Portland Building Renovation Over Budget

Portland, Or. – A new report from the City Auditor’s Office says renovation of the Portland Building, next door to City Hall, is over budget, but will be finished ahead of schedule. The original price tag for the job was $195 million dollars. That has now jumped by 10% with the project now costing $214 million dollars.

The audit finds the city has not met the project’s equity requirement that it disperse a million dollars worth of grants to help meet equity goals. The audit also says the budget needs to be more transparent.

Mayor Ted Wheeler’s office issued a strong response. He says the original cost did not include things like furnishings and technological equipment and that the council was briefed on them. He  says the project “has been transparent about additional  initiatives proposed outside of the construction budget and the return on investment for each of them.”