The O offers this in depth look at the proposed street car linking Lake Oswego and downtown Portland. April promises to be a big month for this project, as both the Lake O and Portland city councils will vote on the issue. Opponents of the project living near the proposed line in Lake Oswego and Dunthorpe are well organized and not shy about spending money for what is largely a NIMBY issue for those involved.
Sam Adams touts the project as a way to build out John's Landing. Homer Williams, one of the real estate masterminds of the Pearl and the South Waterfront, wants to build this new neighborhood near Lake O. An interesting feature of this project is that it includes a $97 million price tag for the rail right of way the city paid $2 million for in 1988. Of course, outside of the total cost, nearly half a billion dollars, the big question is, who will ride the thing. Proponents state that as OHSU expands, this type of light rail would be helpful for connecting Lake O to the hospital, while critics point to the cost.
However, as the developers who stand to benefit from this project are pretty familiar faces, it seems likely that the city will find a way to make it happen.
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