What if...Pearl District 2.0? and beyond...

Mike Bednarek, a former colleague and longtime friend, coined the phrase "Change creates opportunity.?" about 35 years ago.

Change is certainly the operative word for the area north of Burnside, west of the Willamette River, east of Interstate 405, and south of the Fremont Bridge in Portland, OR.

Historically, the area was industrial and commercial with warehouses, railroad tracks, and Blitz Weinhard brewery.

While it abuts downtown Portland's central business and retail district, "Old Town", as many locals liked to call it, the area had very little retail, housing, and service businesses. It also attracted many people who struggled finding work and homes as well as faced daily challenges with mental health, substance abuse, and other issues.

What was once an area to be avoided by many Oregonians, due to the vision of several people, notably Homer Williams, the concept of the "Pearl District" was conceived and framed to transform the blighted area into a bright, vibrant, and bustling mixed use area filled with apartments and condominiums, restaurants, taverns and bars, art galleries. and other amenities that would attract people to walk, shop, dine, and socialize in The Pearl.

During the decade of the 1990's a significant infusion of investment capital coupled with urban renewal monies, tax breaks, and zoning changes from the City of Portland facilitated the transformation from what was to what could be.

While The Pearl evolution was fast and significant, as a frequent visitor there during the mid-1990's through mid-2005, it was a tremendous change from the previous 125+ years. The energy, mood, and behavior shifted from downtrodden to upscale.

As a resident in the Pearl neighborhood from 2006-2010, it became "the" place to live and hang out. See and be seen.

Some residents and visitors copped an attitude that it was cool and trendy. Untouchable. Almost like the hip neighborhoods in New York City or San Francisco.

Not so. While it had been improved, there were many amenities, services, and other features woefully missing. It didn't have a three-star or better hotel. Only a couple decent restaurants. Similarly, only a few watering holes, which were essentially dive bars. Walking in the neighborhood 24 x 7 was generally safe, though. Traffic and parking became a challenge, though. Along with noise from vehicles and construction projects.

Equally important, with the rapidly changing technology and telecommunications space, including the push for faster and better connectivity, e.g., mobility, local, digital, Web 2.0, and The Cloud.

However, sadly, cellular service in the area was spotty. Broadband was coming, but not fast enough. Bill Gates predicted FTTH (Fiber To The Home) in his 1995 book, The Road Ahead. In 2006, fiber wasn't available to most people in The Pearl, yet.

The singular biggest difference between The Pearl and the hot neighborhoods in urban cities was service. Clear and simple. In these larger, more established, and highly competitive markets, the successful businesses and establishments knew the importance of "Deliver The Promise.?" Each and every day. With each and every customer, client, vendor, and employee, shareholder, manager, and owner.

Go above and beyond what's expected. Do more. Higher quality good, products, and services. Accountability. Friendly. Responsive. And, more than anything, a positive attitude and commitment to serve.

While exceptions existed in The Pearl then, the standard was mediocre to substandard service. But, people owning, managing, and working in businesses in The Pearl then were very proud of being in the hood.

It boiled down to brand identity (aspirational state) and brand image (actual state). The Brand Gap, as advocated by Marty Neumeier, exists when there's no congruency between what an organization espouses and how its customers' perceive it.

To paraphrase, Dr. Viktor Frankl, author, Man's Search for Meaning, "To be whole, a person must keep the smallest distance possible between beliefs and actions."

The same holds true for brands. Especially the Pearl District.

Fast forward, Pearl District 2.0? was approved by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on July 14, 2009. Here's the link - https://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4802:t2p0jm.2.1.

The Pearl District 2.0? was the next generation of improvements. It was predicted 10+ years ago to Homer Williams and Barry Menashe that two or more hotels would be built. It was projected to Mark Dixon, founder, Regus, that a Regus Business Centre would be constructed and operated in The Pearl, among others.

Further, it was postulated that connectivity would be significantly enhanced to provide ubiquitous high speed wireless connectivity for any person, anywhere, anytime. Remember the name - Ubiq?. You'll be hearing more about it.

What if...Pearl District 3.0?and future generations...

...allowed private, public, and/or nonprofit organizations to leverage physical, financial, and intellectual property assets as collateral for loans from established banks to fund additional capital improvement projects. And, possibly without any tax dollars?

What if...

...Portlanders and visitors who are un/underemployed, homeless, hungry, and needing all types of health care, could benefit from compassionate programs and services that teach them to move from poverty to prosperity?

Thanks to Dr. Donna Beegle, who dropped out of Marshall High School at age 15 to get married. After a divorce at 25 with two young children, she was undereducated, unemployed, and lacked job skills.

Due to the Women Infants and Children program at Mt. Hood Community College, Donna sacrificed, worked hard, and served others. In a 10 year period, she earned a G.E.D. and Associates degree from MHCC. They were followed by a Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Portland. Finally, she earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Portland State University.

If you visit PSU's School of Social Work today, you'll see two Dr. Donna M. Beegle Classrooms generously donated by the Jubitz Family.

And, what if within the next two months, The Beegle Institute is established at PSU to teach, research, and serve, locally to globally? Further, it's co-sponsored by UP, MHCC, and Portland Public Schools along with other foundations and corporations?

Plus, what if "The Invisible Nation", a documentary by George Rivera from New York City is completed and released to broad acclaim and success nationally and internationally?

In addition, what if Donna's compelling life story is published and an Academy Award winning movie is produced and released as the #1 hit worldwide?

What if...

...an urban chic neighborhood can serve as home to anybody and everybody, regardless of income, lifestyle, gender, race, ethnicity, and other factors?

What if...

...it's a great question that can pull you into the future.

As Stephen Covey wrote in The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, "Begin With The End In Mind."

What are your BIG DREAMS? What's your passion fueling them? What will spell success for you?

Your thoughts?

Greg