After visiting a number of sites in the North Willamette Industrial area, as well as the Central East Side Urban Renewal area, I have discovered a deeper interest in the site located between OMSI and the Portland Opera, on the waterfront in the Central East Side URA. The site is currently being used as a temporary slurry separation plant, aiding in the construction of the East Side Big Pipe Project, a combined sewer overflow project that will reduce the volume of combined sewage and storm water that overflows into the river by 94%. The project is scheduled to be completed next year, at which time the site will be vacated. Given the history of the site, and its proximity to cultural and educational institutions such as OMSI, I think this would make an ideal center for education and research regarding urban ecology and sustainable technologies.
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