We are the independent business owners of the Brooklyn Business Association, operating in and around the intersection of SE Milwaukie Avenue and SE Powell Boulevard. We rely on a neighborhood where customers feel safe walking to our doors, employees can come and go as needed, and sidewalks and streets are clear for a variety of uses. We write to make two requests:

1. Use the City’s full authority and influence to prevent the siting and opening of the proposed bottle redemption operation at 1109 SE Brooklyn Street. The site would be funded primarily by the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative (OBRC) and operated by Ground Score Association, which would relocate its current outdoor operation at SE MLK and SE Morrison to this location.
   
2. Direct your staff to convene OBRC, Ground Score, grocery retailers, and neighborhood representatives to identify an alternative site that does not place patrons and pedestrians on Portland’s most dangerous street.

We want to be clear from the outset about where we stand. We are pro-people, pro-safety, and pro-livability, and we mean that for everyone: the residents and workers of this neighborhood, the students who pass through it, and the canners who depend on redemption income to make ends meet. We are not asking the City to choose between compassion and safety. We are asking for a solution that provides both, because this proposal delivers neither.

Our concerns fall into three areas.

1. The location is unsafe.

Proponents estimate this site will draw hundreds of canners daily, and likely more following the July 31, 2026 closure of OBRC’s North Portland redemption center near Delta Park, which had been serving 800 canners a day. With almost no on-site parking, most patrons will arrive on foot, by bicycle, or by transit, moving large bags and carts of containers through one of the city’s most dangerous intersections.

Portland’s own Vision Zero data identifies Powell Boulevard as the city’s most dangerous street for pedestrian deaths and serious injuries, and its third most dangerous for cyclists. The Milwaukie/Powell intersection ranks among Portland’s 20 least-safe intersections for pedestrians. Cleveland High School students use a TriMet shelter directly across the street, and a few blocks north on Milwaukie Avenue is a rail crossing where several pedestrians have recently been struck and killed. Adding hundreds of daily foot and cart trips to this corridor puts the very people this project is meant to serve directly in harm’s way.

2. Oversight, partners, and funding have all walked away. Only the risks remain. 

Our confidence that there will be a successful outcome is at an all time low. The timeline tells the story:

• August 2025: OBRC and grocery retailers first reveal the site to neighbors on the Clinton Triangle Oversight Committee, presenting it as a decision already made, with opening planned for that fall.
• October 2025: At a public meeting, the site is described as a “dream location.” Neighbors are assured it will be a state-permitted, OLCC-regulated Alternative Access Redemption Center (AARC) under SB 992, serving roughly 300 canners a day, capped at 350 containers per person per day, and processing 30 million containers annually.
• November 2025: The site is finally surveyed for environmental hazards, revealing multiple leaking underground storage tanks. Though the tanks and more than 40 tons of contaminated soil have since been removed, as of August 10, 2026 the state has still not certified the site as clean.
• Spring 2026: The grocers withdraw from the project. OBRC then announces it will not seek AARC status or OLCC oversight and will instead simply relocate the People’s Depot. The site would no longer be a “redemption center” as defined by state law, and daily per-person container limits would no longer apply.
• July 31, 2026: OBRC closes its Delta Park redemption center after years of neighborhood complaints about litter, camping, property crime, and drug activity. Increased traffic from displaced canners is already visible at the People’s Depot’s current site, and it will follow the operation to SE Brooklyn Street.

3. The community protections have collapsed.

In your May 20 letter to OBRC’s CEO, Mayor Wilson, you shared that as the primary funder, OBRC should hold the responsibility for safe, well-run facilities, and for maintaining open, collaborative, and productive relationships with neighboring residents and businesses, and you strongly urged OBRC to sign a Good Neighbor Agreement (GNA) with the surrounding community.

OBRC representatives have since told us directly that they will not sign a GNA, and have not participated in any discussions. Nearly three months on, we understand OBRC has not made any commitments to uphold these expectations and has yet to formally respond to your letter at all. The building’s prospective owner has likewise made no GNA commitment. That leaves Ground Score, a respected nonprofit with no tangible assets and dependent on OBRC funding for its own payroll, as the only prospective signatory. Asking Ground Score to carry sole accountability lets OBRC off the hook and places an unfair burden on a nonprofit that has been offered no alternative site.

The financial commitment has followed the same pattern. When this was to be a state-regulated AARC, OBRC and the grocers pledged $500,000 per year to the City for ten years, a total of $5 million. That pledge has since been reduced to $200,000 for a single year: 4 percent of the original commitment.

Our request

Many canners are economically distressed Portlanders working honorably to make ends meet, and we respect Ground Score’s mission. Precisely because we care about these neighbors, we cannot support a plan that concentrates hundreds of vulnerable people at a hazardous intersection with no binding community protections. Experience at Portland’s major redemption sites (Delta Park, NE 122nd and Glisan, and the People’s Depot) shows that the blocks around immediate-cash redemption sites consistently suffer litter, camping, property crime, and open drug activity. These are pressures the City is less equipped than ever to absorb amid cuts to police and behavioral health services. There are also larger questions about the Bottle Bill’s future that deserve serious discussion when the 2027 Legislature convenes.

For these reasons, we urge you to use the City’s authority and influence to stop this project at this location, and if necessary, convene all affected parties, including neighbors, businesses, OBRC, grocers, Ground Score, and canners themselves, to find a solution that is safe, sustainable, and livable for everyone. We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you or your staff at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely,

Matt McComas, President
Melaney Dittler, Vice President
CC: Brooklyn Business Association Board

The naming celebration is May 31st from 3-5. Please help spread the word. If you have the ability to help with planning or organizing the event, please contact the event organizer.

Finally, May 16th, at 9am, we will have a clean-up party. We hope to see some of you there. 

One of the highlights of the meeting was the election of our new board. We’re excited to welcome our newly elected board members and look forward to their leadership, energy, and vision in the year ahead.

’26-’27 Board Members Elected
Matt McComas (Center Street Digital)
Melaney Dittler (More Realty)
Ted Gold (Country Financial)
Darrel Grenz (Impressions in Ink)
Tom Martin (Tomcat Bikes)
Amber Cleneghan (Bullseye Glass)
Michael Gubitosa (Bot and Rose Design)

Thank you to everyone who attended, participated, and voted. Your involvement is what makes our community strong, and we’re excited for what’s next. Stay tuned for upcoming events, initiatives, and opportunities to get involved.

The space itself set the tone…active, and built around people showing up for their goals. BBA Members had the chance to meet new faces, catch up with familiar ones, and share what they are working on right now over lunch that was catered from Meta Pizza.

PDXFit was a fantastic host, giving everyone a glimpse into a local business that truly lives its values. We were challenged to start the year right and there continues to be a sense of momentum across the business district and mutual support throughout the event.

Special guest Jeff Lynott from City Councilor Novick’s office joined us to answer questions and provide insight into the current city government workings.

These meetups continue to strengthen the relationships that make the Brooklyn Business Association such a valuable community. We left feeling motivated, connected, and excited for what is ahead.

Brooklyn Business Association Expresses Concern Over Proposed People’s Depot Relocation

PORTLAND, OR—The Brooklyn Business Association (BBA) is writing to express our sincere concerns regarding the proposed relocation of The People’s Depot (TPD) to SE Brooklyn Street. While we fully support TPD’s mission, we believe this specific location presents significant safety and economic risks to the community we serve.

Safety Concerns for All

Our primary concern is for the safety of both the canner community and our residents. The proposed site is located near a busy highway, SE Powell Blvd/Hwy 26, and active Union Pacific and MAX train tracks. A recent tragic death on these tracks highlights the dangers of this area. The lack of safe crosswalks and difficult-to-navigate streets poses a serious threat to anyone on foot or using a bicycle, cart, or wheelchair.

Additionally, this new location could worsen existing issues near the Clinton Triangle Alternative Shelter Site. We are concerned that moving a large-scale bottle redemption service here will attract an increase in drug dealing and crime. This would be a setback for our community, which has worked diligently to manage these challenges. We are also concerned about the vulnerability of Cleveland High School students who utilize nearby bus stops, the security of nearby businesses already vulnerable to theft and vandalism, and the safety of residents from Portland and surrounding areas attending events at the Aladdin Theater.

Impact on Businesses and Community

The BBA is concerned about the potential impact on our small businesses. This relocation could lead to increased loitering and illegal activities, which would likely deter customers, hurt sales, and negatively affect real estate values. We believe that concentrating a high volume of canners from a large surrounding area in a single, already-challenged location is a mistake.

We respectfully urge city officials, Ground Score, the OBRC, and the OLCC to work with us to find a safer, more suitable location for The People’s Depot. We are committed to finding a solution that supports both the canner community and the health of our neighborhood.

– Brooklyn Business Association Board

If you are a Brooklyn Business or a Brooklyn resident and would like to engage this issue further, please consider attending a community meeting hosted by the Brooklyn Action Corp (neighborhood association).

October 7th, 7pm – Sacred Heart Fellowship Hall
3850 SE 11th Ave. Portland, OR 97202

This event is meant to be our annual flagship event of the GBBA help establish Brooklyn’s reputation as a vibrant business district and relaunch the GBBA in a post-Covid era. It is designed to help the GBBA promote our area businesses as well as expand the membership of the GBBA. As a community facing event, it provides an opportunity for neighborhood businesses to connect with local community members and southeast Portland as whole.

The BOB BBQ included free food options (150 free meals) from the food cart Retrolicious for attendees and live music from the Kivett Bednar Band, creating a festive atmosphere for attendees to picnic in the park on a summer evening. A business fair with casual browsing of 14 Brooklyn-based businesses was available. We also had about 6 local District 3 candidates attend to table and introduce themselves to the neighborhood.

Widespread promotion took place as we advertised this event to all of the businesses in Brooklyn. We walked the streets passing out flyers to all businesses and shared the opportunity in our emails to all. We had several women owned businesses, LGBTQ+ businesses, and the event was advertised to the entire community with no cost or barrier to attend.

Economy in Multnomah County and the Portland MSA

Oregon’s total nonfarm payroll employment grew 0.5%, adding 10,100 jobs over the last 12 months ending in July. Multnomah’s nonfarm payroll employment contracted -0.9%, losing an estimated -4,700 jobs over the same time period. The Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro Metropolitan Statistical Area (Portland MSA) employment level shrank -0.7% year-over-year ending in June, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Las Vegas and Oklahoma City were the fastest growing among the 50 largest metros.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Oregon held at 4.1% in July, moderately higher than last year when it was 3.6% in July 2023. Oregon’s unemployment is slightly lower than the U.S.’s unemployment rate of 4.3%. Notably, Oregon remains below the 10- and 20-year unemployment rate averages of 5.1% and 6.3%, respectively. Multnomah County’s and the Portland MSA’s unemployment rate held steady at 4.0% in July. Both rates are above where they were a year ago (both were 3.5% in July 2023) and both county and MSA remain below their 10-year averages, both of which are 5.0%.

Read more about the Multnomah and Portland economy on QualityInfo.org, Oregon’s website for labor market information.

Topic of the Month: Age of the Multnomah County Workforce

Multnomah’s workforce is aging. The number of Multnomah workers age 55 and over more than tripled in the 30 years from 1993 to 2022, increasing from 37,000 to over 110,000. The share of the workforce 55 and older more than doubled in the same time period from 10% to 22%. Driving this trend is that the youngest of the large Baby Boomer generation turns 60 in 2024, and they are more likely to be in the labor force than previous generations were at ages 55 and beyond. Many of these workers may plan to retire in the next 10 years, taking their skills and experience with them.

With the relatively smaller Gen Z generation entering the workforce, workforce aging is expected to continue in the coming years. Its impacts will be felt across industries, as there are fewer laborers available to replace retiring workers. It impacts employers, industries, and regions to varying degrees. Employers should know the age profile of their own workforce so they can plan accordingly for increased turnover and recruitment efforts due to retirements. At a broader level, workforce planners need to know the demographic profiles of entire industries and regions to help gauge the need for future replacement workers.

Read more about the aging workforce in Multnomah County here.

Data Request of the Month: Tree Trimming Portland Tri-County Occupational Wage Estimates

I was asked to provide wage estimates for a tree trimming company in the Portland Tri-County area. The Employment Department produces wage estimates for hundreds of occupations across Oregon, so I was able to provide the following data below. If you have similar questions, please reach out!

Good Reads

“Multnomah County reports surge in people moving from homelessness to shelter, housing in past year,” by Alex Zielinski, Oregon Public Broadcasting.

“An Out-of-State Investor Bought an East Portland Home. Then a Dozen Struggling People Moved In.” by Lucas Manfield, Willamette Week.

“The Anatomy of Labor Demand Pre- and Post-COVID,” by Richard Audoly, Miles Guerin, Giorgio Topa & Roshie Xing, Liberty Street Economics.

“School Food Policy Affects Everyone: Retail Responses to the National School Lunch Program,” by Jessie Handbury, University of Pennsylvania & Sarah Moshary, University of Chicago.

“Free meals at Oregon’s largest school district echo a statewide effort to serve students all over the state,” by Natalie Pate, Oregon Public Broadcasting.

I hope you had a lovely month, and attached are the Multnomah County Economic Indicators for July for your viewing pleasure. (You can also view Economic Indicators on https://www.qualityinfo.org/portland-metro.) A little more in-depth breakdown of select topics follow.

I would like to remind you all that my role as a workforce economist is to give presentations and provide economic and labor market information and data to help with hiring, market research, grant applications and everything in between. So if you have a question about the labor market, want economic data or would like me to present on a topic, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Economy in Multnomah County and the Portland MSA

Oregon’s total nonfarm payroll employment grew 0.6%, adding 11,200 jobs over the last 12 months ending in June. Multnomah’s nonfarm payroll employment contracted -0.4%, losing an estimated -1,900 jobs over the same time period. The Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro Metropolitan Statistical Area (Portland MSA) employment level shrank -0.8% year-over-year ending in May, which is the largest employment loss among the top 50 largest metro areas in the U.S. according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Las Vegas, Oklahoma City and San Antonio were the fastest growing among the largest metros.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Oregon held at 4.1% in June, moderately higher than last year when it was 3.5% in June 2023. Oregon’s unemployment matches the U.S.’s unemployment rate of 4.1%. Notably, Oregon remains below the 10- and 20-year unemployment rate averages of 5.1% and 6.3%, respectively. Multnomah County’s and the Portland MSA’s unemployment rate held steady at 4.0% in June. Both rates are above where they were a year ago (both were 3.4% in June 2023) and both county and MSA remain below their 10-year averages, both of which are 5.0%.

Read more about the Multnomah and Portland economy on QualityInfo.org, Oregon’s website for labor market information.

Topic of the Month: Median Wage of Graduates by Degree Level

Job and wage data for college graduates has traditionally been quite difficult to obtain. These critical data questions got a bit easier to answer in 2022 when Oregon joined a cohort of states in the Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) experimental data product from the U.S. Census Bureau. PSEO matches up degree recipients with job data to provide a range of insights on where graduates end up and how much they earn over time.

The median wage for someone with a PCC Associate’s degree five years postgrad is $46,532. A worker with a PSU bachelor’s degree 5 years postgraduation earns $51,041. As with many colleges, instructional programs at PCC and PSU with the highest earnings postgrad include construction trades, health professions, engineering, and computer and information.

Read more about postsecondary economic outcomes here on QualityInfo.org.

Data Request of the Month: Gresham Unemployment Statistics

I was asked about unemployment data in the city of Gresham. The Employment Department produces unemployment estimates for all cities in Oregon, so I was able to provide the following data below: annual 2023 unemployment statistics for the city of Gresham. If you have similar questions, please reach out!

Good Reads

“Young families have continued leaving big cities post-pandemic”, by Connor O’Brien, Economic Innovation Group.

“Setting the Record Straight on Racial Wealth Inequality”, by Fenaba Addo, William Darity & Samuel L. Myers Jr, American Economic Association.

“Industrial Policy in the Global Semiconductor Sector”, by Pinelopi K. Goldberg, Réka Juhász, Nathan J. Lane, Giulia Lo Forte & Jeff Thurk, National Bureau of Economic Research.

“The distributional consequences of recessions”, by Tyler Smith, American Economic Association.

“How NEPA Will Tax Clean Energy”, by Aidan Mackenzie, Institute for Progress.

“Reducing poverty among older and disabled adults by increasing participation in SSI and SNAP”, by Wendell Primus & Chloe Zilkha, The Brookings Institution.

The articles, research and publications herein are solely for educational purposes and do not imply endorsement nor reflect the views of the Oregon Employment Department.

Thanks for reading! Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any specific questions about the economy, or if you have suggestions of material I should include in the economic indicators in the future.

“Brooklyn boasts a tight-knit community, swoon-worthy historic homes, and a collection of quirky and beloved local businesses.”

Read Complete Article Here

Tell us about your business?

I bring a passion for historic homes and a deep commitment to client satisfaction to the Portland real estate market. With 25+ years of experience living in Inner SE Portland, I can leverage my local knowledge, industry training, and strong work ethic to guide clients towards their dream homes. I loves to work with her Brooklyn neighbors to help them meet their real estate goals.

How long have you been doing business withing the GBBA boundaries?

Since October 2005

What does a perfect day in your neighborhood look like?

My plans for a perfect spring day would start with a leisurely wake-up on a sunny spring morning, followed by a delicious breakfast at the Hotcake House. After that, I’d head back home to work for a few hours, talking to neighbors and friends about Brooklyn happenings and answering real estate questions. I’d take my dogs to the park, walking and admiring the beautiful flowers in bloom. After my walk I would head to grab a mid-day latte at Rose City Coffee and meet up with more friends. After a few more hours enjoying the neighborhood, I’d head down to Brooklyn Park Pub for a smash burger and a drink. Finally, I’d end the day by walking to the Aladdin Theater to see a fun show with my husband.

What do you like to do outside of your business?

I love to work in my yard when I have time, walk and play with my dogs, and binge watch shows while enjoying the comfort of my recliner. We also like to travel, near and far. We own a travel trailer and take in on 5-7 trips a year throughout Oregon and Washington. We also like to get up in the air to go somewhere farther away when we can. Europe is a favorite destination, as is Arizona where I can meet up with family and friends there in the winter months.

View Melaney Dittler with MORE Realty GBBA listing here or visit her website directly to contact her.