Report to the Community: August 2018

Dear Eastside Jewish Commons Community,

It’s been a busy summer for the Eastside Jewish Commons. Over the last three months, we took an extensive look at one possible property—a historic building with a lot of potential. Our architects evaluated short term and longer term costs as well as zoning restrictions. We also involved in the due diligence process a number of current and potential investors in the Commons. In addition we involved our community Partnership Panel, which includes 14 community organizations.

After evaluating all of information about this property as well as the feedback from the many stakeholders, we have decided to expand our property search. In particular, we need to make sure there is a strong alignment between the EJC community-identified service priorities and the zoning, size, cost, and long-term sustainability of the property we eventually select.

We have learned a lot through the due diligence process. We have found strong support from many of the potential investors involved in the process. We have also developed greater clarity about our business plan so that we can both establish the Eastside Jewish Commons and sustainably manage it over time.

In the coming months, we are planning to engage the community in our capital campaign and property search, and we encourage you to keep sharing news about this project with anyone who you think may be interested. Please continue to ask questions and share comments below. You can reach us at pdxejc@gmail.com.

Sincerely,
Eastside Jewish Commons Board of Directors