Neighborhood Notes

A part-time community organizer has been hired, and the new focus will be on family-friendly events for people from different generations and social classes. The center won't, however, include the traditional trappings found in other neighborhood facilities.

"When someone uses the phrase 'community center,' people tend to think really big, like a basketball court and a pool," says Nancy Davis, the community organizer. "And we're not going to have that."

Instead, the center will include a play space for kids and their parents, and may have a new name.

The Zimmerman Community Center was created with a $1 million bequest from the estate of Isobel Zimmerman, a former Franklin High School teacher who died in 1992.

Over the years, it has bounced from one site to another in the River District, which includes the Pearl and Old Town/Chinatown. The new space will be the community center's fourth location.

The new incarnation comes after plans to move into a proposed apartment building at Northwest Ninth Avenue and Overton Street fell through because of a funding shortage. That facility would have included an indoor play center, after-school programming and other amenities.

It's been difficult to establish a permanent home for the center in or near the Pearl because developers and the city have not made it a priority, says Joan McNamara, a longtime member of the Zimmerman Community Center board.

Much of the ground-level real estate in the area that has not been used for housing has been leased to high-end retailers, she says, leaving no room for a community gathering space.

Davis is the co-founder of Central Portland Families, a group that helps kids and their parents connect with neighbors through play dates and other events.

She wants to do the same thing with the community center, only with a broader reach that will include older residents and low-income families. Although the programming remains in the planning stages, Davis says she'd like to start crafts classes or a kids' marching band.

Creating gatherings where neighbors can meet and mingle is important, says George Meier, the center's former executive director.

"Community space and intentional programming are critical," Meier says. "It's not enough to provide people a room they can rent somewhere. You need skilled staff to provide the opportunity to build those social bonds."