Well, it's not North/Northeast Portland, but it's all sort of connected...you know... sorta ~Cornelius Swart

FROM PRESS RELEASE~ Rob Kremer

Mayor assures Biggi family in private meeting
In a meeting Friday afternoon arranged by Washington County Chair Tom Brian between the Biggi family, Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle and Merritt Paulson, owner of the Portland Beavers, Mayor Doyle assured the Biggi family that the city does not want to pursue condemnation against the BG Plaza site to make way for the proposed Portland Beavers baseball stadium. The city and Paulson will instead begin to look at alternative sites in the Beaverton area. The Biggi family agreed to look at detailed information about the proposed facility and its potential to spark downtown redevelopment.

“The Mayor told us that the city no longer wants to consider condemnation, and Merritt Paulson said he was not interested in being involved in any adversarial condemnation proceeding,” said Domonic Biggi, spokesman for the BG Plaza owner. “We are grateful that Mayor Doyle has so quickly taken the condemnation issue off the table. Our tenants can now get back to running their businesses and planning for the future.”

The Biggi family has owned the BG Plaza site since the 1940s, and recently completed an upgrade of the 70,000 square foot office complex. The building is 85% occupied with mostly long term leases to 66 small business and non-profit clients.

“I am so relieved,” said Stacy Hankins, a licensed massage therapist and the proprietor of Breathe Bodywork, located in BG Plaza. “There just aren’t any other downtown office buildings with a similar combination of location and affordability. I would have to move out of Beaverton, and I’d definitely lose clients.”

Hankins, along with 13 other BG Plaza tenants, testified to the August 17th City Council meeting in opposition to condemnation of the office complex.

The Biggi family thanks the Mayor and Merritt Paulson for bringing the question of condemnation to a rapid conclusion. They look forward to working with them to help bring the Beavers to Beaverton at an alternative site.