OMSI District receives $850,000 for road improvements

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - The OMSI District received $850,000 in federal funding Tuesday morning to begin infrastructure work on Southeast Portland roads, marking the first step in the neighborhood’s revitalization plan.

Representative Suzanne Bonamici allocated the federal community investment funds to restructure Southeast Water Avenue, focusing on adding new traffic signals and sidewalks to improve safety for visitors and local businesses.

“This feels like a major milestone to get this kind of investment,” said Erin Graham, OMSI president and CEO.

The funding allows the OMSI District to start phase one of the city’s plan to revitalize Portland’s Central Eastside. Bonamici said she chose this project because infrastructure is essential to the district’s future.

“The Central Eastside is really a thriving hub,” Bonamici said. “The OMSI district is going to really transform Portland.”

Two intersections will receive traffic lights and sidewalks: Southeast Water Avenue and Southeast Yamhill Street, and Southeast Woodward and Southeast 8th Avenue. The improvements address safety concerns for pedestrians navigating the industrial area.

Eddy Johnson, a tattoo artist at The Clubhouse, has worked in the district for years and regularly crosses the Water Avenue and Yamhill Street intersection.

“Countless times cars are just not looking or not seeing you come through,” Johnson said. “You just have to be so careful cars are coming by.”

The area also lacks pedestrian infrastructure, according to Johnson.

“It’s very clear it was built prior to thinking that people were going to be walking through here all the time, there’s no sidewalks, parking is staggered everywhere,” Johnson said.

The future OMSI District will include parks, a Tribal Nations center, affordable housing and will be home to a 3,500-seat Live Nation music venue. Graham said the museum wants families to have activities beyond the museum itself.

“We want them to be excited to be here and have things to do all day,” Graham said.

Johnson said with the right infrastructure, the district has potential for growth.

“We have these old vintage retro façades. We have all these buildings that used to be a factory. Now it’s a cool tattoo studio. There’s a lot of really fun things down here,” Johnson said.