Downtown Portland is on the way back, and business-friendly candidates pursuing key seats on the county commission can help speed up change for the better. In this episode, TMT Development President & CEO Vanessa Sturgeon provides an update on progress in downtown, and profiles the people who can make a difference for Portland business leaders if they prevail in the upcoming election.

Summertime is prime time in the Pacific Northwest, and all indications point to at least phase one of a Downtown Portland comeback. In this encouraging update, TMT Development President & CEO Vanessa Sturgeon delivers good news, both in the data, and what she and her colleagues are experiencing in downtown.

In a candid and eye-opening conversation, TMT Development President & CEO Vanessa Sturgeon lays out the dire state of commercial real estate in downtown Portland, what it will take to fix it, and a lengthy timetable to find a new normal. She also shares what it will take for businesses to get their teams excited about the office again.

In our opening download of this series, TMT Development President & CEO Vanessa Sturgeon voices her optimism for political change in Portland, and positive momentum in several key areas to improve Portland's business climate. Vanessa also provides an update on the critical commercial real estate sector.