Are Portland taxpayers getting Winkled? (Jack Bog's Blog)

We've been noticing a strange odor coming from the Killingsworth Station condo bunker at the corner of North Interstate and Killingsworth in Portland. That project seems to have broken the record for piling on the most different types of local taxpayer subsidies to make the money "pencil out" for a private developer -- with highly questionable public benefit.

Now we see that the same developer, Jim Winkler, was sucking on the public udder over on the other side of town as well, with this outrageous scheme -- a public housing project for people making $97,000 a year. The stink rising from the financial side of the project, Headwaters Apartments, is so strong that the city bureaucrats seem too embarrassed even to talk about it.

We remember Winkler as a likable enough guy when we knew him 25 or 30 years ago. But we didn't like him well enough to wink at the craziness that he and his City Hall connections have been involved in lately. Maybe it's time for said craziness to stop.

UPDATE, 12:55 p.m.: Today city commissioner Nick Fish says he wants to get Headwaters back on the tax rolls. Sounds nice, but it probably means the city would sell it to some favored developer, like Winkler, for $1.

Comments (8)

Who at the O let Schmidt do actual reporting?

Posted by other steve | December 7, 2011 10:44 AM

Winkled, Homered, Mazotti-ed, Samed, Randyed, Daned, Amanded, Fished, PDC-ed, and probably dozens more just in the last 2 years.

Posted by Portland Native | December 7, 2011 11:21 AM

Tip of the iceberg...Look at the construction financing Multnomah County provided for the Mirabella, South Waterfronts premier retirement home for the city's elite: wait for it....

.................TAX FREE BONDS.

So the "non-profit" developers get financing below the current market rate and Multnomah County subsidizes the cost of the Vertical Arlington Club.

Posted by Mister Tee | December 7, 2011 2:02 PM

Hey, those people are old. They could use a break.

Posted by Allan L. | December 7, 2011 2:24 PM

"Today city commissioner Nick Fish says he wants to get Headwaters back on he tax rolls."

Technically, Mutlnomah county has to take back the property tax exemption. However, Winkler probably has the place set up as a non-profit for that exemption.

Posted by Steve | December 7, 2011 3:19 PM

I know of several older apartment complex owners in SW Portland, not too far from this taxpayer funded so-called "affordable housing", that are totally ticked off by Housing Authorities and Nick Fish perpetuating these kind of scams. They recognize that it's total competition for them as well as other multifamily housing owners throughout the city.

This kind of non-sense is getting the attention of the Metro Multifamily Housing Assn. members. They've been somewhat silent because they have to do business with government agencies and be cautious of Leonard's bite. But things are changing. Another example of government picking winners and losers.

Posted by lw | December 7, 2011 5:38 PM

I got gentrified out of two apartments in St Johns and one nearby this development. The last involved a PDC storefront subsidy, grant, loan or whatever giveaway to my yuppie landlord who ran out two minority businesses by turning the space into a wine bar. That is less than a few blocks from where I live now and close to these condos. I predict the street parking is going to be out of control once they sell all the living spaces and once they open their businesses there looks like I may have to move again as my rent will doubtless go up again. Last time it went up $150...

Posted by Ms Peebody | December 7, 2011 5:43 PM

If citizens are upset about Headwaters Workforce Housing being overly subsidized, they should be made aware that right now PDC/Fish are laying the groundwork for more.

In several past SoWhat URAC meetings staff and the typical stakeholders have promoted extending "affordable housing" to mean "workforce housing" and "student housing". All subsidized by taxpayers.

If you think a $98,000 income is "affordable" or "low income", then wait for the new definitions being hatched for workforce and student housing and who can meet those standards. Soon, it will be over 85% of our populous. Who's left to pay the bill?

"Affordable" has a new meaning for Portland. And in several areas it doesn't meet state or federal standards. But who cares, Portland has its own standards. Institutions/agencies like OHSU, OSU, O, PSU, PDC are dictating what is "affordable". Time for a reality check. Thanks Brad for exposing a little of what is going on.

Posted by Lee | December 7, 2011 7:46 PM

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Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Are Portland taxpayers getting Winkled?

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