opportunity. 

Buy a lantern and display at your door, artist is Zane from Splinter Group. Promotes movement in the district. Last year they worked with 74 different artists, more on the OMSI campus. 45,000 visitors.  This is year 3.  Will be built upon ordering. 18” tall. $35 All recycled material. Would love to be able to color code light in each district.

Timeline, scale, and weather were tough last year for working together with M&M. One-sheeter for businesses last year was very helpful.

Community Events: light ride, and lantern parade on Saturday night. People make their own lanterns, may do it across the bridge next year too. Ride the Spirit for free and opera on the Spirit.

Currently looking for locations for artwork as well. Fundraiser at Disjecta on November 4th, looking for auction items.

District Visitor Map 

First comprehensive map of the district. Promotion to tourists. Visitor centers. CEIC members that have visitor-related forward facing businesses have a listing on the map. We are working on branding the district as a district on the move, vibrant with events. There is an event section. We need help reaching out to businesses to be on the map. 90 listings now, but would like more iconic businesses on there. We are printing 10,000-15,000, annual map. Convention Center, Travel Portland, Portland Night Market. Ask your neighbors to be on the map.

District Clean Up 

In partnership with SOLVE and City’s graffiti abatement task force. At Killian’s new Creative Commons building, November 18th at 9am. Then hiatus until Spring. Volunteer by signing up on SOLVE’s website.