Portland Infill | Northeast Portland

[2oh1]

So, light for those who can afford it. Why give the building windows at all then? Why even bother with beds, eh? A floor with four walls and a ceiling is better than life on the streets. Or does a room here even need four walls? Why not just build a warehouse for people? It's better than life on the streets, right?

I'm not complaining about the project at all, but the prison-like design here is beyond my comprehension. Human beings need sunlight. If there's enough wall space to create a staggered window effect, there's space to create decent windows. I can't believe an element as basic as WINDOWS is debatable. Wow.

[Delaney]

Originally Posted by 2oh1

I guess that makes the people who will be staying in this building less than human?

The design is fine. Double the width of the windows.

Looks like they took your advice on window size (from Brian Libby's blog): http://chatterbox.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c86d053ef017d41c9d478970c-500wi

[Nunya]

More Nimbyism. This kind of action is really going to start putting off developers from wanting to do anything other than build on empty lots in the suburbs.

Paywall: http://djcoregon.com/news/2013/04/19/neighbors-plan-to-appeal-ne-fremont-apartment-project-to-luba/

The Beaumont-Wilshire Neighbors for Responsible Growth https://sites.google.com/site/beaumontapartment/home have filed a notice of intent with LUBA to appeal the permit for a four-story, 50-unit apartment project called the Beaumont Village, at 4425 N.E. Fremont St., according to an announcement on the city of Portland’s Bureau of Development Service’s website.

Construction has begun on the project; its permit is “under inspection,” according to the BDS site.

Notice on BDS: http://www.portlandonline.com/bds/index.cfm?c=38716&a=444231

At some point these appeals during construction are either going to push any development away or will lead to a change in the rules where this kind of appeal is no longer available. There is a legitimate reason for appeals but just because you don't like it isn't one.

Note: I wasn't sure where the best place to put this was so if there is a better topic please feel free to move it.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by 65MAX

Well, these aren't lofts... it's low income housing. So the narrow windows don't bother me. The staggered window do. Does every project have to have staggered windows? It's like the new post-modernism... it'll be dated in 10 years.

I am not sure I agree with you, it looks like it is more of a "Portland style" of architecture. There is something very unique about Portland architecture that is only really happening in Portland....granted it is a style that is being used a lot in Portland.

I will say, I would want to see floorplans before really saying the windows are too small, but it the rendering they do look too small and too far apart.

[65MAX]

Originally Posted by urbanlife

I am not sure I agree with you, it looks like it is more of a "Portland style" of architecture. There is something very unique about Portland architecture that is only really happening in Portland....granted it is a style that is being used a lot in Portland.

Except it's not just a "Portland" style. Staggered windows are happening everywhere. I travel extensively and I see it in every city I've been to in the last few years.

If it WAS just a local phenomenon, unique to Portland, I wouldn't mind so much. Then I'd expect to see it highlighted on an episode of Portlandia, just another quirky aspect of our city. Unfortunately, all I see is "trendiness".

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by 65MAX

Except it's not just a "Portland" style. Staggered windows are happening everywhere. I travel extensively and I see it in every city I've been to in the last few years.

If it WAS just a local phenomenon, unique to Portland, I wouldn't mind so much. Then I'd expect to see it highlighted on an episode of Portlandia, just another quirky aspect of our city. Unfortunately, all I see is "trendiness".

I disagree, I see it more in Portland than anywhere else in the states (I can't comment on Europe or anywhere outside of the states) and I don't see anything wrong with the style.

[zilfondel]

Can we get some more info on the building that is being appealed? Developer, architect, renderings, plans, etc? Some of the architects I've talked to have been pretty horrified as to how crappy the infill development has been, and they think the quality will only get worse as merchant builders start to dominate the apartment bubble and try to create products under extremely rushed timelines.

This means ultra cheap construction with really crappy materials and design (ie, pastiche historicism).

There is a reason that the neighbors on SE Division filed an appeal against Urban Development Group, and not Urban Development Partners.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by zilfondel

Can we get some more info on the building that is being appealed? Developer, architect, renderings, plans, etc? Some of the architects I've talked to have been pretty horrified as to how crappy the infill development has been, and they think the quality will only get worse as merchant builders start to dominate the apartment bubble and try to create products under extremely rushed timelines.

This means ultra cheap construction with really crappy materials and design (ie, pastiche historicism).

There is a reason that the neighbors on SE Division filed an appeal against Urban Development Group, and not Urban Development Partners.

That definitely could be true, though I will say I did enjoy seeing all the construction going on while I was there. Though talking to an old neighbor, they were concerned that all these new apartments will be coming online right as people are moving away do to lack of new jobs which is gonna create a flux in rentals. Though on the positive side, anyone looking to move when that happen will definitely get a deal on a new apartment.

I remember this happening in Seattle years ago when they had an apartment boom and were practically giving away free months just to get people in their buildings, and now Seattle has taken that housing flux and run with it.

[downtownpdx]

Originally Posted by urbanlife

. Though talking to an old neighbor, they were concerned that all these new apartments will be coming online right as people are moving away do to lack of new jobs which is gonna create a flux in rentals.

Not sure I understand this, why would people suddenly be moving away because of a "lack of new jobs" when new apartments come online, when if anything the job market is only improving (slowly, but still). I would think one of the reasons the rental market is so tight now is because the jobs situation is getting somewhat better. If there is an aparment glut in the future, it will be because of overbuilding, more people turning to buying vs. renting, or some collapse in the economy. Portland doesn't have the most robust job market but that sure hasn't kept many people away in the last few years, hence one of the nation's lowest apartment vacancy rates.

[cab]

Perception is reality. You have the Oregonian with an agenda to tear down its major city because it does not believe in the same values. They almost gleefully cover any news that appears the city is doing bad. I think this sets up a false perception of what Portland is to the locals. Look at the Clark county situation. There is still a false idea that Clark county is some kind of economic powerhouse because of low taxes, only being pulled down because of Portland. The exact opposite is reality. Clark county is a parasite unable to survive without Portland and yet the narrative by local news continues. We really need some kind of alternative media that better reflects the reality of the population of the area. The Oregonian is doing real damage.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by downtownpdx

Not sure I understand this, why would people suddenly be moving away because of a "lack of new jobs" when new apartments come online, when if anything the job market is only improving (slowly, but still). I would think one of the reasons the rental market is so tight now is because the jobs situation is getting somewhat better. If there is an aparment glut in the future, it will be because of overbuilding, more people turning to buying vs. renting, or some collapse in the economy. Portland doesn't have the most robust job market but that sure hasn't kept many people away in the last few years, hence one of the nation's lowest apartment vacancy rates.

The city still has a high unemployment as well as high underemployment, and combine that with a good number of transplants that could consider moving away to a better job market reduces the demand for apartments.

As for the apartment situation, during the condo conversion boom, Portland lost a lot of rentals that put them at a very low apartment vacancy, but if all these apartments are coming online but there is no growth in population, that will create a large number of apartments that will desperately be looking for tenants.

If that makes any sense, basically there will be a flux of apartments without a flux of residents or possibly a decrease of residents to fill those rentals.

[bvpcvm]

Currently, the overall employment rate is still high, but among college grads - the people most likely to be able to afford all these new apartment - the national rate is 3.8%.

[Mr. Walch]

Portland is still growing and baring the collapse of Intel or Nike we are not in danger of loosing population. According to the census bureau the city kept growing even during the depths of the recession. From 2010 to 2011 (the most recent numbers I could find in a quick google search) the city grew by about 10,000 people - or about the whole population of Astoria or Sandy. Maybe not Vegas during the boom, but enough to create some demand.

[zilfondel]

And here I thought our job market was not only the best in the state, but 2 percentage points better than California.

People are renting for 2 reasons: lenders stopped handing out mortgages, and almost no new housing was built for 4 years in a steadily growing city.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by zilfondel

And here I thought our job market was not only the best in the state, but 2 percentage points better than California.

People are renting for 2 reasons: lenders stopped handing out mortgages, and almost no new housing was built for 4 years in a steadily growing city.

As long as things are doing good in Portland in about 4-5 years from now, that is all I really care about in the end when we move back.

[MarkDaMan]

May 8, 2013, 10:00am PDT UPDATED: May 8, 2013, 10:23am PDT
The loan that will bring New Seasons to a former oil campus
Wendy Culverwell
Real Estate Daily editor-
Portland Business Journal

rendering link
http://bizj.us/rxi49/i/1

full article (paywall)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog...llage-latest-to-land.html?ana=e_ptl_real

Work begins soon to turn the former Albina Fuel into a mixed use neighborhood anchored by New Seasons Market.

Capstone Partners LLC and its partner, PCCP LLC, have closed a $41 million construction loan with Key Bank to fund the $60 million project.

The balance is fueled by equity provided by PCCP, Capstone Partners and members of the Arntson family, who sold the site to the developers.

...

Capstone’s Grant Park Village will feature 211 market rate apartments, a New Seasons grocery, 13,000 square feet of retail space and a 269-stall parking garage.

Capstone expects to begin construction as soon as the city of Portland issues construction permits, around June 1. Capstone submitted plans to the city in March.

Some pre-construction work will be visible at the property, on Northeast Broadway between Northeast 32nd and 33rd avenues, before that.

Construction of the first phase will take about a year, with occupancy slated for fall 2014.

...

The project team includes LRS Architects of Portland and Runberg Architecture Group of Seattle. Walsh Construction is the general contractor.

...

[zilfondel]

I think we're going to have a New Seasons bubble.

[bvpcvm]

There's a project mentioned here previously just north of the Convention Center MAX station. It's an oddly-shaped superblock with a Burgerville on the corner, which will remain. The rest of the block will be developed into three separate apartment buildings. Here are some renderings I found:









From reading the design review it looks like the city has several issues with this design, but I don't know if that's typical or not. In any case, it probably won't be built quite like this, but perhaps it'll be similar. At least there's something going on on that lot; it's been waiting to be redeveloped since at least when MAX opened in 1986.

[bvpcvm]

Another neighborhood joins the pro-sprawl bandwagon:

Kerns residents in Northeast Portland join fight against apartments without parking

[bvpcvm]

Looks like an interesting article, if anyone can get past the paywall...

Developers swooning for Sandy Boulevard

Several developers are snatching up real estate along Northeast Sandy Boulevard. For years, the thoroughfare was dominated by auto dealerships, used car lots and strip malls. Now investors are envisioning mixed-use redevelopment for the inner-city corridor.