Persistence has paid off for a group of African American women from North and Northeast Portland.

It has been a longtime dream of the Portland Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority to transform a derelict former gas station site near Peninsula Park into a green, “living building” that would benefit the entire neighborhood.  The planned community center will be on a site wholly owned by the sorority, which at press time had its fingers crossed for a Jan. 4 construction start date. 

“We got the permits finally, so we’ll be starting construction,” says Chris Poole-Jones, Delta Sigma Theta’s project coordinator and spokeswoman.

It’s been a long journey from disappointment to hope since the sorority bought the building and land at 5940 N Albina St. from Arco in 1992. A brownfield survey in the early ’90s reported that “conditions at the site do not appear to pose an environmental threat,” yet much more cleanup and testing turned out to be necessary.

Over nearly 20 years, the project has run through a half dozen architecture and construction firms. But the sorority kept returning to Portland’s Office of Sustainable Development, insistent on realizing their lofty goals.

“Our organization has always felt that we needed to renovate the building, but we wanted to do it in a responsible way,” Poole-Jones says.

The news is a relief for Brian Murtagh, land-use chair of the Humboldt Neighborhood Association, who lives right around the corner from the site.

“The very first thing that got me excited was knowing that the corner was going to get cleaned up,” Murtagh says. “It’s been maintained at a minimal level for many years, but it hasn’t been improved.”

Murtagh adds that the sorority will be offering a gift to the neighborhood by providing support for educational development, physical and mental health, economic improvement, international awareness, and social action. 

Another bonus for neighbors is the project’s goal to produce a “net-zero building,” which would mean that the site produces all the energy it needs. 

Solar energy panels and stormwater harvesting for flushing toilets make particularly strong statements on property that was once so oriented to car culture. The standard 1960s-style concrete-and-metal gas station surrounded by asphalt pavement will shift in appearance and ethos to the contemporary emphasis on community culture. Stormwater will also be managed by permeable paving and bioswales planted with native vegetation.

"There’s something very special about this project,” says Mark Nye, the lead architect at the site. “It has a great story, and we’re leading a new kind of sustainability.”

Nye notes a huge amount of positive support from the community and the Portland Development Commission. The project received in-kind donations from Benson Industries for glass fronting on building, and an Energy Trust grant is in the works. 

“Green” will soon be the way everyone builds, according to Nye, so it’s worth the extra effort now. Just as architects adjusted in the late ’80s to ADA requirements, sustainable choices are becoming just another part of the profession. “Because of our position, there’s a certain level of responsibility,” he says.

Delta Sigma Theta likes the term “demonstration project" for the building, which mirrors the tone of many of its classes and mentoring programs. 

“It’ll be great to show everyone that even a small organization with no money can build a sustainable community center,” Poole-Jones says.