Grant money and volunteers move ‘Tabor Commons’ project forward

By David F. Ashton

The Bee, Apr 30, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (2 Reader comments)

David F. Ashton / THE BEE

Southeast Uplift Chair Paul Leistner looks at the “Tabor Commons” roof that needs to be replaced.

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Remember the “drive-through meth stop” on S.E. Division Street that was busted, closed, and all set to become a community center? From the rooftop above to the tanks below, it’s still going to take some doing before the former “Drive-thru Wake-up and Deli” is finally transformed into the Atkinson/Tabor Commons Community Center.

With more work to do, still leading the transformational process is neighbor Paul Leistner, Chair of Southeast Uplift neighborhood coalition.

Leistner reminds us that the store’s former owner was arrested, and pled guilty to charges of supplying large quantities of pseudoephedrine to local meth labs. “The property was seized by the federal government. We worked with the federal government to get community ownership of this property.”

Southeast Uplift actually owns the land and building on behalf of three entities — the Mt. Tabor neighborhood Association, the South Tabor neighborhood Association, and the Atkinson PTA. Leistner commented, “We look forward to using the facility for classes, community meetings, and events — festivals and celebrations.”

But, before this former gas station, located across the street from Atkinson Elementary School, becomes a family-friendly center run by a nonprofit organization, it needs some more work.

“We just found out that we needed a new roof on the building,” Leistner revealed. “The metal roof is 50 years old; the project is going to be challenging. We wanted to do an eco-roof; this is our opportunity.”

The problem is, he said, eco-roofs are heavy. “We need to reinforce the building to be strong enough to carry the additional weight. We’re working with our volunteer engineers and advisory people to figure out what that would cost, and how we would do that.”

Additional bad news is that huge, leaking, steel gas tanks are still buried under the property.

But there is some good news too — the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department has now awarded the project a $96,000 grant to clean up the contaminated land.

Clark Henry, manager of the “brownfield program” with the City of Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services, explained the situation.

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