OPB’s First Look: The Low End invites North Portland neighbors in

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Good morning, Northwest.

As development on The Low End district continues, North Portland’s Albina neighborhood isn’t shying away from visitors until restorations are complete — the opposite, in fact.

OPB’s Kyra Buckley begins this morning’s newsletter with a look at the 1803 Fund’s efforts to welcome community members into The Low End to experience and contribute to its transformation from the very beginning.

Meanwhile, Oregon has officially seen more acres burn in 2026 than in all of 2025 from wildfires. Fire officials warn the most dangerous time, August and September, is still ahead.

Here’s your First Look at Thursday’s news.

— Sukhjot Sal

Top story

People tour an art installation at one of the sites purchased by 1803 Fund on North Mississippi Avenue and North Interstate Avenue on July 20, 2026 in Portland, Ore. The 1803 Fund has purchased several properties in the Albina neighborhood and is planning to spend $70 million on its neighborhood development project.
*Saskia Hatvany / OPB*

‘The buzz before the build’: Developing The Low End district in Albina

An industrial campus may not seem like the obvious choice for a footwear festival like Sneaker Week PDX, but in The Low End it’s part of an effort to build community support for its plans.

The festival and progress on The Low End developments come as Portland leaders struggle with ways to rebuild once thriving neighborhoods. It also comes as Portlanders feel conflicted about other major projects east of the Willamette River: potential renovations for the Moda Center and a future development at the old Lloyd Center.

But the 1803 Fund is including Portlanders early and often. It describes its mission as investing in and for Black Portland to advance generational wealth and well-being through purchasing property and creating partnerships. The main area of focus is restoring North Portland’s Albina neighborhood. (Kyra Buckley)

Learn more

3 things to know

Heavy smoke rolls off a wildfire burning in Central Oregon, July 27, 2026.
*Sarah Nairalez / OPB*

Oregon is on pace to break its modern wildfire record, with nearly 1.8 million acres already burned this season — closing in on the 1.93 million-acre benchmark set in 2024. (Monica Carrillo-Casas, April Ehrlich and Antonio Sierra)
Oregon’s popular electric vehicle rebates are coming back. But this year, Oregonians can expect to see smaller rebates, so the state’s limited funds can reach more people and keep the program open longer. (Monica Samayoa)
Just weeks after opening a brand new $40 million engineering hub, Daimler Trucks, the world’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, said it will move truck manufacturing out of Portland to facilities in North and South Carolina. (Kyra Buckley and Holly Bartholomew)

Northwest headlines

Lit candles line the International Fountain during a community vigil in honor of the three people who were shot and killed during Bite of Seattle the previous day, on Monday, July 27, 2026, at Seattle Center.
*Megan Farmer / KUOW*

15-year-old Seattle Center shooting suspect charged with first-degree assault; prosecutors seek adult trial (Amy Radil and Katie Campbell, KUOW)
Oregon is on track for its worst wildfire season yet (Kirk Siegler, NPR)
Tension over trains, taxes and growth drives crowded Clark County Council primary race (Elena Neale-Sacks)
State audit points to gaps in services for incarcerated Oregonians (Lauren Dake)
With reports of immigration detentions rising and school year approaching, Oregon advocates seek strategies to protect children (Elizabeth Miller)
Curry County commissioners say sheriffs used donations to buy jet ski, speed boat and more for ‘private gain’ (Justin Higginbottom, JPR)
Roseburg City Council will explore potentially creating homeless urban campgrounds (Jane Vaughan, JPR)
Washington state’s ‘millionaires tax’ wins former Gov. Jay Inslee’s endorsement (Sarah Mizes-Tan, KUOW)

Listen in on OPB’s daily conversation

“Think Out Loud” airs at noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app. Today’s planned topics (subject to change):

New effort aims to expand pharmacy access in Oregon’s rural and frontier communities
Surfing webcams help researchers better understand fog on the Oregon Coast

One more look

Books With Pictures owners Andréa Gilroy and Katie Pryde on stage at the Eisner’s ceremony.
*Andréa Gilroy*

Six Oregonians win Eisner Awards at Comic Con

Meet six Eisner winners from Oregon — five comic book artists and one comics retailer — who took home awards last Friday evening during a ceremony at San Diego Comic Con.

This year’s group of artists includes industry veterans Scott McCloud, Matt Fraction, Steve Lieber, Jordie Bellaire, and Mike Royer who has been inducted into the Will Eisner Hall of Fame, as well as bookstore Books With Pictures in Eugene. (Zan Lapp)