ODOT's Rose Quarter Project Bets on a Man of Faith

The Week Begins On Wednesday & ‘iH-l-L:--- Sixty years ago, the Oregon Department of Transportation rolled into Albina—a neighborhood where 8 out of 10 Black Portlanders resided—to carve Interstate 5. Now, they’re back with a new strategy: convince the Black community that widening the freeway through Albina could be a form of economic reparations. The agency offers lucrative contracts, gift cards and a loquacious preacher/consultant from Vancouver, WA. named Dr. Steven Holt. Holt’s job is to sell the agency’s plan to the very community it tore apart. Read More. ODOT has paid Holt and his company, Try Excellence, $2.7 million since recruiting the preacher. Holt and Try Excellence have facilitated meetings of Black leaders and emphasized that ODOT would deliver contracts, real estate development, job training and other forms of reparation. Read more. . ' A - A MR- - It’s been seven years since the Rose Quarter project was proposed. The area remains untouched, completion price has soared and ODOT is broke. Opposition from environmentalists, and Black leaders who demand the community benefit from spending, are partially responsible. Yet Holt’s task remains the same. Read more. Read This Week’s Cover Story Get Your Tricks and Treats at Oregon Ballet Theatre This Fall. “Hansel and Gretel” kicks off OBT’s 2024/2025 season, enticing audiences with eclectic, good-for-all-ages fun. Read more. (Sponsored Content) OTHER THINGS WE LEARNED IN THIS WEEK’S PAPER VOL. 50, ISSUE 42 Concertgoers leaving a Live Nation venue could be greeted by a train. Read more. Firefighters elected to watch a waterfront party warehouse burn to the ground rather than risk lives trying to save it. Read more. Julia Roberts 1991 Sleeping With the Enemy mattered a lot to author Chelsea Bieker. Read more. Alana Rich got her start as a musician covering Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks.” Read more. FROM OUR ADVERTISERS Each year, thousands of fans gather in Portland to celebrate all things geeky, weird, and wonderful at Rose City Comic Con! Entering its twelfth year, this three-day extravaganza has been a staple for lovers of comic books, sci-fi/fantasy novels, anime/manga, video and tabletop gaming, cosplay, and much more! Get your tickets now. The Heat Is On In Willamette Valley! Heritage Fire returns September 8th with unlimited food from local chefs, free flowing drinks, entertainment, and so much more. Vote for your favorite bite and crown your town’s Heritage Hero 2024! All-inclusive tickets on sale now, get yours now. Septémber 13th, 4pm-8pm September 14th, 12pm-6pm Sponsored By Pac :fl( Sez :fimd HONDA Honc u?&fi;m..m...% " _é\\ : The Fish PeooLeR MARINE / M /S//KIE;‘ SERVKE‘ Tt amook@oasr rrrrrrrrrrrrrrr it3 the natuval choice The Port of Garibaldi Seafood and Spirits Festival is a two-day event providing an immersive experience where  guests sample Oregon-based spirits, and fresh local seafood like oysters, seaweed, and mussels. Sample delicious seafood and spirits, learn how to crack and clean a crab, filet a fish, shuck an oyster, incorporate mussels and seaweed into a meal and much more! Get tickets or learn more. Join certified birth Doula, Jen Reed as she guides you through this in-studio prenatal course, preparing you for pregnancy, birth and postpartum recovery. Childbirth education, yoga, pelvic-floor and community building are the focus points. $250/Whole Series or $40/Drop-In. Modo Yoga Portland: 400 SE Grand Ave. Sign up and learn more. FIND A PAPER Willamette Week prints every Wednesday and is distributed throughout Portland in blue boxes, coffee shops, grocery stores, retailers and office buildings. Find the closest newspaper to you by checking this map. Get WW delivered to your doorstep by Think you're smart, generous, and have impeccable taste? Prove it by joining over 8,000 savvy readers who know that real journalism isn't just important – it's essential. Toss a few bucks to Willamette Week and keep the good stuff coming. Let's keep it real, Portland! Become a WW Supporter Facebook icon Instagram icon Twitter icon Website icon