Many of our recent actions demonstrate solid progress toward our vision. Portland s economy is robust. With over a dozen construction cranes looming over the city s skyline, retail stores, office space, housing, hotels, and an eastside waterfront park are springing up. Fortune Magazine ranks our region as one of the best places in the nation for business. However, despite our success, we face some serious challenges, and as I ve always said, the best time to tackle those challenges is while the economy is strong.
Continued action is required to improve the vitality of the central city.
The central city is the economic bedrock on which our citywide, regional and much of the statewide economies are based. Improving it merits our full effort, because while the city as a whole is meeting its job creation goals, the central city is not. At the Central City Summit held last November, we outlined a vision for the central city to serve as the region s hub of commerce, tourism, transportation, and the arts. This year, we will complete an assessment of our visionary work, which will tell us where the gaps are and recommend what our development priorities should be. We must expand the Oregon Convention Center.