New Affordable Housing Community in Portland Honors Legacy of Iconic Chinese Restaurant
A new 124-unit affordable housing community, Legin Commons, has opened in Southeast Portland, honoring the legacy of the former Legin Restaurant. The restaurant, an iconic Chinese eatery, was demolished in 2012 to make way for an expansion of Portland Community College (PCC). The Legin Commons project, co-developed by APANO and Our Just Future, is partially funded by the voter-approved Metro Affordable Housing Bond. The name 'Legin Commons' was chosen to commemorate the restaurant's history, with the approval of the original owning family. Wanna Lei, who worked at Legin Restaurant after immigrating from China, is now the resident services manager for APANO and is involved in serving the residents of Legin Commons. The apartment complex is located near the former restaurant site, which is now part of PCC's Southeast Campus. The design of Legin Commons' signage draws inspiration from the restaurant's original carp logo and typeface.