COLLINS CIRCLE

A Mixed-Use, Affordable-Housing Project in Portland

When Tri-Met, Portland’s tri-county transportation authority, decided to develop affordable, transit-oriented housing on 18th Avenue and SW Jefferson Street in downtown Portland they came to Gerding Edlen. Together we created an affordable, for-rent housing solution that takes advantage of access to light rail, numerous bus lines and Portland State University. Collins Circle Apartments provides no less than 40 percent of its units to people with income of less than 60 percent of the medium area income, and the balance of the units remain at market rates.

These apartments are not only affordable; we also found innovative ways to provide amenities typically not found in affordable housing projects. Collins Circle was one of the first downtown housing projects to provide residents a convenient home office with multiple telephone lines and high-speed Internet access in each unit.