She continued her efforts by buying and renovating other buildings, which led to more and more people coming back to the street and spending money. Hill’s distinct vision and dedication supercharged Alberta’s come back. In the three years after Hill bought the building on 14 th Pl the number of businesses nearly doubled on Alberta Street. Various other restaurants and bars opened as well, to go along with a new gallery opening in 1997. The Rexall Pharmacy building was transformed into a coffee shop with an artists’ space overhead. With Hill leading charge, others followed suit. She turned this building into Roslyn’s Coffee House. Seeing potential in the area and not wanting black business ownership to decrease, she decided to purchase a building on 14 th Pl. AKA, “The Queen of Alberta Street.”Ī community activist and artist, Hill was influential with her decision to open a new business on Alberta in 1993. While these organizations kickstarted the revival of the area, one woman in particular is credited with having the most influence for Alberta’s renewed rise: Roslyn Hill. The decline hit a tipping point in 1981 with the closure of the neighborhood Rexall Pharmacy, which was a staple in the area for 66 years. Due to the lack of activity and shopping, Alberta saw an increase in crime and the area became known as unsafe. With poverty rising and homes vanishing, businesses became vacant and boarded up. This turbulent time created an unfortunate situation where banks refused to give loans for homes in the Alberta area, because they claimed it was of low value due to the demise of the community. Both projects caused the demolition of numerous homes, and over time, the area saw an increase in poverty, which then led to an increase violence, gangs, and vandalism. ![]() The new freeway not only took away housing opportunities on Alberta, it also shifted car traffic away from the area, which led to less patrons on the street and a drop in investments in the surrounding neighborhoods.ĭisplacements continued with the construction of Emanuel Hospital and the Memorial Coliseum. Unfortunately, this would not last for long as those same residents were displaced again in the 1960s as a result of the construction of Interstate 5. It became a place where they could start to build a community again. As a result, a significant amount of African American’s moved to the neighborhoods surrounding Alberta St. The Vanport flood of 1948 had a devastating impact on Portland’s African American residents, causing many in the community to be displaced. ![]() It was also during this time that large supermarkets and volume stores began to occupy storefronts on the street, leading smaller stores on Alberta to close because they simply could not compete with them. Adding insult to injury, in 1948 busses replaced the streetcars that were vital to the foot traffic on the street. used to be the main route to Vancouver, which lead a lot of folks to check out the stores on Alberta. became a major route to Vancouver, it drastically reduced the amount of customers Alberta was receiving. ![]() However, it was during this decade that the once vibrant street began to change significantly. Through the 1940s, the Alberta area was thriving. Essentially, these new neighborhoods became cities of their own, and flourished during this time. With the neighborhoods in the area on the rise, many of the houses were occupied by Russian and German immigrants, and other families with smaller income levels. The gains in the business sector led to an increase in housing investment in the area as well. After they arrived, many new businesses opened on the street, leading to more people visiting the area, and as a result, there was a ton of success for the stores. ![]() The impact of the streetcars cannot be overstated enough. However, it didn’t begin to take off until 1903, when streetcars came in. Named after Princess Alberta, the area was first established in the 1800s. Since the first immigrants who came to the area in the 1800s, Alberta has always been a cultural force in Portland. While the Alberta District was not officially given its name until around the turn of the 21 st century, it has been a hub of innovators, activists, and creatives since day one.
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