<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="auto">Milwaukie used TIF funding to establish an Urban Renewal Distric and fund business development grants. Using these as incentives with landlords and tenants, the Downtown Alliance of Milwaukie were able to go from around a 33% downtown vacancy rate out with around 120 spaces to, I believe, currently 2 units still currently available, in around 2 years. A lot of collaboration and hustle!</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Andy Fisher</div><div dir="auto">Downtown Alliance of Milwaukie (DAM)</div><div dir="auto">Board Chair</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div id="composer_signature" dir="auto"><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div><br></div><div align="left" dir="auto" style="font-size:100%;color:#000000"><div>-------- Original message --------</div><div>From: President DCO <president@downtown-corvallis.org> </div><div>Date: 4/14/26 4:41 PM (GMT-08:00) </div><div>To: Dawn Mills <Dawn.Mills@riddle.k12.or.us>, Network Members Oregon Main Street <oms_managers@omls.oregon.gov> </div><div>Cc: Network Members Oregon Main Street <oms_managers@omls.oregon.gov> </div><div>Subject: Re: [OMS_MANAGERS] Vacancy Fee </div><div><br></div></div>Corvallis is also very interested in this conversation. It is a subject that has been coming up in city council meetings and with our downtown task force. We are most interested in knowing more about how other communities have used incentives to reduce vacancies, rather than punishments.<br id="lineBreakAtBeginningOfSignature"><div dir="ltr">Deann Garcia<div>——<br><div>503.277.0326 | deanngarcia.com</div></div></div><div dir="ltr"><br><blockquote type="cite">On Apr 14, 2026, at 6:25 AM, Dawn Mills via OMS_MANAGERS <oms_managers@omls.oregon.gov> wrote:<br><br></blockquote></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr">
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Hi,</div>
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We'd be interested in more data on this and other approaches. Currently 50% of our Main Street business district is being lived in or storage. Not all buildings are kept up either. </div>
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What ordinances are helping with this issue? </div>
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Thank you,</div>
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Mrs. Dawn Mills</div>
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Riddle Downtown Development</div>
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<div dir="ltr" id="divRplyFwdMsg"><font color="#000000" style="font-size:11pt" face="Calibri, sans-serif"><b>From:</b> OMS_MANAGERS <oms_managers-bounces@omls.oregon.gov> on behalf of Executive Director <executivedirector@downtownmedford.org><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Saturday, April 4, 2026 4:19:42 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Oregon Main Street Network Members <oms_managers@omls.oregon.gov><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [OMS_MANAGERS] Vacancy Fee</font>
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<div><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif" class="x_gmail_default">I decided to investigate this. I found these two recent articles. I like what Pendleton is doing. Invite people to the table to plan and discuss, rather than imposing a fee right off
the top after so many days. This opens a conversation to understand the property owner's, city's, and community's needs. </span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif" class="x_gmail_default">Portland (April 4, 2026) - </span><a href="https://www.koin.com/news/portland/leaders-vacant-building-fee-downtown-stakeholders/">https://www.koin.com/news/portland/leaders-vacant-building-fee-downtown-stakeholders/</a></div>
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<div style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif" class="x_gmail_default"><b>Great idea - Pendleton (Dec 17, 2025)</b> - <a href="https://www.opb.org/article/2025/12/17/pendlteon-oregon-building-owners-vacant-rent/">https://www.opb.org/article/2025/12/17/pendlteon-oregon-building-owners-vacant-rent/</a></div>
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<div style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif" class="x_gmail_default">Annie</div>
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<p style="margin:0in; color:rgb(0,0,0)" class="x_MsoNormal"><b style="color:rgb(34,34,34); font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Did you miss the March Newsletter... <a href="https://mailchi.mp/downtownmedford/dma_march2026newsletter">read here</a></b><b><font face="verdana, sans-serif"></font></b></p>
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<p style="margin:0in; color:rgb(0,0,0)" class="x_MsoNormal"><b><font face="verdana, sans-serif">Annie Jenkins, Executive Director</font></b></p>
<p style="margin:0in; color:rgb(0,0,0)" class="x_MsoNormal"><font face="verdana, sans-serif">Downtown Medford Association</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in; color:rgb(0,0,0)" class="x_MsoNormal"><font face="verdana, sans-serif">Mobile | 541-941-5204</font></p>
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<div class="x_gmail_attr" dir="ltr">On Thu, Apr 2, 2026 at 3:28 PM Quinn Haase <<a href="mailto:quinn@astoriadowntown.com">quinn@astoriadowntown.com</a>> wrote:<br>
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Also something I’ve been grumbling about to my City Manager. If anyone has any data on this being implemented effectively, I’d sure like to know.</div>
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-Quinn</div>
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Get <a href="https://aka.ms/o0ukef">Outlook for iOS</a></div>
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<div dir="ltr" id="x_m_-5379398159561676403divRplyFwdMsg"><font style="font-size:11pt" color="#000000" face="Calibri, sans-serif"><b>From:</b> OMS_MANAGERS <<a href="mailto:oms_managers-bounces@omls.oregon.gov">oms_managers-bounces@omls.oregon.gov</a>>
on behalf of Jacobs, Christopher <<a href="mailto:Christopher.Jacobs@corvallisoregon.gov">Christopher.Jacobs@corvallisoregon.gov</a>><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, April 2, 2026 3:25:07 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Oregon Main Street Network Members <<a href="mailto:oms_managers@omls.oregon.gov">oms_managers@omls.oregon.gov</a>><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [OMS_MANAGERS] Vacancy Fee</font>
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<p><span style="font-size:11pt">I don’t believe its been established as legal in Oregon.
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<p style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:rgb(34,34,34)">Christopher Jacobs, CEcD</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,sans-serif; color:rgb(34,34,34)"></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:rgb(34,34,34)">Economic Development Manager
</span><span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,sans-serif; color:rgb(34,34,34)"></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:rgb(0,0,120)"> </span><span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,sans-serif; color:rgb(34,34,34)"></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:rgb(0,112,192)">City of Corvallis | Community Development</span><span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,sans-serif; color:rgb(34,34,34)"></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:rgb(0,0,120)"> </span><span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,sans-serif; color:rgb(34,34,34)"></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:rgb(29,65,32)">501 SW Madison Avenue, Corvallis, OR 97333</span><span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,sans-serif; color:rgb(34,34,34)"></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:rgb(29,65,32)">PO Box 1083, Corvallis, OR 97339-1083</span><span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,sans-serif; color:rgb(34,34,34)"></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:rgb(29,65,32)">541-231-1203 Cell Phone<br>
541-766-6339 Office Phone</span></b></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10pt; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; color:rgb(37,83,41)"> </span><span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,sans-serif; color:rgb(34,34,34)"></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt"><a href="mailto:Christopher.Jacobs@corvallisoregon.gov">Christopher.Jacobs@corvallisoregon.gov</a></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:11pt"> </span></p>
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<p><b><span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> OMS_MANAGERS <<a href="mailto:oms_managers-bounces@omls.oregon.gov">oms_managers-bounces@omls.oregon.gov</a>>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Executive Director<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, April 2, 2026 3:19 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Oregon Main Street Network Members <<a href="mailto:oms_managers@omls.oregon.gov">oms_managers@omls.oregon.gov</a>><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [OMS_MANAGERS] Vacancy Fee</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif">We do not but our city has been talking about it. So I would be interested in knowing who does.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif">Annie</span></p>
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<p><b><span style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif; color:rgb(34,34,34)">Did you miss the March Newsletter... <a href="https://mailchi.mp/downtownmedford/dma_march2026newsletter">read here</a></span></b><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p><span style="color:black"> </span></p>
<p><b><span style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif; color:black">Annie Jenkins, Executive Director</span></b><span style="color:black"></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif; color:black">Downtown Medford Association</span><span style="color:black"></span></p>
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<p>On Thu, Apr 2, 2026 at 3:10<span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span>PM City Club Forest Grove <<a href="mailto:cityclubofforestgrove@gmail.com">cityclubofforestgrove@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</p>
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<p>Hello,</p>
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<p>Does anyone use a vacancy fee in their city to minimize or dissuade building owners to keep their buildings vacant? </p>
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<p><b><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif; color:rgb(53,28,117)">Thank you,</span></b>
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<p><b><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif; color:rgb(53,28,117)">Donna Gustafson, President</span></b></p>
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<p><b><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif; color:rgb(53,28,117)"><a href="https://www.downtownforestgrove.com/">Downtown Association of Forest Grove</a>
</span></b><span style="font-size:7.5pt; font-family:Georgia,serif; color:rgb(53,28,117)">(formerly City Club of Forest Grove)</span></p>
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