Albina Vision Trust
Honoring the neighborhood’s past by transforming what exists today into a socially and economically inclusive community of residents, businesses, artists, makers, and visitors. This vibrantly diverse community is anchored by intentionally conceived parks, plazas, combined with civic and cultural event spaces of different size and use, and is seamlessly connected to the river and its surrounding neighborhoods.
We can’t call a place home until we’ve made it our own—added our touches—made it comfortable—made it functional—put out a few plants, some art, a fish, maybe a rug. Then we stand back, arms akimbo, proud, ready to invite friends and family over. Then we call it home.
This is our home.
All of it. Portland. And the Rose Quarter falls under our home duties. We’re responsible for adding our touches to it and making it comfortable for ourselves and anyone who may join us for dinner. And as good homeowners with ninety acres of to-do-lists to tackle, we look at the Rose Quarter and ask ourselves the most difficult question—where should we start?
Intimidating isn’t big enough of a word. There’s about 150 years of history in the Rose Quarter part of town and our job is to pay respect to it by creating an inclusive, affordable, vibrant, welcoming part of our home: welcoming parks, inclusive schools, vibrant churches, affordable housing, connecting with the river and reconnecting with a part of our home that is overdue for some love and attention—jeez it’s a lot of work.
But this is our home, right?
Right, and while we’re at it, we’ll restore its identity and call it by its name—ALB!NA.
Our Vision
The Organization
The Albina Vision Trust (AVT) was created to steward the vision for the future of lower Albina and achieved non-profit status in 2017. AVT seeks innovative solutions with a focus on building partnerships. As a nonprofit organization, AVT is positioned to link private interests and public priorities with community values.
The core values guiding the vision for lower Albina are:
• Honor what was, what happened, and what could be
• Heal ourselves and our communities
• Reconnect to the river
• Build a place to live, work, and play
• Integrate arts in the process and product
• Be intentionally remarkable
Staff
Winta Yohannes
Executive Director, winta@albinavision.org
Judy Hutchison
Operations Manager, judy@albinavision.org
Janet Bebb
Project Manager, janet@albinavision.org
Shelly Hunter
Development Director, shelly@albinavision.org
Alexander T. McPherson
Grants and Engagement Coordinator
Kayin Talton Davis
Communications Manager
Leadership Council
Intisar Abioto
Photographer, Dancer, Writer
Michael Burch
Community Relations & Outreach, NW Carpenters
Andrew Colas
President, Colas Construction, Inc.
Ron Herndon
Director, Albina Head Start
Cobi Lewis
SVP & Director, CRA and Corporate Responsibility, Umpqua Bank
Nolan Lienhart
Principal and Director of Planning & Urban Design, ZGF
Christopher Mattaliano
Stage Director, Teacher, Arts Consultant
Chris Oxley
Senior Vice President, Portland Trail Blazers
Kay Toran
President/CEO, Volunteers of America Oregon
Bob Walsh
Chairman of Board, Walsh Construction
Board of Directors
Rukaiyah Adams
Chair
Michael Alexander
Secretary
Tom Cody
At-Large
Gregg Kantor
Treasurer
Zari Santner
At-Large
Len Bergstein
Board Advisor
Resources
- Bleeding Albina: A History of Community Disinvestment, 1940- 2000 Bleeding Albina
- Desegregation and Multiculturalism in the Portland Public Schools Desegregation and Multiculturalism in PPS
- Root Shocked Root Shocked
In the News
Bike Portland
Jan 20 Albina Vision Trust will develop housing and theater project in Lower Albina
Albina Vision Trust (AVT) has taken a major step toward the dream of restoring a historic Portland neighborhood. Calling it a “huge milestone,” the nonprofit announced today they’ve partnered with Edlen & Company to develop an affordable housing and community theater project in the Lower Albina district.
Street Roots
Jan 27 In remembering the America of yesterday, we pursue the America of tomorrow
On Jan. 20, just two weeks after a Capitol siege rooted in white supremacy, a young poet helped lead us forward
National Geographic
Mar 8 Oregon once legally banned Black people. Has the state reconciled its racist past?
Cleo Davis and Kayin Talton Davis are artists and activists who have made it their mission to preserve and celebrate African American history in Portland. Talton and Davis have a residency with the city archives to help the city think about reparations. Another project they’re involved with, the Albina Vision Trust, has plans to redevelop parts of the neighborhood that were bulldozed for development. But to truly fix the system, Davis says, the city needs to “make laws so it doesn’t happen again.”
OPB
Apr 29 National Infrastructure Program Signals Shift
AVT is looking to create a space and a place that is reflective of what we aspire to as a city and as a region in terms of equity and inclusion, but also one that builds upon the history of the Albina community. This is a community that has been devastated over the course of decades, at the expense of transportation policies and other institutional uses that have displaced hundreds of families.
Oregon Live
Apr 30 Restorative Justice or Business as Usual?
Decades of distrust, displacement, and divestment are the foundations of the relationship between Portland’s Black Community whose roots are anchored in the Northeast Neighborhood of Albina and the numerous state and city offices of Portland. Restoring faith and trust with the Black Community is paramount at this juncture of the RQ Freeway project. On the table is an $800 million dollar project that, if executed with equity at the center, has the potential to make important strides to repairing the deeply damaged relationship.
OPB
May 26 If Portland Public Schools sells headquarters, Albina Vision first in line to buy
Portland Public Schools is not planning to sell its headquarters, at least not right now. But should district leaders decide to relocate, the first bid is likely to go to Albina Vision Trust, a nonprofit focused on revitalizing a part of Portland that was once a major hub of the city’s Black community. A resolution the PPS board approved Tuesday night allows the nonprofit the first chance at buying the property, should the district sell it.