What will happen to p:ear?
As I wander around downtown, I am amazed by how many buildings there are that appear to be abandoned or left for dead. And some of these buildings have been this way for years. The one in the photo to the right is on the corner of SW Park and Alder and currently houses p:ear, a mentoring program for Portland’s homeless youth. The other day, I noticed a flyer on the window stating the building will be redeveloped into a boutique hotel. It is a cool building that does need redevelopment or just a good cleaning, but I’m not sure we need another boutique hotel. Honestly, it is too bad we can’t just turn the whole building into a place where homeless youth can stay and use it as a jumping off point for a future off the streets.
I really hope p:ear can get the funding they need to keep open and relocate to their new location. I for one plan on hitting the p:ear gallery soon to see what treasures they have these days. You never know, p:ear could be molding the next big star.
Originally uploaded by dieselboi
