South Waterfront News

[sowat]

12/2/08

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[sowat]

12/2/08

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I really like the material they used to screen in the garage. It has a sexy high-tech look to it. Notice how translucent it is in this shot when looking directly on/through it:
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the Ardea and Alexan are very different buildings, it's surprising how well they blend together in this silvery afternoon light.

[sowat]

12/2/08

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[NJD]

^ welcome to 'gray metal panel' land!

[Joeplayer19]

nice

[65MAX]

Great pics, Sowat!!!

You even got a shot of my house in the background of this one.


http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/6476/86946856ua9.jpg

[PacificNW]

Maybe it's the weather but it seems as though there are many "dislike/subjective" viewpoints from those who live in PDX when it comes to the architectural styles/projects currently rising in the city. (Maybe with all the new development "new, and diverse, architectural reviews" come with the territory.) These views keep the forum interesting and less boring. :) .... As a former long time resident of Portland I will add my 2¢. Personally speaking, I prefer "the look (reflective glass) and contemporary style" of the South Waterfront towers in comparison with all the "brick" incorporated in the Pearl towers/projects. Maybe each district could share some of the best architecture of the other to create a more diverse community/district in future projects, imo. I do like the Metropolitan and 937 in the Pearl. They stand out from the norm of the district. I remember (not that long ago) when neither the Pearl or South Waterfront developments existed. Incredible changes for such a short period of time....and I think each district can stand on its own merits.

[PacificNW]

Thanks for the great pics and updates!

[sowat]

Just noticed this snippet in IBD about senior housing. I wonder which "choice block of riverfront land" in SoWa is for sale??

potentially more senior housing in sowa? move over Mirabella.

BY MARILYN ALVA
INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
Posted 11/26/2008

Realtors trying to sell a choice block of riverfront land in Portland, Ore.'s new South Waterfront District think it would make a perfect spot for a senior-housing complex.

It's by a hospital and public transportation. A park and walking trails are steps away. But such a project could stay at some distance from the real estate market whirlpool.

"We're identifying it as a senior housing opportunity," said Michael Berne, managing director at real estate services giant Jones Lang LaSalle. "In Oregon, 14% of the population is considered senior (65 and older) and there is strong demand for all types of senior housing."

No sector of the real estate market has been spared from the credit and economic calamities that keep piling on. But a lot of players in the industry say that senior housing is holding up better than the rest.

"A senior-housing-focused business is not necessarily reliant on or impacted as much by things like GDP growth, consumer spending, employment growth and business travel," said Keven Lindeman, director of real estate at SNL Financial.

SNL tracks premiums and discounts to net asset value, or NAV, that major U.S. real estate investment trust shares trade at. Then it analyzes them by 14 property types, showing what kinds investors favor.

Senior housing REITS top the list as the best-performing type. ...

the rest of the article is about REITs
http://www.investors.com/editorial/IBDArticles.asp?artsec=27&issue=20081126

[urbanlife]

actually senior housing makes sense down there. Actually senior housing makes sense anywhere....well almost anywhere.



Funny thing for the SoWa for me, I only see the tops of the buildings from where I live and have almost no interaction with that area, so it could easily be in another world. I think in time, when the neighborhood ages and fills in with businesses and residents, the district will feel decent, the use of "sustainable" practices for dealing with rain water will help the area on the street level to look more lush and green. If anything ever happens on the campus lot that OHSU owns, that should help as well.


As for the recent buildings in the Pearl....the developers and architects should be banned from the city for those ugly buildings.

[zilfondel]

omg, that district NEEDS COLOR! STAT!

[65MAX]

:previous:
The Mirabella is supposed to have a lot of red at the top levels. Not sure what materials or how it will look when finished, but it sounds promising. :fingerscrossed:

[sowat]

omg, that district NEEDS COLOR! STAT!

it's true, I don't disagree at all. Though I think the gray, cloudy afternoon light I took those shots in did make everything more uniform in color than normal. I guess architects have to take the gray days into consideration when picking out colors.

[Valentij]

Does anyone have access to PBJ's list of largest commercial buildings in Portland? I remember it ranked them by square footage.

Since I happen to have the Book of Lists on my desk:

The US Bancorp Tower has 1,036,566 rentable office sq ft, Montgomery Park has 800,000, Wells Fargo has 577,339, and Pacwest has 491,528. Pretty amazing how different all those areas can look from the outside, and that the Wells Fargo is taller, but has about half the sq ft of US Bancorp. So basically, 400,000-600,000 could look like anything. Brian Libby was hoping on his blog that they bring in a Danish architect. If they are really going to do this thing with a tower, I would love it to be a real shot in the arm. I think some new blood could really freshen up our skyline. While I don't think international starchitects are the end-all be-all, I do think that Portland has grown too insular in its design.

We'll see. I'm just happy that they're coming.

[Snowden352]

How is it that Wells Fargo is so comparatively smaller than the U.S. Bank tower?

[65MAX]

The floorplates of Wells Fargo are only about 100'x100'. The tower is significantly set back from the street on all 4 sides. That's 10,000sf/floor x 40 floors = 400,000sf. Plus there's a larger ground floor and below grade portion and the satellite building across the skywalk. That apparently totals 577,000sf, which is in the range that I thought, and similar to the range that Vestas is looking to build.

US Bank has a larger tower floorplate (I believe 100'x180' roughly) which comes out to around 720,000sf total. Plus there is a very large 3-4 story podium to the south which covers a full 1-1/2 to 2 blocks. That portion alone has to be 250,000sf+

[PacificNW]

Maybe Vestas and the SMART Tower people should get together and incorporate their tower(s) as a single project.. :)

[dkealoha]

Maybe Vestas and the SMART Tower people should get together and incorporate their tower(s) as a single project.. :)

Maybe Vestas can come up with a similar product like the Turby (http://www.turby.nl/) they want to use in the SMART Tower.

[PacificNW]

Sounds like a plan..

[pdxman]

So assuming Vestas is looking at block 33, what are the height limits for those blocks? Are they the same 325' as the JR and Ardea?

[crow]

So assuming Vestas is looking at block 33, what are the height limits for those blocks? Are they the same 325' as the JR and Ardea?


no 250 if you bonus up by getting any FAR bonus. 325 is only allowed in the middle of the district and at that only if you are 12K or less on average above 75 feet, or 16 feet avg floor to floor above 75 ft.

[65MAX]

I'll bet if Vestas wanted to go the full 325' on block 33, the city would sign off in a split second.

[bvpcvm]

this deal is really exciting. i don't really care how tall they build it as long as the architecture is good.

[Artist]

Those are great pics, and it is exciting that progress is so visible now. One consolation to the economic downturn is that projects on hold are not noisy projects. Yet.

What is likely to happen with the undeveloped lots? Do they become dirt parking lots by default, or are they temporarily grassed/weeded over?

[Artist]

[QUOTE=sowat;3949237]Just noticed this snippet in IBD about senior housing. I wonder which "choice block of riverfront land" in SoWa is for sale??

potentially more senior housing in sowa? move over Mirabella.

---------
The Mirabella is a continuing care facility with everything from independent living through end-of-life care. Probably other senior apts/condos built in South Waterfront would be independent living only (much cheaper.)

My main gripe about getting too many seniors in one community is that they skew election outcomes to the detriment of education.

[dkealoha]

Last night there was a REALLY bright light at the site. I felt bad for people whose units in the JR and Meriwether were lit up all bright from it.

[cronked]

A couple of the large lots north of the Meriwether were recently filled in with soil from the Mirabella dig. Then they planted grass on them. They did a great job in leveling out the dirt so it will look more like a park than a fill area. Other lots are being used for construction parking, staging areas or storage for construction work. There are a couple of warehouses down there that are now vacant and will probably be torn down at some point.

I'm hoping the Vestas tower and the new retirement tower go through. That would be huge for South Waterfront, especially in tight times like this. The retirement tower I am referring to is in addition to the Mirabella.

The bright lights they had on last night weren't too bad. We could see them from our condo and they weren't on very late. Although it may have been worse for people on lower floors.

[PacificNW]

The new retirement living project (joining the Mirabella) might not be a tower......right?

[sowat]

The new retirement living project (joining the Mirabella) might not be a tower......right?

let's not get ahead of ourselves, there is no additional retirement living project planned for south waterfront. that article was only about a "prime riverfront lot for sale" and being pitched as suitable for senior housing. I'd love to know which lot it is. If it is in sowa-proper, not north of the Ross Island Bridge, and it is riverfront, then it must be either 23, 27, 37, or 51(?). Unless even Prometheus is selling out too and it's one of their blocks, 41/44.

I'd also assume a "prime riverfront block" would sell for, what... 5 million? 15 million? If so they're not going to build low, they'd need to go up.

http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/6596/sowamapbk7.jpg

[NJD]

^^ Some of those pics make it look like a condo tower built over a prison... but other than that, it's not a bad addition to the new neighborhood. We'll still have to wait to see how it connects to the streetscape and the yet-finished park next door.

[RoseCtyRoks]

It will be interesting to see if Vestas goes with Gerding Edlan Devlopment, and then GBD Architects for this project, or if they would choose a Danish firm to shake it up a little in SOWA? GBD has a great LEED record, which has to be an attractive selling point for the business Vestas is in......and I believe they're going for LEED Platinum on this project.

I think we'll be hearing details in the not-too-distant future on this, the way that the Mayor Elect, as well as the Gov. are backing this, to say the least. Bring on those white-collar jobs..... & white-collar BUILDINGS!!

[zilfondel]

Its pretty much a given that a Portland architectural firm, particularly a big one like GBD or Ankrom, is going to at least be the architect of record, as I'm sure no Dutch architects are licensed in Oregon.

Doesn't mean they couldn't partner, but I would be surprised if that were to happen. You never know, tho. What does Vestas other HQs look like?


btw, Vestas own press release states that they expect the HQ to be 500,000 sq ft

[crow]

the current HQ is rather modest compared to what they are proposing. i believe they are looking for 400K and then ultimately 600K +/- and yes Platinum or beyond. definitely smart to go with a firm with some experience getting that actually done - and at that scale! It would take the horsepower of a large firm to pull this off - if you read the article in the Oregonian - they had a 2011 occupancy. A joint venture with another firm would just be another complexity to get in the way of making that date possible. Vestas should push the architects and the architects should challenge Vestas to bring european ethics to the building industry here in little portland - supporting "green" collar jobs. You can't build a 150 year building for $150-175/sf. They spend $350/sf - but in the end they get a building that uses less energy, gives daylight to all the workers, and becomes an investment not only in the people, but the culture which the building is a part of. It would be interesting to see their HQ in Denmark and see what that looks like compared to what they are thinking of building here???

[dkealoha]

This isn't anything new but I just got this email from SWF Community Relations:

Vestas confirms expansion in Portland
Green energy - The wind-turbine giant says yes, but the city and state are still negotiating millions in cash incentives
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
RYAN FRANK
The Oregonian Staff


State officials are negotiating with Vestas Wind Systems to offer up to $19 million in cash incentives for the company to expand its North American headquarters in Portland, Gov. Ted Kulongoski's office said Monday.

Vestas' officials confirmed for the first time Monday that they have picked Portland for their expansion.

The company plans to grow rapidly as the state and country ramp up clean energy production to reduce the United States dependence on foreign oil. Vestas employs about 1,200 people in the United States and Canada and expects to grow to 4,000 within about two years.
Kulongoski's 2009-11 budget, announced Monday, includes a $15 million request to entice the wind-turbine giant to expand in Portland.

The 2009 Legislature would have to approve the spending from the state general fund. The state's package also could include business energy tax credits and cash from the governor's strategic reserve fund targeted for economic development, said Anna Richter Taylor, the governor's spokeswoman.

Combined with $12.5 million offered by the city of Portland, Vestas could collect $31.5 million in direct incentives.

In return, Vestas would add about 850 new white-collar jobs and build a $250 million real estate development for its new headquarters. Denmark-based Vestas employs about 350 in Portland, and the company's expansion would provide a major boost to the city's and state's push for a new green economy.

Roby Roberts, senior vice president of external relations, said the company looked at other U.S. cities but picked Portland because political leaders had treated it well; recruiting talented workers to live in Portland is easy; higher education leaders are interested in preparing a work force for the company; and the governor has pushed state policies that support clean energy.

"We have all the pieces here for us to build a world-class industry," Roberts said. "This is the epicenter for clean energy."

Portland has seen some of the fastest growth in college educated 25- to 34-year-olds among U.S. cities. Those workers in Portland tend to be interested in the environment and sustainability, making Portland and Vestas a good match, said Joe Cortright, a Portland economist who has studied regional economies across the country.
"A company like that is in our sweet spot," Cortright said.

If it works out, Vestas' expansion could create a new feedback loop that encourages more like-minded workers and companies to start or move to the area. That growth could spur the next generation of industries that power the state economy, much as Tektronix did with high-tech in the 1940s and Nike did with sportswear in the 1960s.

Vestas' Portland offices are spread across six buildings from its downtown Portland headquarters to a tools center near Portland International Airport. The company hopes to consolidate all operations under one roof.
The company hopes to break ground next summer, an aggressive schedule for such an expansive project. Executives want to be in the new building by the fourth quarter of 2011 to keep pace with what it sees as U.S. demand for wind power.

Portland's South Waterfront District is high on Vestas' list for its new headquarters, Mayor-elect Sam Adams said. Oregon Health & Science University originally envisioned South Waterfront as a bio-tech hub but the idea hasn't worked out.

Even with all the upbeat talk, Vestas' expansion is far from a done deal.

The state and city are still negotiating with company executives. The state's incentives would require Vestas to add a certain number of jobs to qualify for the incentives.

Vestas' new jobs would bring an average wage of $80,000 to $90,000, said Richter Taylor, the governor's spokeswoman. At those wages, Richter Taylor said the employees' income taxes would generate about $3.7 million a year and repay the state's incentives in five or six years.

Ryan Frank: 503-221-8519; ryanfrank@news.oregonian.com

[sowat]

Portland's South Waterfront District is high on Vestas' list for its new headquarters, Mayor-elect Sam Adams said. Oregon Health & Science University originally envisioned South Waterfront as a bio-tech hub but the idea hasn't worked out.

this says to me they're looking north of Ross Island bridge. Is that possible with the Schnitzer-donated land? Plus, if they're combining various facilities like "a tools center" they'll want to build horizontally too, not just in a tall tower, no??

[Snowden352]

OK. So I google'd "Vestas Portland" and got a list of sites in Portland. It's mostly office buildings, but includes a "training facility." Does this preclude building in the main South Waterfront area? I only ask because training implies some level of industrial zoning.

edit: If they do choose to build in the Marquam Bridge area, a big if, would that limit the height of the building? Is it still zoned industrial?

Not to be too speculative, but if they do build there, would it attract other companies as well?

2nd edit: OK, I'll stop after this bit. I just think that if this deal comes through, it'll be huge for Portland. Not that the amount of jobs will be that large (well, comparatively) but that it marks Portland as an epicenter in Green Industry. Hell, this is the only sector of the economy I expect to grow over the next couple of years. I could rant on about how this might have come about but I'll save that for another time (and another thread).

[PacificNW]

Vestas is also (besides building their North American headquarters in Portland) going to relocate their International Headquarters to another Danish city in 2011. They are going to be busy....maybe their architects, working on their Danish headquarters, could work with the locals. :) I couldn't find an image of their present headquarters but one of their R & D buildings is kinda cool:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/PacificNW/Dump/Picture1-8.png

Company announcement from
Vestas Wind Systems A/S


Randers, 1 October 2008
Company announcement No. 42/2008


Vestas to move its headquarters to Aarhus, Denmark in 2011.

[zilfondel]

this says to me they're looking north of Ross Island bridge. Is that possible with the Schnitzer-donated land?

No, the whole area was envisioned as a "biotech hub" but obviously hasnt happened yet..

I doubt the school would be so eager to get rid of land N of the Marquam when most of the rest of the district hasnt been developed yet. Their long-term plan is an unbroken campus, after all.

Schnitz may have even put stipulations on it like "you cant sell the land" but I dont know :shrug:

[MarkDaMan]

isn't their a significant amount of Zidell land between the two OHSU properties? I thought it extended from the Ross Island Bridge to about halfway to the Marquam? Maybe there?

[NewUrbanist]

The zidell property extends from their waterfront factory and offices just south of the Ross Island, continues north behind the small office building and then cuts east creating a finger like property along the waterfront. If the city ever wants to redevelop their property, or wants to connect the waterfront path from Riverplace to SoWa, they will need to help Zidell remediate all of the clean up along this strip of land.

http://www.portlandmaps.com/detail.cfm?action=Assessor&propertyid=R327850&state_id=1S1E10%20%20%20%20300&address_id=673569&intersection_id=&dynamic_point=0&x=7645875.674&y=676763.152&place=3121%20SW%20MOODY%20AVE&city=PORTLAND&neighborhood=SOUTH%20PORTLAND&seg_id=140953

[sowat]

I filed a noise complaint with the city today, and encourage anyone else in the area to do so too. (I wasn't the only one who filed a noise complaint today either) It's not that I am against progress, the Mirabella, or Hoffman construction, but to actually try help Hoffman alleviate some of this excess noise.

Hoffman said they asked for permission from the city to use part of the empty south waterfront park block, or block 33 to store construction material and the city said no. There might be good reason for this, such as the streetcar, only they know. But perhaps if enough people complain, the city will be more willing to let Hoffman use a staging and storage site much closer to the Mirabella site so they don't have to shuttle it all the way from blocks 41 & 44.

We put up with months and months of plate and pile driving, but an endless parade of these noisy Gehl http://www.gehl.com/const/prod_th.html Telescopic Handlers terrorizing South Waterfront 6 days a week is unbearable.

To lodge a noise complaint talk to the friendly people at 503 823-7350 ;)
(you will have to give them your name, address & tel)

[65MAX]

Not to sound unsympathetic, sowat, but you bought a condo there knowing you'd be completely surrounded by construction for several years.... at least. That's kinda like buying a house near the freeway, then complaining about the constant traffic noise.

[sowat]

that was short lived...

Lucier shuts its doors
http://www.oregonlive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2008/12/lucier_shuts_its_doors.html

Lucier is closing on Saturday, according to manager Donny Sullivan.

The restaurant made a bold gamble last spring to create a destination restaurant on the South Waterfront. "We want this to be the ultimate dining destination in Portland," co-owner Chris Dussin told The Oregonian last spring. But the high-priced restaurant never caught on. Reviews in Willamette Week, Portland Monthly and, last Friday, The Oregonian criticized the food and the prices the restaurant demanded.

And the economic downturn didn't help. Co-owner Chris Dussin told Willamette Week that he hopes to re-open Lucier next spring or summer, and he is evaluating the menu approach.

Lucier is located at 1910 S.W. River Drive, 503-227-7300.

[Tim the Enchanter]

I had no idea there was a restaurant down there.

Have convince stores made it down to the south waterfront yet?

[dkealoha]

I had no idea there was a restaurant down there.

Have convince stores made it down to the south waterfront yet?

Yes there is one convenience store down here and two other restaurants besides Old Spaghetti Factory. Funny that Riverplace is now known as part of the south waterfront. I'm kind of sad I didn't have a chance to make it to Lucier...

If someone has a good view of the Ardea tonight and has a camera that takes good nighttime photos, they put up a big star on the penthouse decks and there is a 24th floor apartment lit up all red and green. Wasn't able to get a good pic to upload...

[dkealoha]

Found this on Flickr from mm767cap:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3075/3100926265_a3afa7253f_b.jpg

The ReDirect Guide company was having a party up there tonight I guess.

[nobody]

Great picture!

[Tim the Enchanter]

The south waterfront can probably only support one convenience store at this point anyway.

How big was the Lucier?

[Rhome]

Re: Lucier

Went there a few months ago. Reminded me of Picasso's at the Belagio Hotel -- exquisitely prepared food in laughably small portions. The food was great, and the surroundings were very high class to match the prices. Presentation was everything, but it was a little over the top. There was a point in time where the number of serving staff at our table outnumbered my wife and I by a 3:1 margin. The word that came to mind is "obsequious." I felt a little uncomfortable at the attention, but at the same time appreciated the effort and was hoping that Portland would keep such a high class restaurant. Best of luck on its return.

[pdxcrow]

I thought Lucier was insultingly expensive.

I mean, I'm all for nice, classy restaurants. Look at Blue Hour, its expensive, draws the occasional protester, and still one of the best restaurants in Portland.

There's a fine line between expensive and absurd. They unfortunately were absurd.

[cronked]

What we need is a good pub in South Waterfront. We really need a casual place to hang out and have a drink with cheap bar food. Le Hana and Bambuza serve drinks and those are both great places to eat but a pub would round out the options nicely down there. There is certainly plenty of retail space available!

[Joeplayer19]

was it a kitchen nightmare?

[Port-of-Lands]

I definitely agree that this district needs some sort of a pub. What is really needed is something to pull people in on a Sunday. Right now the district is basically the work commute during 7 and 5. The best way to do this would be with an "event" store. Something many of us in Portland would go out of our way to visit. A store that merits a trip by itself. I am thinking of something like an REI.

But what SoWa really needs is to be integrated into the city with some office buildings, apartments and some government buildings. If the city is truly committed to this district they should put a large city office in a future office building. Without that sort of influx of people into a location this district will always feel like a strange suburb in the city.

My dream building (beyond something to draw people to SoWa) is a real anchoring location. Maybe something at block 42 or 45 that has what REAL neighborhoods wants. A building who's bottom floor has a Safeway, a bank and hey maybe a McMenamins Theater like the Mission Theater or something like the Bridgeport Brewery. And maybe this building could be a 10+ story BRICK building. Something to contrast the drab glass towers that are here right now. Something that has character and looks "real".

[MarkDaMan]

^with a new Vestas building(s), the district will see a huge shot in the arm.

I'm thinking a New Seasons, H&M, local brewery, and maybe a small Powells outlet (or other bookstore) could add much vitality to the area...and PLEASE, think outside the box. No more brick ten stories in Portland. We need to break out of the Pearl style, even in the Pearl. A ten story modern building, breaking away from the glassy towers, would be a welcome change.

[65MAX]

Brick is fine as long as you use it in a modern context, especially in this area. SoWa is not even 5 years old, so don't try to get all faux-historical. If there was ever a place in Portland to push the envelope, it's here.

[Port-of-Lands]

Any new pictures or word on how this project is coming along? Any possible tenants for the ground floor retail yet?

[dkealoha]

Any new pictures or word on how this project is coming along? Any possible tenants for the ground floor retail yet?

I'll upload a pic tonight. Still just foundation work though. Some support columns for the parking garage are starting on the SW corner.

[dkealoha]

http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/rr227/keal2312/DSC01323.jpg

http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/rr227/keal2312/DSC01324.jpg

http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/rr227/keal2312/DSC01325-1.jpg

[dkealoha]

Pictures from 12/14/08 snow:

http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/rr227/keal2312/DSC01309.jpg

http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/rr227/keal2312/DSC01320-1.jpg

http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/rr227/keal2312/DSC01310.jpg

[cronked]

Thanks for the pictures, as always!

My wife and I were watching the cars slip and slide down a hill going out of South Waterfront. I taped some of it, sped it up and put it to music. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXFZMGddENA

[RoseCtyRoks]

Awesome!!! You've got to get this to KATU (Younews), and all the other locals.....it could go NATIONAL as far as the news, in a short amount of time. Very entertaining!! :tup:

[rsbear]

That video ROCKS! Well done. :cheers:

[PacificNW]

Good work! ....Tks!

[dkealoha]

Great video!!!

[urbanlife]

that video was great, I love how a few of them kept trying to get up that hill. The snow photos of SoWa look so weird, very non portland looking.

[cronked]

Thanks for the suggestion RoseCtyRoks. I uploaded the video to KATU, KGW and CNN's iReport!

[MOPIdaho]

Awesome video! The only thing I though it was missing was yakety sax, then I realized my computer was on mute!

[nobody]

Gustav from 94.7 posted your video on his blog I think. He was referencing on the radio.

Just saw it on CNN! Cool. They didn't play the Benny Hill music though :(

[MarkDaMan]

Friday, November 28, 2008
Waterfront comedown
Struggling economy delays S. Waterfront development plans
Portland Business Journal - by Wendy Culverwell Business Journal staff writer

The credit crisis is taking a bite out of Portland’s already stalled South Waterfront development.

Luxury condominium sales have slowed considerably, and key commercial features such as a grocery store aren’t even in the planning stage.

It will be years before lenders or investors return to the scene, said Bob Scanlan, chairman of ScanlanKemperBard Companies, a Portland-based real estate investment firm that provided a portion of the equity investment in the troubled $130 million John Ross project.

“I don’t see anything being financed in the foreseeable future,” Scanlan said. Asked if SKB would consider financing a project there in the future, he said, “absolutely not.”

South Waterfront development is governed by an agreement signed by the Portland Development Commission, Oregon Health & Science University and area developers. It doesn’t expire until 2011, but with sales of luxury units in South Waterfront mostly stalled, critics have ample evidence the district isn’t living up to its original billing.

The most recent tale making the rounds held that two towers had been placed in receivership, a legal term for turning property over to an outside manager after foreclosure. That’s not true, says the major developer, Gerding Edlen Development’s Mark Edlen.

But there are troubling signs. The most immediate one concerns Gerding Edlen’s John Ross condominiums, a 31-story tower containing more than 300 luxury condominiums and town homes. About one-third of the units remain unsold and the $93.6 million construction loan from JP Morgan Chase was due in August.

A sister project, Atwater Place, has experienced a similar slowdown in sales. The construction loan on that project is due next April.

“I think it’s a great place. There are huge opportunities. But let’s face it, these are not the best of times,” said Todd Juhasz, development manager for the Portland Development Commission’s North Macadam Renewal Area, which includes South Waterfront.

To real estate professionals, South Waterfront is missing key commercial features that add up to a neighborhood. Chief among them is a grocery store.

At a recent real estate function, a leading local real estate owner and developer called South Waterfront a “vertical suburb” because people can live there, but have to leave the neighborhood for groceries and other basic services.

Gerald Mildner, professor of urban studies at Portland State University, said it needs more amenities to create the walkable community Pearl District residents enjoy.

“People can envision living in a neighborhood with close services,” he said, adding that frontage on Southwest Macadam Avenue would be a great place to add a grocery.

Bruce Korter, managing director for Washington Capital Management, is more bullish. His firm invested more than $17.6 million on behalf of its union pension fund clients to develop infrastructure such as roads and sewers on the former industrial site.

Though it no longer has significant investments in the South Waterfront, Korter says the area will thrive in the long term because the basics already are there: parks, the Portland Streetcar and the Portland Aerial Tram, to name a few.

“The thing that will make South Waterfront work, in my view, is the infrastructure is there,” he said.

Nelda Scott Newton, vice president for Wells Fargo Real Estate Group, has researched Portland’s condominium market. She said it’s easy to look at the current economic conditions and arrive at a negative forecast. Wells Fargo has financed several condominium projects in Portland, but none in the South Waterfront.

As a disinterested outsider, Newton said the location, quality of buildings and the proximity to downtown all bode well for South Waterfront

“It was never envisioned as being something that would be up and running in one to three years,” she said.

wculverwell@bizjournals.com | 503-219-3415
http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/12/01/story2.html?t=printable

[tworivers]

Mark, have you spoken with your friend over at G/E? What's the mood over there?

[Tim the Enchanter]

I definitely agree that this district needs some sort of a pub. What is really needed is something to pull people in on a Sunday. Right now the district is basically the work commute during 7 and 5. The best way to do this would be with an "event" store. Something many of us in Portland would go out of our way to visit. A store that merits a trip by itself. I am thinking of something like an REI.

But what SoWa really needs is to be integrated into the city with some office buildings, apartments and some government buildings. If the city is truly committed to this district they should put a large city office in a future office building. Without that sort of influx of people into a location this district will always feel like a strange suburb in the city.

My dream building (beyond something to draw people to SoWa) is a real anchoring location. Maybe something at block 42 or 45 that has what REAL neighborhoods wants. A building who's bottom floor has a Safeway, a bank and hey maybe a McMenamins Theater like the Mission Theater or something like the Bridgeport Brewery. And maybe this building could be a 10+ story BRICK building. Something to contrast the drab glass towers that are here right now. Something that has character and looks "real".

Every location needs a good pub or two.

As to the idea if their being some sort of government buildings there, perhaps they could move the parking meter people there from downtown.

[cronked]

Since posting my video, I have been interviewed by CNN, KATU and an informal interview by someone from the Oregonian. This is really funny. And guess what, it all started here! Thanks again to RoseCtyRoks for giving me the idea of getting the video to the media. Here is my interview on KATU if you are interested:

http://www.katu.com/blogs/breakingnews/36354304.html?video=YHI&t=a

[dkealoha]

You are famous! I found this link to the CNN interview, you have to watch a commercial first though:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/ireports/2008/12/17/sliding.ice.irpt.bpr.cnn?iref=videosearch

[Dougall5505]

very very cool cronked!

[Okstate]

Geez man, no pressure for the sequel or anything :)

[WonderlandPark]

Heh, I am in Phoenix and just saw the video on the local news here. It sure got around!

[MarkDaMan]

Mark, have you spoken with your friend over at G/E? What's the mood over there?

He's surprisingly upbeat. He still has a job, and was excited a couple weeks...quote, "We won a contract to actually build something."

He couldn't or wouldn't tell me what that sooomething is, but it was big enough it has given them (thinking the moral there) some confidence. He did tell me they have sold some land that was planned for future large project. Don't know details about what that is either.

I'll keep pestering him, but after (unknowingly?) misleading me on the McMenamins/Silverado block deal, I'm hesitant to post anything he tells me, but I still enjoy the gossip he passes onto me.

[urbanlife]

that is some good news, even if it is just rumor mill news right now. While the economy is taking a downturn and forcing alot of firms to downsize, it is nice that it is forcing developer and architecture firms to be more aggressive, a trait I sometimes feel that lacks in the northwest. Not saying that is a bad thing, I like living in a passive city after growing up on the very aggressive east coast.

[65MAX]

I wouldn't call Portland "passive". We might be behind the curve in architectural design, but we are decidedly overachievers when it comes to sustainable urban design, regional and transportation planning, urban amenities, and everything that makes a large city like ours attractive and livable.

Laid back.... maybe attitude-wise. But in an aggressive, activist way.

[urbanlife]

Laid back.... maybe attitude-wise. But in an aggressive, activist way.

I like that description, should be the Portland slogan. :haha:

[Artist]

You sure did shush the site! Knowing your turf is going to be noisy long after you buy in doesn't lessen the grind.

I miss the news of Mirabella's progress. Has the weather stalled work? I assume you Oregonians are not stymied by rain like Californians are. (We just got 4"!) Merry Christmas Kwanza Hannuka to all.

[urbanlife]

growing up with a mom that worked for a contractor, you never buy into a new housing development before it is built out if the construction is going to be an issue. SoWa is no where near built out, the sounds of piles being driven into the ground is going to be a ringing sound for years to come...you could of always bought a condo in the Pearl, that area is almost completely built out.


And I am guessing alot of construction has come to a halt in this weather...on the plus side is they are all getting an extended christmas break.

[Artist]

This question is for those of you with an architectural bent: Why are the SW podiums so disharmonious in their design from their towers? It seems that very few architectural devices are repeated in the podiums--certainly they make no attempt to echo any curves, nor do the towers feel like they grow out of the podiums. Mind you, each are beautiful--that is not the issue.

I understand that the curved towers reduce wind resistance, and that squares maximize land use at lower cost. But I haven't seen one design in SW that rises gracefully from the podium to the tower. Seems like an opportunity missed. Educate me.

[urbanlife]

This question is for those of you with an architectural bent: Why are the SW podiums so disharmonious in their design from their towers? It seems that very few architectural devices are repeated in the podiums--certainly they make no attempt to echo any curves, nor do the towers feel like they grow out of the podiums. Mind you, each are beautiful--that is not the issue.

I understand that the curved towers reduce wind resistance, and that squares maximize land use at lower cost. But I haven't seen one design in SW that rises gracefully from the podium to the tower. Seems like an opportunity missed. Educate me.

That would have to do more with the architecture firm and how they have chosen to address each project...basically, they are holding to the Portland model, by building to the street, which means the bases of the buildings are blocky. It can be argued either way on what the podiums should be like, the Portland model has always had a positive reaction here, so it is sometimes hard to go against that idea.

[Artist]

OK. The pedestals (or podiums) of most major urban high-rises maximize their footprint to the sidewalk. And historically, most(?) podiums are directly under the tower. Having studied art when FLWright sat just to the right of God, I look for organic relationships among the parts of the whole. Where are they? Or is a more disjointed look simply characteristic of today's society, and therefore of today's architecture?

[zilfondel]

OK. The pedestals (or podiums) of most major urban high-rises maximize their footprint to the sidewalk. And historically, most(?) podiums are directly under the tower. Having studied art when FLWright sat just to the right of God, I look for organic relationships among the parts of the whole. Where are they? Or is a more disjointed look simply characteristic of today's society, and therefore of today's architecture?

Thats an interesting question. Being an architecture student in Portland myself, I sometimes wonder this too.

When you visit the sales office, not too surprisingly they don't offer much insight into the design. Their marketing brochure for Atwater, for instance, was a rather one-liner about "the river."

Seems to me if you're going to plunk down $3-400k on a "unit" you should at least know what the designers were thinking, even if its buried down in Appendix E

[Delaney]

There isn't any magic to it. Zoning regulations combined with typical podium uses (retail, parking, loading, utility, office) work best with large floor plates. tower floorplates (especially for residential) work best with smaller footprints to maximize daylight and views. The base and tower solution is really a function of code, program, and cost - not some overarching architectural theory.

[Artist]

Back to Mirabella specifically. Is construction continuing?

[sowat]

construction is continuing. there was a nice 2-3 week break over the holidays when temps were below freezing.

sidecard section slab forms being assembled for the 5th floor

tower slab forms at ground level

[sowat]

South Waterfront All-Resident District Update
WHEN: January 28, 2009, 6:00 pm

Come join South Waterfront neighbors to a presentation by district developers, a host of representatives from City of Portland bureaus, and spokespeople from OHSU among others as they fill you in on what’s up and coming in the neighborhood. We encourage you to send your questions in advance to communityrelations@southwaterfront.com.

Location: John Ross Plaza Studio (3623 SW River Parkway) | 6:00 - 8:00 PM | Public Welcome

Please RSVP to communityrelations@southwaterfront.com or call 503.222.7788.

[sowat]

http://img363.imageshack.us/img363/89/tamarackob6.jpg

[sowat]

http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/681/tamarack2mp2.jpg

http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/6797/tamarack3cv4.jpg

[sowat]

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/9340/img2111yz6.jpg

http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/7420/img2128zy3.jpg

http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/9229/img2125hx7.jpg

http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/5203/img2136ny6.jpg

[PacificNW]

↑ "Fabulous" Pics! Thanks...

[sowat]

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/6351/alexanfrontez2.jpg

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/1690/alexanfrontcornerzi2.jpg

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/6765/alexanfrontvcornerbu3.jpg

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/845/alexanbackcornergx2.jpg

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/7765/alexanbackcloseir3.jpg

http://img60.imageshack.us/img60/9303/alexanbackpd3.jpg

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/8991/alexanbackperspbl3.jpg

http://img60.imageshack.us/img60/2116/alexansidelw3.jpg

[sowat]

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/4194/ardeasthsc4.jpg

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/1993/ardeasidecarlm6.jpg

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/3982/ardeatownhseskp7.jpg

[dkealoha]

This might sound crazy... but If you look at the 7th deck down from the top (25th floor), it is off angle a bit from the rest. I noticed that the other day looking up the building from my deck on the 19th floor. You can tell that the 25th floor deck is not at the right angle when compared with the rest. The top 3 penthouse decks (29, 30, and 31) are at a different angle, but all below that match except 25.

Do you think the builders could have made a mistake like that?

Count down from the top (31st floor)...
12/2/08
http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/2028/ardea4no3.jpg

[sowat]

crane looks like it's ready to jack up a segment

http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/5737/mirabneyh2.jpg

http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/3900/mirabecrnm1.jpg

http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/1511/mirabe2sm1.jpg

http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/6852/mirabse1vn6.jpg

http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/8891/mirabself6.jpg

http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/9980/mirabslg8.jpg

http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/2071/mirabsway3.jpg

http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/272/mirabwbc1.jpg

[sowat]

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/7472/img2119ia7.jpg

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/8154/img2121tr2.jpg

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/3564/img2120lq1.jpg

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/3596/img2124ur7.jpg

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/8813/img2118fb8.jpg

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/5052/img2126pt2.jpg

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/3922/img2130fi2.jpg

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/6615/img2132cg2.jpg

final two:

http://img55.imageshack.us/img55/6946/img2140ap4.jpg

http://img55.imageshack.us/img55/8241/img2144hc2.jpg

[WestCoast]

for an above ground parking, slab sided apartment complex, this is about as good as they can make them I might say.