District reports no major red flags in due diligence for Center for Black Student Excellence; operating estimate and LLC arrangements under review

Portland SD 1J staff updated the Facilities Improvement Oversight Committee on due diligence for the proposed Center for Black Student Excellence site, reporting that standard commercial real estate studies completed to date showed no material legal or environmental issues.

Joanna Evensen, director of project management and construction, said the ALTA survey and the Phase I environmental study were complete and did not identify material exceptions. Liz Large, a contracted member of the district legal team, said the building assessment is still in draft and under review; the report will be finalized and presented in November with conclusions about structural and major systems conditions.

Large flagged one contract structure for board attention: an EcoCommons LLC that holds a 35‑space parking sublease to a nearby church; if the district completes a purchase it would acquire a 70% net interest in the LLC. Large described that setup as somewhat unusual but negotiable and said staff saw “nothing surprising or unusual” in legal reviews.

Staff provided an interim operating estimate: accelerating tenant rosters and current point‑in‑time data to Jan. 1 produced a net operating cost estimate of about $150,000. Large said that figure is not a final operating budget and that property management and owner data are still being reconciled.

Next steps include finalizing the building assessment and producing a pro forma showing space design, parking and an operating plan for the November meeting; staff said they will provide materials before the full board decides whether to move forward with purchase.