Portland Infill | Northwest Portland

[zilfondel]

portland architecture dot com has a little discussion on the project. Apparently there are some really cheap and ugly garden apartments (1 story) on the current half-block site. They're def not historically or architecturally significant, although this project would replace around 40 units.

[zilfondel]

Here's the Lair Hill Condo or whatever its called. I think Sera designed it? Kinda cool. Took the pics yesterday.

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/633/shortie1gs1.jpg

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/9387/shortie2ke8.jpg

[urbanlife]

funny, SERA use to be more of a cutting edge firm for Portland, then they got big.

I personally like Works PA, they are still a young small company and trying to find their place in Portland. I think the b side 6 is going to be a great example of their potential as a firm. From what I know of the people that work there, they are thinking quite progressively for the city which is good.

The only thing I really dont like about that rendering is its context, there is some ugly buildings around it.

[urbanlife]

wow. this is about a block from my place and it's the first i've heard of it. i think i like it, but these renderings look a little too preliminary to really judge. my wife, WHO HAS AN ARCHITECTURE DEGREE SO HER OPINION IS ESPECIALLY VALID, has some reservations about it. (she saw "metal cladding" and immediately thought of the Industrial Apartments on vaughn, which she calls "pigeon cages".) i think the rendering above isn't very accurate - notice that at this angle the roof of the neighboring building is quite visible, but the proposed building's roof isn't at all, like it's at the wrong angle. probably done to reduce the perception of bulk. on the other hand, at this angle, the steps they took to open up the courtyard and make it more visible aren't visible at all. unfortunately, the kneejerk reaction of the nimbys at la torre is unsurprising.

when it comes to the built world a degree doesnt make an opinion more valid over another opinion. If that were the case, we all would respect Micheal Grave's opinion when it comes to how to build a tower in Portland, but clearly many people in Portland know more about building in Portland than Graves does.

For the people that live in la torre, I say tough, words of wisdom from my dad, before you buy always looking into what the land around you is zoned for. It is a little extra work, but when it comes to buying anything, that extra work is worth it and makes you that much smarter.


Oh and just so you know bvpcvm, I wasn't attaching your wife or you in any way, you just mentioned something that brought up a good point that I wanted to mention. As an architecture student, I am well aware of how much dedication it takes to complete a degree in it, let alone make it your life's passion. So with that in mind, I tip my hat (if I ever wore hats) to her for her hard work in the field.

[bvpcvm]

when it comes to the built world a degree doesnt make an opinion more valid over another opinion. If that were the case, we all would respect Micheal Grave's opinion when it comes to how to build a tower in Portland, but clearly many people in Portland know more about building in Portland than Graves does.
...
Oh and just so you know bvpcvm, I wasn't attaching your wife or you in any way, you just mentioned something that brought up a good point that I wanted to mention. As an architecture student, I am well aware of how much dedication it takes to complete a degree in it, let alone make it your life's passion. So with that in mind, I tip my hat (if I ever wore hats) to her for her hard work in the field.

dude, i was being ironic. after all, if a film maker's opinion is especially valid, imagine how much more valid the opinion of someone with an actual degree in the field.

[urbanlife]

dude, i was being ironic. after all, if a film maker's opinion is especially valid, imagine how much more valid the opinion of someone with an actual degree in the field.

touche :)

[crow]

actually it does not take anyone with any degree of any creative background to be turned off by the images they put out. it just goes to show that at times it is better to show nothing, than something half-ass! especially when going to battle with a neighborhood - even you have a portfolio of nice work - your next project always has to be better.

[MarkDaMan]

Vanport Square tries new approach: pride in ownership
Portland - Instead of an anchor tenant with leased shops, the mall on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard is owner-occupied
Friday, January 25, 2008
ERIN HOOVER BARNETT
The Oregonian

Just three years ago, Vanport Square seemed hopelessly stalled. The city-backed shopping center project, a linchpin on Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, had lost another anchor tenant and significant steam.

But Thursday, developers Jeana Woolley and Ray Leary stood grateful and victorious before more than 150 project participants and well-wishers, celebrating the grand opening of their gleaming 42,000-square-foot building at 5225 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

The project is significant for its high-profile presence on a long-sagging boulevard but even more so for the creation of the wealth it represents. Vanport Square is owner-occupied, not leased. So far, 14 of its 16 spaces are sold or reserved. Eight of the 14 business owners are minorities, including five who are African immigrants or African American.

The project's turnaround came when the developers, both African American, abandoned the conventional approach of an anchor tenant with smaller, leased shops and reclaimed their original vision -- and their community's highest hope -- of owner-occupied spaces.

"It was by virtue of running out of conventional options that we tried something revolutionary and it worked," said Leary, a Jefferson High School graduate. "We came through tremendous odds, and public opinion was convinced we were dead on the line. . . . But we never looked down at the water."

The project's roots date to the Vanport shipbuilding community. African Americans settled there in the 1940s before the 1948 flood -- and discriminatory real estate practices -- pushed them into inner North and Northeast Portland. By the 1980s, frustrated by disinvestment, residents pushed for the Albina Community Plan. The plan called the Vanport Square site crucial to the boulevard's renewal.

The Portland Development Commission in 2001 chose Leary and Woolley, in partnership with heavy hitters Gerding Edlen Development Co., to transform the old Marco Manufacturing building and surrounding land into a commercial center.

The project required $6.8 million in taxpayer money and $2 million in federal tax credits purchased by Wells Fargo Bank. By comparison, the city spent about $8.5 million in property tax revenues to help build the tram.

Vanport Square business owners received loans at less than 1 percent interest for the first 10 years to buy their spaces. The lender was the Portland Family of Funds, which sells the federal tax credits. Sales prices for the units, however, were close to market rate at $266 a square foot, according to the commission's project manager. Each business must build out its space.

Leary credited Mark Edlen for lending the clout to get and hold the commission's attention.

Gerding Edlen recommended the conventional leased approach. But when one anchor tenant after another fell away, Leary and Woolley parted with Gerding Edlen and revisited their original condo-style approach with a new consultant, Jeff Sackett.

The building is opening on a significantly changed boulevard, thanks in part to the market but also the development commission. Four other PDC-supported projects have been or are being built, though some are struggling to fill spaces. Vanport Square's second phase, anchored by a major fitness club, is expected to break ground this summer.

Leary told Thursday's gathering that amid the many new residents in this changing neighborhood, Vanport Square will stand as a reminder of the Vanport community.

"Their historic roots are the shoulders we stand on," he said.

For business owner Mohamed Yousuf, who rented space for his Horn of Africa Restaurant for 11 years, Vanport Square is the realization of a dream.

"My wife and I were working hard, and we achieved our goal," Yousuf said. "I'm so excited."

Erin Hoover Barnett: 503-294-5011; ehbarnett@news.oregonian.com
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1201236913134830.xml&coll=7

[WestCoast]

The parking lot at 5th and Market is being torn up downtown.

In addition, some of the majestic trees there were felled, leaving one scrawny thing standing?

I guess I sadly have to presume this is just a repave job, but anyone know anything? Excavator and dump trucks on site.

[Castillonis]

I noticed the fence and etc two nights ago when I was visiting the cyan site.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&time=&date=&ttype=&q=SW+5th+Ave+%26+SW+Market+St,+Portland,+Multnomah,+Oregon+97201,+United+States&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=45.197878,79.453125&ie=UTF8&cd=1&geocode=0,45.512800,-122.680820&ll=45.517722,-122.679863&spn=0.009818,0.026436&z=16&om=0&layer=c&cbll=45.512799,-122.680818&cbp=2,521.1894777772022,,0,-5.1819508396867295

[pdxman]

^^^I think what they are doing with the site is in response to the walls that hold up that lot were beginning to crack and bulge, especially along the 4th avenue side and I'm guessing thats why they were cutting down trees and blocking off sidewalks-because it was becoming unsafe.

[sopdx]

There are no permits issued. It's just a repave. There was a nuisance complaint in August for overgrown shrubbery, looks like they took care of that.

[zilfondel]

^ yeah, I saw that too. Its the block that is surrounded by the old, 150 year old stone wall that had the old church that burned down many years ago. The stone wall is being ripped out.

Unfortunately, it created a wall effect on the block that, ironically, was probably the influence for all the other wall & podium buildings in the area, but really sucks for streetside activity.

[Garissimo]

when it comes to the built world a degree doesnt make an opinion more valid over another opinion. If that were the case, we all would respect Micheal Grave's opinion when it comes to how to build a tower in Portland, but clearly many people in Portland know more about building in Portland than Graves does.

For the people that live in la torre, I say tough, words of wisdom from my dad, before you buy always looking into what the land around you is zoned for. It is a little extra work, but when it comes to buying anything, that extra work is worth it and makes you that much smarter.



As a La Torre condominium owner, I'd like to respond to this and share a little perspective.

The structure that this concept drawing shows:

http://www.worksarchitecture.net/images/projects/projects/vaughn/page9.jpg

Is not allowed under current zoning. The north half of the building is on Vaughn street, which is zoned "CS" and allows a 45 foot height limit. The developer wants an allowance to overbuild this particular megaplex to "RH" rules, which allow a 65 foot height limit. Put another way, he wants permission to raise the height ceiling 44% on half of his building. The engineers, lawyers, and architects who live and work in the La Torre building are quite aware of the zoning around us, thank you. What we're finding out is that if a developer waves enough money and dangles a high-density development carrot at the city, those zoning regulations might not mean much. It may also set a pretty dangerous precedent.

I'm sorry if I come across as a little defensive, but I'm one of the people who this development will impact quite directly. I also commented on this project on the Portland architecture blog.

Portland Architecture Blog (http://chatterbox.typepad.com/portlandarchitecture/2008/01/more-high-densi/comments/page/2/#comments)

I think we have some pretty legitimate concerns but am very open to hearing how this will be a "good thing" for our block.

[bvpcvm]

right, but the upshur side allows 65', isn't that correct? la torre itself only extends half the way from upshur up to vaughn, and so won't abut the portion of the structure that is 'overbuilt'. (from what i understand the whole thing will be 65' tall, but your point was that 65' isn't allowed along vaughn.) moreover, as i understand it the rendering above is very preliminary and la torre residents were informed recently that more recent plans show the project stepping back from your building.

[Castillonis]

I took this photo of the E. Burnside and 28th ave construction site at 14:53 on Fri 25Jan08. This site uses Econo blocks for shoring that are made with left over concrete that is remaining in a mixer after a pour. The blocks weigh about 3800 lbs. The blocks will be removed and reused.

The construction crew will start working on tieing rebar for concrete next week. The building's frame will be steel. There will be parking below ground w/ retail on the first floor and condos on the next five floors.
http://www.holstarc.com/

1200x460
http://aycu38.webshots.com/image/42877/2003458448879723923_rs.jpg

[Garissimo]

right, but the upshur side allows 65', isn't that correct?

That is correct. I probably didn't make that clear in my initial reply but that was what I was trying to say. It's a split zone site. One half (Vaughn) is CS, the other (Upshur) is RH.


la torre itself only extends half the way from upshur up to vaughn, and so won't abut the portion of the structure that is 'overbuilt'.

Doesn't abut it, but impacts & limits the views of several of the units facing north.


(from what i understand the whole thing will be 65' tall, but your point was that 65' isn't allowed along vaughn.) moreover, as i understand it the rendering above is very preliminary and la torre residents were informed recently that more recent plans show the project stepping back from your building.

I understand that it is preliminary but the rendering that shows the Vaughn street side is pretty close to what it's going to be, with the exception that the material for the facade isn't finalized yet.

Setbacks have been increased on the Upshur side, as you mention. I still think the building is a poor candidate for the sight. Developer is asking for the advantages of the RH zone (increased height) without providing the amenities (parking), because technically it will still be a CS zone. This building isn't near the MAX or the street car, either.

[bvpcvm]

btw, i live about a block away. honestly, the fact that there will be height along vaughn doesn't bother me in the least, especially given that there will be some retail where right now there's a wall. and regarding lost views - views of what? montgomery park and esco? good grief. we live in a city. cities change. they're densely populated.

[Castillonis]

I took the photos that comprise this image on Fri 25Jan08.
1200x712
http://aycu40.webshots.com/image/41879/2006229285023063503_rs.jpg

[Castillonis]

I took this photo of the Mississippi and N Failing project on Fri 25Jan08. The crane looms above Mississippi avenue. It is quite a contrast.
1200x900
http://aycu22.webshots.com/image/41141/2002554603311816059_rs.jpg

[RED_PDXer]

I noticed this too.. I assumed a development was going on, but I don't see any permits on the city's website other than a complaint over the summer about overgrown vegetation. The vegetation wasn't that bad.. probably just an excuse to tear down trees before a development proposal.

Permit/Case Number 2007-156884-000-00-NU
Permit/Case Type Nuisance
Vacant Lot
Complaint
Work/Case Description OVERGROWTH OF BLACKBERRIES, VEGETATION ONTO THE SIDEWALK ALL AROUND PARKING.
Issue Date
Final Date
Latest Activity 8/23/2007
Status Request

[Garissimo]

btw, i live about a block away.

Well, hello neighbor, in that case.


honestly, the fact that there will be height along vaughn doesn't bother me in the least, especially given that there will be some retail where right now there's a wall.

I have no issue with adding retail space. I would be nice if they honored the zoning code for that retail space, though.


and regarding lost views - views of what? montgomery park and esco? good grief. we live in a city. cities change. they're densely populated.

None of us has a view of Esco. We have, however, been enjoying our views of Forest Park and Montgomery Park - which many consider to be an iconic Portland building. If that view were to be replaced by a 60 foot wall with a textured metal facade, the height increase might bother you.

Some of us don't want this neighborhood to turn into Pearl District West and think this stretching zoning rules to maximize your unit count sets a bad precedent. Unfortunately, the city is ga-ga for high density and wants to keep the developers happy, so this building will probably go in.

[zilfondel]

I noticed this too.. I assumed a development was going on, but I don't see any permits on the city's website other than a complaint over the summer about overgrown vegetation. The vegetation wasn't that bad.. probably just an excuse to tear down trees before a development proposal.

Permit/Case Number 2007-156884-000-00-NU
Permit/Case Type Nuisance
Vacant Lot
Complaint
Work/Case Description OVERGROWTH OF BLACKBERRIES, VEGETATION ONTO THE SIDEWALK ALL AROUND PARKING.
Issue Date
Final Date
Latest Activity 8/23/2007
Status Request

even bigger is the issue of tearing down the wall.

the trees however... require a permit from the city Forestry Dept. Did they get one? :whip:

=========

Cast, nice pics you got there. I live right by the Hungry Tiger site... very interesting thing they're doing with those blocks.

I'm glad someone is getting around with a camera taking pics. What kind do you have, anyway?

[MarkDaMan]

I can't find the source, but I saw on the news a couple weeks ago that intense rains caused that wall that start cracking and become unstable. I believe this is an 'emergency' reaction to a failing wall, and therefore there isn't any information on the work going on...I think...

[zilfondel]

hmm. seems a bit... convenient, no? Considering that wall is around 100 or more years old.

oh well. I think if a building IS built on that block in that future, it would probably be a good thing to not have the wall. Maybe they can save the stones and incorporate them in the future (yeah right). Or at least have some sort of gesture to the previous nature of the site. Although, considering that its owned by an out of state investor, I doubt it.

[MarkDaMan]

convenient? Like I said, I'm not positive about the corner, but the clips on the news had huge cracks with water leaking through the stones. 100 years don't mean shit because every year there are walls, old walls that fail in the winter.

If it isn't the corner you guys are referencing, I have no idea what is going on, but from what I saw earlier, if this is the corner, it certainly didn't seem fake.

[anp]

I can't find the source, but I saw on the news a couple weeks ago that intense rains caused that wall that start cracking and become unstable. I believe this is an 'emergency' reaction to a failing wall, and therefore there isn't any information on the work going on...I think...

I think this might be the same story (from the Tribune a while back). Doesn't sound like a fake to me:

Cracked, unstable wall closes downtown streets
UPDATE: Property owner working with consultant to repair structure
LocalNewsDaily.com, Jan 11, 2008, Updated Jan 12, 2008

The owner of an unstable downtown Portland retaining wall is working with a consultant to address the problem.

The cracked wall forced the city’s Office of Transportation late Friday evening, Jan. 11, to close a two-block section of Southwest Fourth Avenue near Market and Mill streets.

Transportation officials said that at about 9 Friday night several cracks in a 14-foot-long wall caused it to become unstable and dangerous.

The retaining wall is holding up a parking lot and is on private property. Although a collapse of the wall does not appear imminent, the structure is failing (map).

The city has closed the eastbound lane of Market Street between Fourth and Fifth avenues, and the northbound lane of Fourth Avenue on the west side between Market and Mill streets.

City crews have placed barricades at the location in order to protect life and property in the event the wall gives way.

The property owner told city officials Friday night that a consultant had been contacted to remedy the situation.

City crews will monitor the location throughout the weekend.

Motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians are advised to stay away from the retaining wall and use the other side of the street.

http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/print_story.php?story_id=120011675090416300

[bvpcvm]

I drove (in the dark) past what a thought was supposed to be the Backbridge Lofts, and the lot was all fenced off and the building was torn down (huge block between Fremont/Cook and Vancouver/Williams). What is going on there? I thought Backbridge was cancelled? Or is this something else?

[timpitts57]

Backbridge was supposed to take up the block north of Fremont between Williams and Vancouver. According to the developer, it is on hold for at least a year.

The block to the south (where you noticed the building gone) was the old Hostess building, and it was bought by a Seattle firm.

Details from the Oregonian in November:

Seattle-based Ivy Street Partners bought the old Hostess distribution facility out of bankruptcy last year on the southwest corner of Williams and Fremont. The project started as a mix of 300-plus condos and apartments, but now they're moving forward with just apartments and ground-floor shops, says Ivy Street's Brendan Lawrence. They're having lead- and asbestos-based paint removed before tearing the building down and must figure out the most cost-effective plan for parking.

[RED_PDXer]

Got this from the City's website. It's tucked away from Interstate a bit, but across the street from the Fred Meyer I think? I don't know that area that well.. Up to 8 stories!

Proposal:
The applicant seeks design advice on the potential development of three multi-family residential
buildings (one may have some commercial or office use at the ground floor) on 6 adjacent parcels
between N. Montana Avenue and the I-5 freeway. One of the 6 parcels is zoned RHd and the other 5
are proposed to be rezoned RHd in a separate land review case. The resulting site is 333' by 110'.
The site has frontage not only on Montana, but also to N. Buffalo, at the north edge. The east
property line fronts onto an alley, with a concrete soundwall and a planted buffer between the alley
and the freeway. The three buildings progress in height from south to north, with a 4-story, a 5-
story, and then an 8-story volume at the corner. A combination of below-grade parking and some
tuck-under parking at grade is proposed, with about 70% parking spaces as units proposed: 153. A
one-way driveway along the south edge of the site allows for access to the alley, which also is to be
one-way north only, exiting to N. Buffalo. Tuck-under parking is located along the alley and along the
southernmost building edge. The below-grade parking is accessed via a garage opening on N. Buffalo
Street.

The alley is currently unimproved, and the applicants may explore nonstandard improvements in the
alleyway in order to use pervious paving (perhaps in combination with impervious) as well as some
stormwater planter or swale treatments. On-site stormwater strategy includes the use of eco-roofs
(between buildings) and flow-through planters. The Montana Street frontage will also be improved
with stormwater planter treatments.

Modifications to the size of loading space may be requested. It is not yet clear if other Modifications
(or Adjustments) may be necessary. The height allowed within 1000 feet of a transit station is 100',
or 75' outside of this boundary. The site is at least partially within the boundary, and the
northernmost building is proposed at 85 or 90 feet in height. Maximum FAR is 4:1 on the site.

http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=181398

[bvpcvm]

^ there's a rendering of this project in post #634 of this thread - i like it!

[tworivers]

I like it too, but I can't imagine how it pencils out.

[bvpcvm]

Last week's NW Examiner had a big article on this project. It should come as no surprise that the neighborhood association is "shocked" at the scale of this project, given that they're "shocked" at the scale of every single project that gets proposed in NW.

I suggest we flood the editor with letters in support of this project. His name is Allan Classen. He can be reached at: allan@nwexaminer.com or 2066 NW Irving, 97209.

Unfortunately, I don't have OCR, so here are scans of the article. Unfortunately, the article cuts off in mid-sentence (in the newspaper).

We start with another rendering:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y237/bvpcvm/canalstreet2.jpg

And on to the article:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y237/bvpcvm/story1.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y237/bvpcvm/story2.jpghttp://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y237/bvpcvm/story3.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y237/bvpcvm/story4.jpg

[urbanlife]

okay, I can see why they were shocked...I mean, granted they were probably "bad" shocked and not just shocked. I wasn't expecting 325 ft, I was thinking the project would be more like 125-225ft.

But on the flip side, there is nothing in that area except unused warehouses and parking lots. I love the fact that they point out that the NW district have NOTHING over 10 stories which is a total lie. Hell the neighborhood buts up to all the high rises on Burnside. They are within feet of all the towers being built in the Pearl....this writer just needs a swift kick to the nuts.

my biggest concern is the "affordable housing for families and the elderly." What do they mean by affordable because many developers have a number that I don't see as that affordable to most people. If ConWay is serious about making this a very middle class affordable neighborhood, I say bring on the tall towers to help support that. In no way should the morons oin the NW district turn this city into another San Francisco. If a developer wants to bring affordable density to the city, then I see nothing wrong with that.

[pdxf]

I don't agree with the height. I love to see tall towers, but we have plenty of room in SOWA, the Lloyd, and especially downtown that should be completed first. I feel like the city will soon just be a solid block of these tall structures which all pretty much look the same and creates a city without focus.

[tworivers]

...creates a city without focus.

My worry exactly. We're already well down the road, though.

[MarkDaMan]

Portland is growing and we have an attractive downtown. Big cities have huge downtowns and I think it is time to expand our idea of what downtown is. It will take Portland 100 years to fill in. Central Eastside, SoWa, Pearl, Lloyd, NW, CBD, Goose Hollow, all IMO downtown...I think what they are building now will bring beautiful historic districts like we see in Old Town to Morrison, early renewal like the auditorium area, 50s to 90s office towers like near the bus mall, and than our generation of neighborhoods. There will always be land for something 'better and newer' in all these neighborhoods, and I believe Portland's long term growth will support a continued filling in of moderate growth turning into a large and vibrant city. We are not sprouting like Vancouver BC so each of these projects will be distinct with decades of architectural styles represented.

I think Portland is focused. We aren't building skyscrapers up Division, and out Barbur, or over on Fremont. But when we have 5 million people we will have many distinct district and downtown will be several miles across in all directions. Also much taller and more dense than today.

[tworivers]

Some good news for lower Alberta:

A little project for 'my little darling'

As Northeast Alberta Street evolves, a modest infill project at 13th Avenue is emerging as a signature development.

Alberta Square is the first commercial development for Rambo Halpern (aka The Bungalow Guy), who, in addition to his day job as a real estate agent, developed townhomes at Alberta and 25th.

The project, on the north side of the street, has three phases, with the first framed up, the second on the drawing board and the third a rough sketch.

The small corner lot, once home to a run-down Victorian, will have a two-story building with a pair of ground-floor commercial units and two live-work spaces upstairs that will split a loft deck.

The project, purchased pre-construction for $1.15 million, shares the block with a tattoo parlor, a pet salon and a coffee shop. Phase two, beginning in late spring, will renovate the boarded-up Accuracy Grinding shop with a single-story restaurant and a cafe.

The third installment -- probably with six to eight live-work units and ground-floor commercial space -- will go next-door, replacing a house Halpern owns. The start date is late this year, after phase two is complete.

Project designs will vary but will reflect Halpern's affinity for modern design, with green elements and recycled materials. Alberta Square, he says, gives him a chance to help develop the neighborhood in a way that fits its small scale and local character.

"Alberta has been my little darling."
J. DAVID SANTEN JR.
(Oregonian)

[65MAX]

Shocked!?!

Try pleasantly surprised. Who in their right mind would bitch about a developer wanting to turn 20 acres of close-in parking lots and old warehouses in a vibrant, attractive urban neighborhood? And exactly who is getting overshadowed there? One church? Give me a f***ing break. Typical NWDA NIMBYism.

[bvpcvm]

exactly. they bitched because the riverscape developer wanted to go 20 stories on the river - which is not only further away, but mostly hidden by the bridge from NW residents, so, once word of this gets out further, it'll cause an epidemic of wailing and gnashing of teeth. i just don't get it. do they think they live in the suburbs?? NW is one of the most urban neighborhoods in the city and wishful thinking won't do anything to keep it from changing. and really - they'd rather have dead parking lots than 25-story towers? WTF?!?

[pdxf]

they'd rather have dead parking lots than 25-story towers? WTF?!?

Of course these aren't the only two options available...perhaps replacing the parking lots with a mix of 5-6 story buildings and some smaller scale townhomes would be the correct approach. I don't disagree with the height in SOWA because there was nothing there before, it's a neighborhood from scratch and the history has been wiped clean. The NW district has such an interesting mix of larger apartment buildings and condos with dense single family homes all next to each other, as well as a strong sense of history. It seems as though this mix is uniquely a NW district feel...maybe some areas in east and southeast, but nowhere to the extent of the NW district. I can see why people would want to preserve that feel and avoid becoming another SOWA. Why not keep the tall districts tall, and mixed neighborhoods mixed. You can achieve the same density with either approach (at least with the current heights in SOWA). Why not some variety over monotony?


Who in their right mind would bitch about a developer wanting to turn 20 acres of close-in parking lots and old warehouses in a vibrant

I don't know if they are arguing against creating a vibrant and active neighborhood (it already is one). I think they're more worried about how it's done and how much it affects the character of the neighborhood which already exists and is quite successful. As I mentioned above, 325' towers aren't the only way to create vibrancy or density.

[zilfondel]

i just don't get it. do they think they live in the suburbs??

actually, yep. This is a pretty commonly shared sentiment, too. Hard to believe but...:shrug:

[tworivers]

Let me just say that I am no fan of the NWDA or the kind of knee-jerk NIMBYism they've been displaying, and I think that overall the bones of the Conway proposal look pretty amazing. I do think it is worthwhile to step back and think about how Portland does these up-from-nothing "master planned" neighborhoods. After a few years of Sowa, I'm feeling skeptical of how it's going to turn out down there. If this concept actually looks like it will feature a true diversity of materials, uses, heights, income levels, etc. I'm all for it. Even some taller towers. Duh.

But why not think farther outside the box than we tend to? Why not put the focus mostly on mid-rise structures, say 6 to 12 stories, a few taller ones, plan plenty of gardens both on and outside of the buildings, daylight the creek, really emphasize families and community, and make sure it segues into and out of the rest of the city... I don't know... call me skeptical. I just don't want to see another disconnected mini-forest of 20 story towers using the same material palette, all the same height due to maximizing ill-conceived height limits, thrown up one after the other by the same developer, full of primarily wealthy singles and couples largely disconnected from the street life below. With a couple of cheap affordable housing complexes on the edges. That's where I'm coming from. Assuage me. Please.

[bvpcvm]

ok, ok. pdxf's comment about 325' towers not being the only way to achieve density definitely struck a chord. last fall my wife and i spent a week in cologne and i was struck at how vibrant and urban it is with very little in the way of towers. in fact, even very dense districts are often no more than three stories tall. so there is definitely something to that argument.

...and today we were down in SOWA, looking, out of curiosity, at condos down there and i was actually quite taken aback at just how sterile it all seems. there's a coffee shop down there full of young portland hipster types, but you get the feeling they're bussed in specially from belmont and that every single "funky" element in the decor was approved by a committee. it just feels fake down there, like it's not portland. like a little invasion by a city with much more corporate money.

so, ok, maybe you're all right and there are some things to doubt about this project. but i still don't see how NW (and I live in the neighborhood) will lose its character by having what are now parking lots replaced with towers. in effect it's basically building a whole new neighborhood right next to NW. well, anyway. i'm sure the NWDA will fight this for years.

[65MAX]

The area south of Overton IS vibrant, yes. But the 20 acres that ConWay owns is NOT a vibrant neighborhood. It's a dead zone.

I'm not saying that this new development has to be a solid wall of 25-30 story buildings, but a few here and there, mixed in with mid AND low rise buildings, would be wonderfully urban and perfectly appropriate for a neighborhood that's ALREADY high density.

[zilfondel]

There is actually a ~15 story building right on Northrup and 20th. Its hideous - looks like that capsule hotel from the 60's in Tokyo.

[zilfondel]

Couple points-

...and think about how Portland does these up-from-nothing "master planned" neighborhoods. After a few years of Sowa, I'm feeling skeptical of how it's going to turn out down there. If this concept actually looks like it will feature a true diversity of materials, uses, heights, income levels, etc. I'm all for it. Even some taller towers. Duh.

There is a bit of a difference between this Conway proposal and SOWA: location.

The conway proposal is literally adjacent - right across the street - from existing retail streets, medium-density housing neighborhoods, houses, and transit service. It's not out in the middle of nowhere, which will probably make it that much easier to develop - you won't need to be some sort of "urban pioneer" to buy into it, because you'll be essentially in the midst of an existing, very desirable neighborhood that has lots of amenities. They even have several grocery stores more or less within walking distance of the site (City Market, the new Safeway, Food Front, and Freddies (bit of a hike tho).

But why not think farther outside the box than we tend to? Why not put the focus mostly on mid-rise structures, say 6 to 12 stories, a few taller ones, plan plenty of gardens both on and outside of the buildings...

That's what the original Pearl plan for Hoyt Street Properties did - mostly 3-12 story buildings. However, the further north they got, and the higher the demand for residential units, they wanted to build higher to get more people down there to A) maximize their profit - and B) make it support more businesses - which C) increases profit from retail. This is coincidentally beneficial for the city's density goals and stuff. Think Vancouver BC.

...full of primarily wealthy singles and couples largely disconnected from the street life below.

Too late. NW Portland already is full of wealthier professionals and single people - and was 15 years ago! I'd have to argue against the lack of street connection, however. Everything I've seen built in NW Portland has been pretty sensitive to the street enviro.


Another way to look at this Conway proposal is that this is one of the last large parcels of land inside the highway loop that bounds Northwest Portland. Once it's developed... its done. The rest of the district will likely stay low/midrise for the foreseeable future. I think it could be transitioned up gradually to taller buildings - or sprinkle towers in with mid-rises and parks. At the same time, 325' is pretty darned tall. They should only be allowed to go that high if they do it in a point-tower form - under 8,000 sq ft floorplates.

[bvpcvm]

OK, I can't resist. The Tribune today had an article about rezoning N Interstate. The foaming, illiterate comments are priceless. But first, the article:

http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=120337022123416100

Plan puts Interstate roofs on the rise

Committee worries public still unaware of zoning changes

By Lee van der Voo

The Portland Tribune, Feb 19, 2008

It’s the next “it” neighborhood.

North Interstate Avenue – its funky signs, its 1950s character and its potential to house the next wave of Portland newcomers – is getting a face-lift.

But while a city effort to rezone the Interstate corridor is paving the way for much taller buildings and more people and businesses, some worry that few who live in nearby neighborhoods really understand the impact the new zoning will have – even while a last phase of tinkering on the changes are under way.

If the plan goes forward, new buildings will stand taller – possibly up to 10 stories – in existing residential neighborhoods, particularly on the east side of Interstate Avenue.

A final meeting to gauge public reaction to the new zoning plan takes place Thursday. By next month, it will begin its bureaucratic ascent through the Portland Planning Commission and the City Council, which ultimately will make some version of the zoning changes final.

In the current proposal, new zoning would allow more commercial activity on both sides of Interstate Avenue and call for high-density housing on top.
The idea is to fix outdated zoning that prevents more commercial development on the street and makes it hard for existing businesses to remodel.

The plan also aims to encourage more housing along the Interstate MAX Yellow Line, which has run along Interstate since its opening in 2004, testing a city policy that putting Portland’s growing population closer to the MAX will ease congestion.

If land is redeveloped under current rules, parcels within 1,000 feet of MAX stations could build up to 100 feet tall, or nine to 10 stories.

Farther than 1,000 feet from the MAX stations, high-density parcels would be limited to 75 feet, or six to seven stories. Planners still may choose to limit all heights in the area to 75 feet, an idea that has considerable public support.

But at least two members of the citizen advisory group that helped the city draft the new zoning plan are concerned that few residents have caught on.

“Between Killingsworth and Lombard, Interstate to the freeway, that is going to be a huge pocket of (new zoning for tall buildings) and they have no idea,” said AlexSandra, a vintage boutique owner who uses only her first name and serves on the citizen advisory group.

Though AlexSandra believes the group – which includes city planners and officials from the Portland Development Commission – has done all it can to spread the word, news in the neighborhood appears to be spreading slowly, even as planning nears an end.

“I think it’s a problem, and what I’ve tried to do about it is when people come into my shop, I ask them if they know about the zoning being planned. Usually they don’t, so I whip out two maps,” she said.

Those maps show just how dramatically zoning could change. While the new plan for Interstate is aimed at boosting commerce, pedestrian traffic, MAX ridership and housing density, the degree of change suggested for new construction in now-residential neighborhoods isn’t always obvious.

The proposed plan would make permanent a long-standing vision to put dense development between Interstate Avenue and Interstate 5 to the east, from Overlook to Columbia boulevards.

About half of that stretch – from Mason Street to Killingsworth Street – is already zoned for buildings up to 100 feet, under current standards.
But to the north, from Killingsworth Street to Columbia Boulevard, today’s zoning allows only single-family housing and smaller-scale apartments and rowhouses.

“I’m just getting to the point where I know what’s going on and it’s too late,” said Tabor Porter, also on the community advisory group.
Porter owns a home on Interstate Avenue and, over about a year of planning talks, slowly has learned to decipher zoning jargon. He worries not enough residents understand the proposed new zoning, or that it may cause people to lose privacy and value in their homes.

Porter soon may see new housing develop on a vacant lot next to his own home, a development that could be built very close to his house if the new zoning requirements go through.

“It will basically ruin my house. If they build right up to the line, I don’t know what I’ll do,” he said. “I’m not the only person in this spot. I’m representing other homeowners who will have this problem, too.”

Similar feedback for planners has been in short supply, however.

Of the remarks collected at prior public sessions and through letters and e-mail, about 75 percent has come from residents on the west side of Interstate who are resistant to putting much more housing there, according to Julia Gisler, project manager in the Portland Bureau of Planning and the lead manager on the Interstate Avenue plan.

But residents on the east side of Interstate, who tend to include more renters, have been much less outspoken, though they now face the most change.

Gisler surmises many are pleased with the plans and the potential increase in their property values as developers get excited about the neighborhood.
She acknowledges some may just be hearing about the changes and advises those people to stop by Thursday’s meeting to learn more. The meeting takes place from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Kaiser Town Hall, 3704 N. Interstate Ave., and visitors can stop by anytime.

“I’d rather have people come to the check-in with these concerns rather than a public hearing (later), when we can be less flexible in what we do,” Gisler said.


Public zoning meeting

When: 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday
Where: Kaiser Town Hall, 3704 N. Interstate Ave.

New projects are in the works

Development already is taking hold on North Interstate Avenue.

Coming soon:

• Prescott Station, a block of ground-level stores and housing at North Prescott Street and Interstate Avenue.
• Montana Avenue Condos, a housing development on North Montana Avenue, south of Buffalo Street.
• A new commercial building topped by housing at Pooja International, now a market at 5135 N. Interstate Ave.
• Killingsworth Station, ground-floor retail topped by 54 affordable housing units at North Killingsworth Street and Interstate Avenue, being planned by the Portland Development Commission.
• The Crown Motel redevelopment, at 5226 N. Interstate Ave. Construction will begin in April. There will be a five-story complex with 53 affordable housing units. The current building’s historic sign is being preserved by the Atomic Age Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and celebrating 1950s culture. The group is looking for a new home for the sign somewhere on North Interstate Avenue.

And now, a few examples of the erudition and penetrating insight so typical of "a certain segment" of our beloved city:

Re: Plan puts Interstate roofs on the rise
Okay, let me spell this out in plain english. If you live in this area now, as this 'change' goes through you won't want to live there any more and eventually you won't be able to afford to live there. Correction, if you want to live in an apartment (condos are nothing but apartments with a different name) THEN and only then will you be able to live there. If you like your neighborhood now ... tough, the city will make sure that the neighborhood no longer exists and you WILL like the new setup - just ask the planners. Too bad Interstate, you just got screwed.
"native portlander"
Tue, Feb 19, 2008 at 06:43 AM

Light-Rail tears neighborhoods apart
So this is how Light rail and density mandates preserve our neighborhoods!
too bad the Property owners don't get to decide if they want their property rezoned.
So much for Property rights.
But this is Portland and the city that works you over!
"moving out"
Tue, Feb 19, 2008 at 07:23 AM

Re: Plan puts Interstate roofs on the rise
Now do you morons see why ceasar chavez blvd was so important to the elite?
I have been trying to tell you it was part of the advance marketing plan for the sanctuary city "immigrants" who will ride the yellow line and service downtown.
Portlandia, fair Portlandia is being raped by billionaire developers who love virgins. She has already been wined and dined - the promises have been whispered in the dark - the brutalizing is about to begin.
Do you get it - do you get why the borders are still wide open - the invasion continues?
Loony conspiracy theory ? This is a CONSUMER ECONOMY and you aren't making 'em quick enough to maintain growth.(see: profit for billonaires) Got to keep up w/ them Chinese !
You can go back to sleep now, coppertop.
"meatpuppet"
Tue, Feb 19, 2008 at 09:30 AM

Re: Plan puts Interstate roofs on the rise
You Poor Poor people... Here it comes just like on the East side. High Density Housing and Commercial Mixed. Just take a drive down East Burnside from 102nd to Gresham +/- 10 Blocks North and South and see what the Zoning did there. Say goodby to your neighborhoods. Sure a Very few are still in decent shap but most have gone downhill due to the FACT most people don't want to live in or near this type of housing if they can afford it. Most homes in the area are now rentals or Poor Elderly who can't afford to move. If your Home gets Destroyed by Fire or Such you are NOT ALLOWED to rebuild as it was. It must be High Density Housing now. Also try to get a Mortgage on a Property that can't be rebuilt if destroyed. Very Few and Far Between. Don't let this Happen to you. I am in the Realestate Business in a Low Profile Aspect. No I'm not a Builder or an Agent or a Mortage Broker, I'm in a Field for the Banking industry that Provides Critical data to The banks on activity in areas and what impact certian changes have to the neighborhood on property values and quality of life in the area.
"Trust Me!!!!! Fight this Zoning with everything you Have."
Tue, Feb 19, 2008 at 09:49 AM

Re: Plan puts Interstate roofs on the rise
Enjoy the neighborhood while it's still there. Look for these developer scum to completely change the look and feel of your entire area in less than three years. If you have a single family home, enjoy it now before you wake up one morning to "discover" you can no longer park in front of your own house or have anything that resembles peace and privacy. So glad I'm retiring and leaving the TOILET called Portland in two years. If you're smart you WILL NOT ELECT FIRHOSE RANDY, STRRETCAR SMITH OR SCAM ADAMS TO THE CITY COUNCIL. Better yet - get rid of them all!
"Bad Boy Brown"
Tue, Feb 19, 2008 at 12:34 PM

Re: Plan puts Interstate roofs on the rise
The Max lines have turned other neighborhoods into a ghetto of mass aprartments looking like a Soviet gulag of labor domiciles for the working poor of society. The zoning that it entails will help to destroy the prevailing historic character of the Interstate neighborhood in the pursuit of tax deferred development in favor of the well to do of land developers.
"Glen W. Livingston"
Tue, Feb 19, 2008 at 05:21 PM

[tworivers]

Anyone heard of this company?

Minaean International Corp.: Minaean Power Structures Enters into Letter of Intent for Construction of 86,375 sq ft. Project in Portland, Oregon, USA

(M2 PressWIRE Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)
RDATE:19022008

Vancouver, British Columbia CANADA -- Minaean International Corp. (MIB
- TSX Venture), (NJA - Berlin and Frankfurt Stock Exchanges) is pleased
to announce that it has entered into a Letter of Intent with Armstrong
Development Inc. to construct the superstructure of a six storey
building to be called "Shaver Green". The project consists of five
townhouse units, 80 apartment units, a community center and 32 parking
stalls to be constructed using Minaean's Artisan Quik-Build System and
Hambro (A division of CANAM) Flooring System.

The project is valued at US $1,957,050. It is anticipated that a
definitive contract will be signed once the applicable city permits
have been received. Currently, the demolition and site clearance work
of the existing building is being completed. Minaean anticipates having
to start supplying walls and flooring for the first level by August,
2008.

Mervyn Pinto, President of Minaean International Corp., commented, "To
date, we have completed three projects - "Clinton Condominiums", "West
Town on 8th" and "Belmont East". Construction of our fourth project,
"SunRose Condominium", is expected to begin in early May, 2008, and
commencement of "Shaver Green" is scheduled for August 2008. We are
excited about the publicity Minaean has been receiving from the
successful completion of the various projects in Oregon, the outcome of
which has led to negotiations on further contracts."

About Minaean

Minaean International Corp., is an innovator of rapid, efficient
building systems using cold formed steel technologies. Currently,
Minaean has four systems: the 'Vesta Quik-Build' (patent under
process), 'Artisan Quik-Build', 'Modular Quik-Build' and 'Artisan
Composite System'.

Minaean provides an all encompassing in-house design, engineering,
prefabrication, supply and installation of modular buildings and light
gauge steel load bearing wall panels with flooring systems capable of
being assembled, delivered and installed within 7 to 10 days. The
strong, affordable, ecologically sustainable structures present a
promising solution to the mass housing shortages in developing
countries and disaster-stricken areas, in addition to a range of
conventional applications.

Shares of Minaean International Corporation (parent company) is
publicly traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "MIB" and
on the Berlin and Frankfurt Stock Exchanges under the symbol "NJA".

For more information please visit: www.minaean.com

On behalf of the Board of Directors

MINAEAN INTERNATIONAL CORP.

[zilfondel]

^ They are just a supplier of Hambro and light steel framing structural prefab systems. Old news... Clinton condos were built using this system.

Shaver Green. (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=3327126&postcount=6)

[tworivers]

So are there other companies using the same basic prefab method? How does this differ (or not) from, say, bside6? I've been trying to figure out how some of these different buildings are going up, but without being on the inside of the building industry, or in architecture school, I'm usually at a loss.

I know about Shaver Green (as is obvious by the link), I live right nearby and am looking forward to its presence on MLK. I guess I was surprised that an affordable housing complex would be using the same building technique that the Clinton Condos used.

[Dougall5505]

speaking of bide6...does anyone have any recent updates?

[MOPIdaho]

I recently was in Idaho to visit family and took quite a few pic of architecture. This project was built on the site of an old gas station and due to it's location in a historic district the sign had to be included. The project even took on the name of the gas station "Veltex" which also can be found on the new lighting. It would be nice if the Crown Motel sign could be included in a similar fashion.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3206/2312543027_2ca624f61f.jpg

[PacificNW]

I like the Veltex signing....

[sopdx]

That sign is a helluva lot more interesting than the Crown Motel sign! I'm sorry but I'm at a loss regarding why people think it is special. I pass that sign all the time - and I fail to see what is remotely interesting about it. The Alibi, the Palms, even the NiteHawk, yes, awesome, but the Crown?

[MarkDaMan]

I like it. It fits Interstate and as far as I'm concerned. We need to keep all the existing ones and require modern versions on new construction.

http://stumptownconfidential.com/media/1/20050417-crownmotel.jpg
http://stumptownconfidential.com/media/1/20050417-crownmotel.jpg

http://www.roadsidepeek.com/roadusa/pacifnw/pnwmotel/pnwneonmotel/crownmotelportland.jpg
http://www.roadsidepeek.com/roadusa/pacifnw/pnwmotel/pnwneonmotel/crownmotelportland.jpg

[Castillonis]

My wife told me about this construction site in NE just off of Sandy blvd and the I-84 overpass near 39th.

3912 NE Hancock (streetview shows earlier stage of construction)
Go to full view for interesting photo of frame
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=3912+NE+Hancock+St+Portland,+Or&sll=45.537152,-122.62352&sspn=0.002728,0.006759&layer=c&ie=UTF8&ll=45.537873,-122.62152&spn=0.005253,0.009999&t=h&z=17&cbll=45.536529,-122.622831&cbp=1,0,,0,5

1024x653
http://aycu15.webshots.com/image/45294/2001914352385134976_rs.jpg

NOTE: I took this image at 19:37 on Fri 07Mar08.

[Castillonis]

SunRose Condos
32 SE 28th ave
Map
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=28th+ave+and+SE+Ankeny+St+Portland,+Or&sll=45.52288,-122.63728&sspn=0.010509,0.019999&ie=UTF8&ll=45.524826,-122.637098&spn=0.010508,0.019999&t=h&z=16&layer=c&cbll=45.522139,-122.637107&cbp=1,0,,0,5
Portland Maps
http://www.portlandmaps.com/detail.cfm?action=Assessor&propertyid=R168366&state_id=1N1E36CC%20%20400&address_id=54428&intersection_id=&dynamic_point=0&x=7654450.112&y=683828.721&place=32%20SE%2028TH%20AVE&city=PORTLAND&neighborhood=KERNS&seg_id=114619

The Construction crew is quickly making progress on the foundation. When I look at the rendering at Holst Architecture's web site I wonder how they will address water flow at the cubes that extend from the building. A great idea, would be to leave a small amount of seperation minus structural supports so that rain water would flow down the curtian normally instead of pooling at the joint w/ the building. This would preserve the look that protrusion of rectangles gives and allow the water to flow off of the building.
http://www.holstarc.com/ (Our Work -> Sunrose condominiums)

1260x452 17" monitor
http://aycu35.webshots.com/image/47554/2000287681614792293_rs.jpg

1960x703 22" monitor
http://aycu11.webshots.com/image/45450/2000225507733450739_rs.jpg

NOTE: I took the photos that comprise this image at 19:48 on Fri 07Mar08.

[MarkDaMan]

Crown Motel sign will be restored
Thursday, March 06, 2008
The Oregonian

The vintage Crown Motel neon sign on North Interstate Avenue will be taken down and moved March 17, the first step in restoring it. Ramsey Signs, which refurbished the historic Hollywood Theatre sign and owns the Made in Oregon neon sign in Old Town, has been selected for the project.

Alyssa Starelli, vice president of a group leading efforts to save the sign before the motel is demolished and replaced with affordable housing, says Ramsey will store the crown and sword for as long as a year while refurbishing it.

That should be enough time for her group, Atomic Age Alliance of Portland, which seeks to preserve mid-20th century design and architecture, and others to find a new home for it, she says.

Starelli says sponsors have pledged $35,000 to $45,000 for the project; the total cost isn't known because it depends on where the sign ends up and how it's used. REACH, the nonprofit developing the housing on the motel site, has agreed to pay the $3,800 in removal costs.

MICHAEL BALES
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/portland_news/1204255531237690.xml&coll=7

[MarkDaMan]

Apartments OK'd next to Couch Park

After extensive review, the Portland Historic Landmarks Commission approved plans last month for a six-story, 101-unit apartment building on Northwest 19th Avenue between Hoyt and Glisan streets.

SERA Architects looked to several other early 20th-century apartment buildings in the neighborhood to come up with a design intended to blend into the Alphabet Historic District. The new building will sit at the eastern edge of Couch Park.

Some residents objected to the size and mass of the building.

"It looks like something that belongs in the Pearl, not our district," David Goldwyn said. The architects met several times with Northwest District Association representatives, who in the end supported the plan. Given the sloping, half-block site, the roofline tops out at 65 to 72 feet high.

FRED LEESON
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/portland_news/1204255531237690.xml&coll=7

[tworivers]

Has anyone noticed the 4-story building going up on MLK, really far up, almost to Lombard? It looks really good so far -- they basically kept the shell of the old one story building that was there, exactly the kind of partial-preservation scenario people here keep suggesting (Rosefriend, the Goodman bldg, etc). I'll try and get a shot soon.

[MOPIdaho]

Two projects finishing up in NE.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2018/2338831459_5f79bd8b93_o.jpg
NE MLK and Graham, nice materials bad color.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3027/2338831423_932e7c2498_o.jpg
NE Russel and Rodney. This building looks like it's sided with the material used on public bathroom walls, (not the nice ones think Saturday market.)

[zilfondel]

oh my.

and here we keep calling for more color in new projects. Bring back the beige?

[cab]

http://www.djcoregon.com/articleDetail.htm/2008/03/11/Lofts-project-creates-bright-spot-on-boulevard-Graham-Street-mixeduse-development-presents-new-chall
DJC covers that lovely Orange building.

Lofts project creates bright spot on boulevard
Graham Street mixed-use development presents new challenges for veteran architect Hillary Mackenzie...

[RED_PDXer]

Two projects finishing up in NE.

NE MLK and Graham, nice materials bad color.

NE Russel and Rodney. This building looks like it's sided with the material used on public bathroom walls, (not the nice ones think Saturday market.)

WOW! I saw the project on MLK before it was painted. I didn't think it would look that bad.. oops, I mean bright.. I was interested in purchasing a condo. Whatever the price of the paint, it sure didn't translate into lower unit prices.. I bought a house because I couldn't afford this and so many other new condos going up.

The one on N Russell isn't too terrible, but it does look like cheap material. I biked past that building all summer and fall wondering why it took so long to put up a 2-story trailer.

[MOPIdaho]

The NE Russel project was built on the site of an old auto shop, but they left up pieces during construction and possibly incorporated a board or two. A condo project on Belmont is is saving one corner of the nondescript grocery store that occupied the site. Is there a reason why, I assume it has something to due with calling the project an addition which leads to bypassing some permit. Just curious.

[MarkDaMan]

anybody heard of this project?

http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=188285

[MOPIdaho]

The Riverscape site looks abandon, has it stalled out?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2164/2339610652_120e8f0bd2_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3197/2338775975_ea4191a09b_o.jpg

[dkealoha]

I swear those townhomes have been in that green siding stuff for a looooooong time... Their sales center on 11th & Everett closed down months ago too.

[bvpcvm]

I swear those townhomes have been in that green siding stuff for a looooooong time... Their sales center on 11th & Everett closed down months ago too.

thought the sales center just moved to the site, didn't it?

[tworivers]

Thought we had a thread for this but couldn't find it.

Paved paradise: Hollywood lot becomes Whole Foods anchored development

Developer works with R&H Construction to re-imagine bank parking lot as The Beverly, a five-story, mixed-use development in Hollywood District

POSTED: 06:00 AM PDT Thursday, March 20, 2008
BY NATHALIE WEINSTEIN

A former Washington Mutual parking lot is being developed by Gerding Edlen into The Beverly, a five-story, mixed-use project in Portland’s Hollywood District.

Located at Northwest 42nd Avenue and Sandy Boulevard, R&H Construction is hard at work on the 241,436-square-foot project and currently has an L-shaped section erected along 42nd Ave. The project’s rhombus shape, as well as its large size and proximity to a residential area, has been a challenge, according to R&H.

“Its got a strange shape,” Adam Petersen, R&H project engineer, said. “It’s a large site and it’s tight to the property line. It butts right up against the residential neighborhood here. And we’re working around the public. There’s a (Washington Mutual) onsite that is still fully operational.”

The bank, currently located in an older building on Northeast Sandy Boulevard, will move into a new space on the ground floor of The Beverly, along with natural food giant Whole Foods Market. The bank’s current building will be demolished by R&H in the coming months.

Though Portlanders are typically weary of big box retailers, Petersen said neighbors he’s spoken to are excited about the grocery store.

“We haven’t had much complaining,” he said. Mostly they are just curious and want to know what we’re building. People have been positive about Whole Foods coming in.”

What they aren’t excited about is the scant parking that comes with major development in a residential area.

“Building here is similar to building downtown in that it’s a tight space and there’s nowhere to park,” Petersen said. “(The neighbor’s) biggest concern is parking. We have 100 people working here sometimes and everyone has to park on side streets. People that run businesses out of their homes or that have out-of-town relatives can get concerned about the lack of space.”

Luckily, The Beverly’s second and third floors, once built, will house parking lots for retail customers as well as for tenants who live in the building’s 53 condo units on the fourth and fifth floors.

R&H used special castellated beams from Arkansas in the parking structure for their light weight and durability.

“When they’re manufactured, a pattern is cut into them, usually hexagons,” Petersen said. “The material gets stretched so that it can handle more loads with less material and less steel. You get as much useable square footage as possible.”

Gerding Edlen hopes to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver certification with The Beverly. Green features include onsite bioswales, low emission paints and sealants and a site location that is close to public transportation and neighborhood services.

Materials for the project, such as windows and doors from Mid-Valley Glass & Millwork in Eugene, were locally sourced whenever possible and R&H plans to recycle 75 percent of its construction waste.

The condos will be outfitted with energy-saving appliances and will feature studio, one and two bedroom units.

The Beverly is scheduled to complete in 2009.

[MarkDaMan]

The Morrison mix
City’s housing experiment puts low earners next to ex-homeless, upscale condos
By peter korn
The Portland Tribune, Mar 21, 2008

Travis Howe has this problem. It’s not a big one — more of a situation, really.

Three weeks ago, the 23-year-old Howe, who recently graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in international marketing, was living with his parents in Gresham, where he grew up.

Howe hopes to go to law school — eventually. For now, Howe says, he would be satisfied with a job at an eco-friendly company. But not one that pays too much.

That’s the problem.

Howe is among the first wave of apartment dwellers at the Morrison, the city’s newest subsidized housing building, on West Burnside Street, a few blocks west of downtown. City housing officials and developers recognize the Morrison is part of a significant social engineering experiment.

Ninety-five of the Morrison’s 140 subsidized units are available at below market rates — $695 for the one-bedroom unit that Howe rents. But there is another type of housing at the Morrison — 45 of its apartments are offered nearly rent-free to the chronically homeless. And that is a mix that hasn’t been tried before.

In fact, the entire development next to PGE Park, of which the Morrison is a part, is something of an experiment in bridging the gaps that normally exist between people. The Morrison was built as part of one overall project that includes the Civic condominiums next door, where most units have sold for between $250,000 and $600,000.

The Morrison and the Civic are the type of experiment — sometimes criticized — that is happening in public housing in cities across the country, according to Robert Bruegmann, a professor of urban planning at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Bruegmann calls it “high-level social engineering in a top-down way.”

But experiments can fail, Bruegmann and others point out. If the 45 previously homeless tenants in the Morrison — most with histories of substance abuse or mental illness — prove to be difficult tenants, the building, which opened in November, won’t long retain its value as the new jewel among Portland affordable housing properties.

And if the Morrison should lose luster, it could affect property values in the condominiums next door.

The Housing Authority of Portland, which built and runs the Morrison, is well- aware of the risk. In fact, as originally planned, the Morrison had as its tenants a broad range of subsidized units that did not include the chronically homeless.

When the housing authority found it did not have money to complete the Morrison, it went to the city, which agreed to put up the last $3 million on the condition the building put aside apartments for the homeless.

“Nobody has really done this,” says Benjamin Wickham, asset manager for the housing authority, of placing housing for the homeless next to high-end condos.
College grads pick part time

Travis Howe doesn’t sense any risk — he’s ecstatic with his one-bedroom apartment at the Morrison.

“I feel alive again,” he says of living blocks from downtown. Howe, who is single, says he is able to pay his $695 with money from his part-time modeling career.

“It’s paid off my college, my Land Rover, and it pays my rent,” Howe says.

Full-time work would suit Howe, but he says he doesn’t want to exceed the $28,500 income limit that would force him out of the Morrison.

He calls this period of his life his “mental break” before a career or law school. If he weren’t able to live at the Morrison, he says, he’d probably go back to Gresham and live with his parents awhile, saving up money.

Seattle native Nick Martinez has been living at the Morrison about as long as Howe. He recently graduated from Willamette University in Salem. He’s working part time behind the counter at Banana Republic, and he’s looking for a job downtown in either public relations or journalism.

Martinez, 23, says the Morrison’s location is ideal for his downtown job hunt.

Martinez wants full-time work, but if it is going to put him over the $28,500 income ceiling for staying at the Morrison, he wants it to be a lot more than he’s making now. Otherwise, he says, it’s hardly worth it to earn a little more and spend it on higher rent at a market-rate apartment building.

“I really don’t think I would move out for anything less than $40,000,” Martinez says.
Will the mix work?

Martinez says that if he hadn’t secured a one-bedroom apartment at the Morrison, he could have found a market-rate studio apartment for about the same rent. He’s especially pleased with the mix of people at the Morrison.

“This is the most eclectic group of people living in one building I’ve ever experienced,” he says.

But the government’s subsidizing that eclectic mix is bad public policy and won’t work, according to Howard Husock, vice president of the conservative think tank Manhattan Institute and author of a book critical of traditional public housing policies.

Husock says that in the long run, working-class people leave public housing to the poor.

“Middle-class people with prospects and income will move into these places when they’re new,” Husock says. “They moved into (20th century) public housing when it was new. When it started to become hard to maintain they moved out. Things look good when you cut the ribbon.”

Steve Rudman, executive director of the Housing Authority, says the alternative to mixing incomes in a public housing project makes the experiment worth trying.

“It’s not without risk,” Rudman says of the Morrison. “A lot of planning is needed to make this work. But at the end of the day the trade-off, where people of poverty are isolated, is not a good idea.”

Alma Abrams isn’t sure Howe or Martinez should be living in subsidized housing anyway. And she supports diverse housing. Abrams, a senior citizen who lives in the nearby market-rate Trinity Apartments and says she lived in subsidized housing in Chicago years ago, walks by the Morrison nearly every day. She doesn’t like what she’s seeing.

“My tax dollars went to build that with the assumption that people who are in there didn’t have any other place to go,” Abrams says. “This is not what I envisioned.”

Abrams’ vision included more people close to her age. “I was hoping there would be more seniors in the building,” she says.

Public housing projects in Portland — especially in the Pearl District — have for years been subjected to similar criticism as they try to balance the need for rental income with helping the city’s poorest citizens find housing.

The Morrison is full of young people like Howe and Martinez, people who probably will be making significantly more money in a few years. That is at least partly by design, according to Rudman, and partly out of necessity. The housing authority owns and runs the apartment building.

With 45 apartments in the Morrison dedicated to tenants who previously were homeless, the rest of the building’s 140 apartments needed to be filled by tenants who not only could pay their own way, but could pay enough rent to keep the building operating and help the housing authority pay off its debt on the project.

Howe and Martinez are, in effect, subsidizing the low rents from the 45 “permanent supportive housing” units — to use the housing authority’s language — by paying $695 rents that are “shallowly subsidized,” according to Rudman. The housing authority estimates that the Morrison’s rents are about $100 below market rate.
Balance is key

If the housing authority had set the Morrison’s rents lower, Rudman says, the building wouldn’t have been able to sustain itself.

“That’s a tricky balance,” the housing authority’s Wickham says.

Besides, Rudman says, young residents such as Howe and Martinez, regardless of what they eventually may earn, deserve publicly subsidized housing.

“Think about how many (coffee) baristas in their 20s and 30s there are in the city with college degrees,” Rudman says. “If they qualify, who are we to say you shouldn’t live here?”

But the Morrison’s shallow subsidies create their own problems by making the building unattainable for many people who would qualify for apartments if the rents were lower.

Bill Buchholz is one of about a half-dozen seniors in the Morrison’s apartments. He’s the senior on fixed income who Abrams wants to see at the Morrison. But he may not stay.

Buchholz, 75, says he loves his apartment. He says his $695 monthly rent comes out of his sole income — his $880 monthly social security check. Add to that the money he has to budget each month for electricity, telephone and cable and, Buchholz says, “I can’t eat. I don’t have any money.”

Buchholz says he previously was in an assisted-living facility in Forest Grove, but he applied to live at the Morrison because of the location. He attends services at the nearby Trinity Episcopal Church and is a member of the Scottish Rite fraternal organization just two blocks away. He’s also partially disabled. The housing authority provided him with an apartment that includes a disabled assisted bathroom.

Housing Authority officials say they don’t require minimum incomes for occupants — as long as prospective clients are under the income limit, they can qualify for an apartment.

The housing authority hasn’t yet compiled demographic data on the Morrison’s residents, who began moving in to the building in November.

Here is what they do know of the initial renters in units not dedicated to the homeless: Most are men, 90, compared with 31 women.

There are only six units with children, all of whom are under the age of 4. Five units are rented to black tenants, one to a Latino.

The majority of residents are in their 20s. A number are half-time students who work part-time jobs at bars, coffee shops and restaurants. Average stated income for the residents is $23,000.
Ex-homeless must adjust

Fifty-eight-year-old Betty Jenner, who lives in one of the units for the homeless, says the Morrison is the nicest place she has lived in, well, for about as long as she can remember.

Jenner says she lived on the street for 19 years, in Portland and other cities, until the nonprofit Portland-based Northwest Pilot Project found her transitional housing last year at Alder House, a downtown single-room-occupancy hotel. Jenner, who suffers from mental illness, describes Alder House as “rotten.”

The Morrison, she says, is different. “I can get my nerves calmed down.” Jenner says she suffers from epilepsy but since moving in to the calmer environment of the Morrison has not had one seizure.

“You can walk out in the hallway without getting yelled at,” Jenner says.

Jenner’s rent at the Morrison is $180, 30 percent of her monthly supplemental security check. At privately owned Alder House, she paid more for a 200-square-foot apartment with a community shower down the hall. Now Jenner has 525 square feet to herself, with her own bathroom outfitted to help her move around.

But a visitor to Jenner’s apartment can’t help but notice that Jenner smokes constantly in her apartment, though the Morrison is supposed to be nonsmoking.

And then there is the clutter. Jenner is a hoarder, according to Jessica Larson, a housing specialist with Northwest Pilot Project who comes to the Morrison twice a week. Larson works with the 45 previously homeless tenants on adjusting to what is for them a new way of living.

Larson says there’s a difference between cluttering an apartment and trashing it, and Jenner is on the right side of the line.

As for the smoking, Larson says, a special dispensation has been given to the Morrison’s formerly homeless tenants. If the homeless tenants were told they could not smoke, Larson says, “Then we’re just setting people up for failure, because they’re going to smoke.”

Larson says that living at the Morrison has changed Jenner’s life.

“She’s a new woman,” Larson says. “She’s going to live there forever. She loves it, and she knows the alternative.”
See the other side

More important, in terms of the social experiment going on at the Morrison-Civic project, is that Larson is certain Jenner will be a good tenant. There have been no complaints from other renters or building management, she says, about Jenner or about the other previously homeless tenants.

Larson says she has been amused when tenants have told her about a few bizarre conversations with some of the previously homeless renters. She says she figures the young residents at the Morrison are getting firsthand lessons in tolerance.

Larson says that she’s not certain if Jenner is any better off at the Morrison, surrounded by working-class and younger residents, than in a building set up for people with histories like hers.

Given the need, Larson says, it doesn’t matter.

“We’ll take housing as it’s available,” Larson says. “We need so much more housing for people like Betty. The reason things are the way they are in this building is because of how things penciled out. We’re not saying this is the best way to house the chronically homeless. We’re saying this is a financially viable way we can create housing for the chronically homeless. I think the Morrison is going to work, and I think we need 15 more Morrisons.”

peterkorn@portlandtribune.com

http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=120605139714837000

[MarkDaMan]

An 8-story welcome mat in Arbor Lodge?
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Fred Leeson
The Oregonian

Developer Jerry Eekhoff riled the Arbor Lodge neighborhood three years ago when he proposed putting up a six-story condo building on a block of single-family homes just behind the Interstate Fred Meyer.

Neighborhood objections were textbook Portland: noise, traffic, density, insensitivity to the surroundings.

Eekhoff ultimately won approval for five stories on the corner of North Montana Avenue and Buffalo Street, but construction equipment never appeared. Now he's back with an expanded plan for the block: three buildings that would stand eight, five and four stories.

With 153 units, it would be one of the biggest developments between St. Johns and Lloyd Center. The tallest structure would be among the first things motorists see as they drive into Portland on Interstate 5 from the north.

The neighborhood's reaction? Thanks to numerous talks among Myhre Group Architects, Eekhoff's new design team and the Arbor Lodge Neighborhood Association, feelings have changed from outrage to reluctant acceptance.

"I think they struggled with the anomalies of scale," says Kristen Minor, a city planner working with the parties. "But I think a lot of people have taken a deep breath and realized it's going to happen."

Christine Duffy, neighborhood association chairwoman, says designers made concessions, including putting parking underground, choosing better materials and making exteriors more attractive.

"We don't want something shoddy," she says. The parking plan, with the entrance off of North Buffalo, "was really the selling point."

Another factor is stepped-down heights. "They didn't want to feel they were being looked down on," says Joshua Stein, a project architect. "The idea is to give as much respect as we can to the residences."

All the buildings would rise above the sound wall that buffers noise from adjacent I-5. "You have a lot of noise, but you also have a lot of great views," says Stein, including an unimpeded look at Mount Hood.

Construction is most likely at least a year off, given that the city is reviewing zoning changes that would allow the greater density in the Interstate MAX corridor. No cost estimate for the project is available yet.

"I'm glad to see that someone is pioneering in the area," says Jeff Stuhr, a member of the Portland Design Commission, which reviewed the tentative plans last month.

Commissioner Andrew Jansky says the project "will be a good catalyst for the neighborhood" if it succeeds.

Duffy knows the city has targeted areas near light-rail stops for higher residential densities, but she thinks it will take longer than some hope or others fear.

"It won't happen overnight," she predicts. "It's all market-driven. It depends what happens with things like the economy, the war in Iraq and the price of gas."

Portland News: 503-221-8199; portland@news.oregonian.com
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/portland_news/1205355308200560.xml&coll=7

[Dougall5505]

As for the smoking, Larson says, a special dispensation has been given to the Morrison’s formerly homeless tenants. If the homeless tenants were told they could not smoke, Larson says, “Then we’re just setting people up for failure, because they’re going to smoke.”

maybe they are setting you up for success...or a extra 5-10 years to your life

[MOPIdaho]

The Crown Motel is now half gone, and the sign is in storage.

[pdxlexus]

Notice for the proposed new 6 story Providence Health and Services office building located at NE 43rd and Halsey St..

http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=189535

[PuyoPiyo]

Welcome to Skyscraperpage :)

I believe I have seen similar design of structure somewhere in east Portland.

Also I get the feeling that this should belong in the City of Portland's threads instead of the suburb's threads which are more for cities such like Vancouver, Salem, Gresham, etc.

[MarkDaMan]

thanks pdxlexus...

glad to see this long awaited project to get started. Not impressed with the architecture, but oh well.

I assume the parking lot is for a future building?

[bvpcvm]

glad to see more infill in hollywood. is hollywood on track to be portland's 3rd "downtown" (after lloyd dst)?

[tworivers]

Here's some updates as of today...

Hakoya Lofts at Shaver & Williams
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2193/2384809476_a317e22962.jpg?v=0

http://krauseteam.vflyer.com/2/images/1858759_main.jpg

Mississippi Lofts (http://www.mississippiavenuelofts.com/) + Pastaworks
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3223/2384809302_9698ef7b40.jpg?v=0

Trammell Crow project on Mississippi
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2219/2384809026_7543b90bd8.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3264/2383978117_a3c44dc5ca.jpg?v=0

Failing & Williams retail renovation (Ristretto, Liberty restaurant, Hub market)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2405/2383978921_2b86e0dd43.jpg?v=0

Fremont & MLK phase 2 housing
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2088/2383979125_1a8f6888df.jpg?v=0

project at Belmont and 38th
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2224/2383979299_462061766e.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2282/2383979473_b9f1cae76f.jpg?v=0

and, last and possibly least, "B39" condos
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2112/2383979647_2560268c6b.jpg?v=0

[zilfondel]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2112/2383979647_2560268c6b.jpg?v=0

ugly

[bvpcvm]

^ is that a renovation? or did they replace the building that was there?

[pdx2m2]

Who is the architect responsible for this little ugly duckling?

[MOPIdaho]

^ is that a renovation? or did they replace the building that was there?

Renovation, it was a Victorian with some nice details and went well with the Belmont vibe, unfortunately it was damaged in a fire.

[CouvScott]

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e214/couvttocs/nw14thirving.jpg

[NJD]

^Is that the empty lot in between the Edge and the Avenue? I was wondering about that spot.

^^Seriously, who designed that 39th + Belmont remodel? It actually looks worse than before with the cheap materials used in its facade.

[Castillonis]

Just wanted to say thanks for the great photos TwoRivers.

Disappointed that members are using so many explitives. I was pointing professionals and others to this board. I don't feel comfortable doing so now as this reflects upon myself.

[PacificNW]

I have to agree with you, Castillonis....

[rsbear]

:previous: Ditto

[Preservationist]

I don't know anything about a fire in the building, though I believe there was a tenant in the retail space (a dry cleaner) before the renovation. Underneath all the new ugliness is a "streetcar era" storefront building that had great bay windows and which could have been respectfully renovated - instead, this is what we get. On a related note, the similar streetcar era building at E Burnside and 28th, diagonally across from the Laurelhurst Theater, was totally demolished to make way for the current construction which is going to look like a snaggledy pile of children's blocks. Yuck.

[pdx2m2]

what expletives are we talking about...i just scrolled through the page and it seems quite professional...unless you consider ugly or ugly duckling non professional criticism.

i consider myself a seasoned professional, citizen of the community and call a project ugly is a personal opinion and often the truth. i would rather see people expess their feelings and thoughts about a project than mask it in some vague architectural jargon.

i often don't agree with things expressed here although appreciate that this is a forum for such expession.

[MarkDaMan]

never mind

It's buildings like 39th and Belmont that make people nervous about infill. I wouldn't want to live next to that!

[WonderlandPark]

39th and Belmont made me laugh. It seems as if it went this way:

Hmmm, there is a sale on slate. Cool! Lets slap that on the facade.

But, we don't have enough dollars to cover it all. Well, that's ok, we will figure something else. How about a bit of wood?

Sure, why not?

Crap, we are over budget! Damn, looks like we will have to stucco that part of the top floor.

Hey, did you notice that the metal flashing on the 39th street side isn't even straight over the slate tile?

Why no?! (Shocked Expression) I guess that is the quality picking the lowest bid contractor will give you.

You think this thing is going to look like shit in 5 years?

Yep, sure do.

Hopefully I have my own firm by then and a willing developer will want to try again....

[sopdx]

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e214/couvttocs/nw14thirving.jpg

NW 14th and Irving.
This should be moved to the Pearl District string, and what is especially significant about it is that it is planned to be the Pearl's first hotel with 116 rms. It's an OPUS/Sera project - the hotel operator has not been identified.

[sopdx]

On a related note, the similar streetcar era building at E Burnside and 28th, diagonally across from the Laurelhurst Theater, was totally demolished to make way for the current construction which is going to look like a snaggledy pile of children's blocks. Yuck.

I disagree. Sure the original building could have been redone but who knows what it was like inside. The exterior was not in good shape. The new building designed by Holst is attractive and will provide infill housing and active street level space.

[zilfondel]

As a neighbor of the 28th and Burnside building, I am looking forward to the new building going up.

[urbanlife]

how can they call this a tower?

http://www.gatewaytowers.net/images/gtbig2.gif
http://www.gatewaytowers.net/

[MarkDaMan]

dunno...but the prices aren't bad.

[MarkDaMan]

Housing project replaces motel on Interstate Avenue
Portland Business Journal - by Wendy Culverwell Business Journal staff writer

The proverbial dirt is flying on North Interstate Avenue, where the old Crown Motel is giving way to a new apartment project designed to accommodate lower-income families.

Demolition crews finished tearing down the 19-unit Crown Motel at 5226 N. Interstate earlier this month. Walsh Construction soon will begin construction of Patton Place Apartments, a $12 million, five-story mixed-use project with three-bedroom units and space for street-level retailers.

It's been a long time coming for Tri-Met, which bought the Crown Motel in order to spur redevelopment along the Yellow MAX line, and for Reach Community Development, the private nonprofit developer selected for the project.

When complete, Patton Park will offer 54 apartments priced to serve families earning 60 percent or less of the median family income for Portland, or $40,750 for a family of four.

TriMet bought the Crown Motel in 2005, paying about $908,000 for the property, which was built in 1959.

The regional transit agency found itself playing the role of urban renewal agency in 2004, after the MAX Yellow Line opened ahead of schedule and under budget. The Federal Transportation Agency agreed to let it spend surplus money in neighborhoods around the stations. The decision swelled its "station area" budget to nearly $4 million, from about $500,000.

That gave TriMet a mission and the resources to invest in the neighborhoods around the new light rail line.

Jillian Detweiler, development manager of TriMet, said the Crown Motel emerged quickly as a contender for redevelopment since it is across the street from Patton Park and is near Killingsworth Station.

Both are critical amenities for low-income renters, families in particular.

Importantly, the Crown had a willing seller, unlike many of the other motels along North Interstate. TriMet and neighbors agreed the property should be used to bolster affordable housing while bringing more retailers to the district.

Ten developers, both for- and not-for profit, bid on the Crown redevelopment project. Reach offered the winning mix of larger units, retail space and a solid operational history that appealed to TriMet.

"Reach was selected not just because of their demonstrated ability to build good buildings, but because they continue to own their buildings and they support their residents with good services," Detweiler said.

In March, Reach bought the property from TriMet for $300,000, a discount price that reflects the public purpose mission to provide rental units at below-market rates.

Reach immediately set out to demolish the Crown Motel, and anticipates a completion date of Feb. 9, 2009, for the full project, designed by Sera Architects.

It took a complex mix of loans, tax credits and subsidies to make Patton Park Apartments a reality and it was all the more complicated by diminished demand for tax credits since many traditional tax credit investors don't have profits to tax.

Enterprise Portland, the local arm of Enterprise Community Investment, provided $3.2 million in equity, backed by federal low-income housing tax credits. Kate Allen, director of Enterprise Portland, said getting the project took intricate negotiations, but the value of the effort paid off.

The project also includes a construction loan by Bank of America that will become a $3.3 million permanent loan, a permanent loan from the Network for Oregon Affordable Housing, and $4.4 million from the Portland Development Commission. Regional agency Metro loaned $365,000 and TriMet contributed $190,000 in addition to the discounted real estate.

"We've all had to do some real stretching to make the finances work for this," said Enterprise's Allen.

Enterprise finds for-profit investors to buy tax credits awarded to groups such as Reach. Finding those kinds of investors is tough in a market where financial institutions tend not to have an excess tax problem.

The Patton Park Apartments will consist of 4,500 square feet of commercial space at street level, with four floors of apartments.

Twelve three-bedroom units are being supported by the Housing Authority of Portland via federal Section 8 housing vouchers.

As for the impressive Crown Motel sign that once stood sentry over North Interstate?

It was removed on March 17, but definitely is not forgotten.

The nonprofit Mid-Century Modern League arranged for Ramsay Signs Inc. to store it for a year while supporters locate a permanent home and raise the $35,000 to $40,000 cost of restoring the soaring neon fixture.

Why bother?

Alyssa Starelli, the league's leader, called it an unusual installation that reflects Interstate's history, as part of the highway leading to the Columbia River crossing. The avenue is still dominated by 1950s-era motels marked by flamboyant signs. The surge of public interest in the Crown sign's future convinced her and others who love mid-century design to attempt to preserve it.

"Interstate is undergoing so much zone changes, if we don't save the signs, there will not be anything left," she said.

wculverwell@bizjournals.com | 503-219-3415
http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/04/14/focus2.html?t=printable

[zilfondel]

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/zilfondel/pdx%20city/infill1.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii11/zilfondel/pdx%20city/infill2.jpg