Photo of Michelle Rudd

Michelle Rudd

Subscribe to Michelle Rudd's Posts

Michelle Rudd is a partner whose practice focuses on property development resulting in place making and increasing urban resiliency. Her work includes property acquisition through and in lieu of eminent domain, due diligence prior to purchase and property development through land use permitting. Michelle works with municipal agencies, private utilities, property owners and the community and on projects requiring their partnerships. She achieves client goal-oriented resolutions in condemnation actions and in land use permitting, including zone and comprehensive plan changes, use permits and variances, development of conditions of approval, and responses to notices of violation.

Michelle is licensed In Oregon, Washington and California. Prior to becoming an attorney, she worked as a civil engineer and obtained a Master's degree in City and Regional Planning.

Portland real estate is booming and Portland is now on the map for many national and international developers for the first time. This success, while enviable, is not without some negative consequences, as evidenced by increasing housing costs and congestion.

As Portland anticipates the arrival of even more people, it is trying to figure out where to put those new arrivals and how to preserve and enhance quality of life for both new and existing residents. Large-scale City planning efforts such as the 2012 Portland Plan and 2017 Comprehensive Plan reflect a recognition that not everyone has enjoyed the benefits of past prosperity and public investment, and that the City will seek to be more intentional and inclusive going forward.

Broadway Corridor Study Area, Prosper Portland

An emerging redevelopment area offers an opportunity to try new things and develop differently this time. The Broadway Corridor redevelopment area is 24 acres located between the Pearl District and Old Town/Chinatown. The area is centrally located in downtown Portland, has freeway access and is served both by Amtrak, via historic Union Station, and by TriMet’s light rail.  The “pearl” of this redevelopment area is the 14-acre U.S. Post Office site, bordered by NW 9th Avenue, NW Hoyt Street, NW Broadway and NW Lovejoy and purchased by the City of Portland in 2016.

The City purchased the Post Office site for almost $90,000,000 and understandably is carefully shepherding this public investment. The City’s Broadway Corridor Framework Plan provides a conceptual “framework” for future development of a 24-acre area including the Post Office site, but actual development will require a new type of public-private partnership and substantial further refinement of the plan, with the City committed to recovering its financial investment.

The status of infrastructure throughout the United States, and the need to expand and rebuild facilities, is often in the news. Funding these improvements remains a challenge, but when funding is identified, the government often has to acquire private property. If the government and the property owner are unable to reach agreement, the acquisition may…