PPS staff say 1 North is a "conceptual fit" for Center for Black Student Excellence; board presses for transportation, code and cost details ahead of December

Portland Public Schools staff told the school board on Nov. 18 that a due-diligence review supports moving forward with the 1 North property as the district's proposed Center for Black Student Excellence (CBSE), but board members pressed officials for clearer answers about access, safety codes and how the center's operating costs would be covered.

The superintendent, Dr. Armstrong, introduced the briefing and called forward a team led by Nicole Watson, senior director for family and community engagement, and Dana (senior director of real estate and construction). Watson described the CBSE's program vision, including two primary hubs the district calls "Chappie East" (community-facing tutoring, arts and extended learning) and "Adair West" (academic/STEM labs, internships and educator development). She emphasized that the center is intended to align with the district's continuous-improvement goals and to be activated in partnership with community organizations.

Dana summarized the property assessment, saying the 10-year-old commercial office buildings are in generally good condition but will require conversion from a B (commercial) occupancy to an E (educational) occupancy. That change, Dana said, will trigger life-safety work including seismic, fire-suppression and egress modifications and an HVAC replacement because the existing refrigerant is being phased out. Dana gave the board a total estimate of $37 million to $41 million "all-in" for acquisition and conversion, and said staff anticipate roughly 24 to 30 months from board approval to operational readiness.

Erin Fraser, executive director of the Center for Black Excellence, urged the board during public comment to "move to a vote on the Center for Black Student Excellence on December 2," noting that 75% of Portland voters approved $60 million for the CBSE in 2020 and that the 1 North site sits in the heart of Albina, a neighborhood cited as central to the district's Black students and families.

Board members asked detailed follow-up questions across several topics:

- Transportation and access: Directors raised concerns about how younger children and families across the city would regularly access the site, noting that travel times vary widely. Staff said transportation options (walking school buses, shuttles and partnerships) and outreach plans would be developed during design and programming and that about 40% of Black students live within 3.5 miles of the site according to materials presented.

- Code and the atrium: Several directors asked whether preserving the building's atrium would preclude classroom use on adjacent floors. Sarah Bowman, interim senior director of the Office of School Modernizations, said there are multiple engineering and code treatments (fire exhaust systems, water curtains, rated construction) that the design team can explore with the city; staff said they cannot yet promise which floors will be usable for full-time classrooms until the design/code review is complete.

- Tenants, parking and operating costs: Dana said commercial tenants currently pay pro rata shares of operating expenses and property taxes; the property management firm currently in place handles those arrangements and its contracts generally expire in the 2026'2028 timeframe. Staff estimated tenant rents would cover roughly $436,000 per year and cited an illustrative operational gap in one staff presentation of about $271,000 after tenant contributions, though the board asked for more precise budget-to-budget breakdowns to be provided with decision materials.

- Timeline and board action: Staff stated due diligence is complete and said they expect to return with materials for a December decision. Dana referenced December 10 as a target to waive contingencies related to the building assessment; the chair separately stated the board will consider a purchase decision during the December 2 meeting. Staff asked directors to submit any remaining questions in writing so they could be addressed before the board acts.

The presentation repeatedly emphasized that bond funds from the 2020 bond measure—$60 million set aside for the CBSE—must be spent on the center and cannot be redirected to unrelated district needs.

What comes next: Staff will provide additional design-level information, code analysis and firm budget breakdowns ahead of the December board meeting(s) so directors can vote on whether to waive contingencies and proceed toward purchase. If the board votes to proceed, staff estimate about two years of design and construction before the center would be fully operational.