PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Last week, residents of the Cully neighborhood in Northeast Portland raised enough money to buy the Sugar Shack, a former strip club. On Wednesday, they began the long process of clean up.
“We’re finding lots of beer bottles, tons of cigarette butts and lots of cans.” said Annette Pronk, who has lived in Cully for eight years. She told KOIN 6 News this clean up is very important for the community because it’s a first step in transforming the former strip club into something positive. Anna Gordon with Living Cully agrees.
“We’re going to make sure this site is safe for everyone.”
After volunteers clean up years of piled up debris on the outside and finish some landscaping, they will tackle the inside. A date for that part of the clean up effort is still in the works.
A community celebration is set for August 4. There will be music, food and a lot of family friendly activities. Everyone is invited to attend and give input on what they would like to see at the site going forward.
“It’s just a sense of community.” said Pronk. “All the people coming together to make something positive in the neighborhood. It’s a long time coming and I’m so excited to see it happening.”