The Truitt Brothers Cannery, active railroad, and nonconforming public street represent existing redevelopment challenges and opportunities within the proposed North Waterfront URA. Salem City Manager Krishna Namburi told the City Council, “I want us to take the time to get this right,” as she asked the Council to delay consideration of the North Waterfront Urban Renewal Area (URA) at last night’s Council meeting. The Council had been expected to adopt the plan and have a fir

In my letter to the City Council, I ask three questions about the North Waterfront URA. Where is the river in the North Waterfront Urban Renewal Area? Despite nearly 6,000 feet of Willamette River shoreline, none of the plan’s six goals are related to the river. Who are the stakeholders and what is the engagement process? The list of stakeholders for this diverse, historical, and complicated area could be long, but the plan provides no information about who will have a voice

A proposed new urban renewal area in Salem fails to integrate the Willamette River despite 6,000 feet of riverfront property. The City of Salem is proposing a new 421-acre urban renewal district. Oddly, the North Waterfront Urban Renewal District Plan has very little to say about the Willamette River or Willamette Greenway, despite the proposed district’s 6,000 feet of riverfront property. The urban renewal area (URA) is scheduled to run for 33 years and will capture $199 m

Tell me an interesting fact,” the cashier at the grocery said to me. “I’m asking everyone who comes by.” I’m more used to “how many bags do you need?” This one took me a minute. “Salem has an 18% tree canopy, which is pretty low,” I offered. “There will be a lot fewer trees if that data center goes through,” she replied. Ah, the data center. Data centers are not popular, and for good reason. They consume electricity and water at the scale of a small city, drive up utility r