Mayor Keith Wilson to Launch Central City Roundtable on March 6

​

PORTLAND, Ore. — Mayor Keith Wilson today announced the launch of the Central City Roundtable, a cross-sector leadership group that will align public, private, and community partners to accelerate progress in Portland’s Central City spanning both sides of the Willamette River.

​

The Roundtable, which will hold its first meeting on March 6, is intended to advance recommendations made in the All In On Portland’s Central City roadmap developed by the Governor’s Central City Task Force. The group will build on the Mayor’s existing initiatives to improve public safety and end unsheltered homelessness, and includes leaders from business, real estate, arts and culture, education, philanthropy, and community institutions.

​

“Portland has a downtown like no other, and the latest foot traffic statistics prove what we all know—the energy is coming back,” said Mayor Wilson. “We're assembling a cross-sector team of senior leaders capable of transforming that spark into an innovative, ambitious, sustainable civic revitalization. We have all the ingredients we need to attract opportunity and supercharge the kind of economic activity that lifts our entire community.”

​

The Central City Roundtable will be co-chaired by Mayor Wilson and Nolan Lienhart, Director of Planning and Urban Design at ZGF Architects. Lienhart brings extensive experience in placemaking and civic collaboration and will help guide the Roundtable’s work on activation and long-term competitiveness.

​

“We’re at a pivotal moment,” said Lienhart. “A vibrant Central City benefits the entire city, region, and state. We can build on the momentum of recent successes, such as the Rothko Pavilion at the Portland Art Museum and the James Beard Market, which links Portland’s food scene to Oregon-grown products. We also have visionary master-planning developments, like Broadway Corridor and those led by Albina Vision Trust and OMSI, that have the potential to redefine Portland’s Central City for a generation. But realizing that potential will take more than capital investment. It will take creativity, shared accountability, and a willingness to work across traditional boundaries.”

​

The Central City Roundtable will help identify and remove barriers and align capital to accelerate economic opportunities. In addition to project development and finance, the Roundtable will focus on reimagining and reigniting downtown for new patterns of work, culture, and community life. The group will track progress on a public dashboard that will be shared later this spring.

​

Wilson emphasized that Central City recovery depends on strong public-private partnerships and shared accountability.

​

“Government cannot do this alone,” he said. “That’s why I’m asking for guidance and partnership from leaders in all sectors. Together, we can restore Portland as the heart of the region, and as a nationally competitive hub for innovation and opportunity.”

​

More information about the Central City Roundtable and its membership is available at pdxcentralcityroundtable.com.