Old Town/Chinatown News - Page 52

cab · #**1021** Posted **Mar 27, 2013, 9:15 PM**

OK, new rule Shawn Uhlman gets fired on 30th if project fails. Each time PDC drops the ball one person gets cut. Little harsh, but something has to change. What incentive do these bureaucracies have to push through projects fast? Busy work is job security. The organizations hire people who layer on crap just to keep jobs safe. Its mucks the entire process down. They should get paid by results, not how much bureaucracy they can create. So heads roll if job falls through.

tworivers · #**1022** Posted **Mar 27, 2013, 9:42 PM**

I agree, cab. I miss the wheeler-dealer PDC of old, before they were taken over by Council and subject to the ever-shifting political winds.

Quote:

What incentive do these bureaucracies have to push through projects fast? Busy work is job security. The organizations hire people who layer on crap just to keep jobs safe.

Yep. We need more results and less endless planning. The bike plan and streetcar system plans are striking me right now as being particularly big wastes of time and money.

CouvScott · #**1023** Posted **Mar 28, 2013, 1:15 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cab

OK, new rule Shawn Uhlman gets fired on 30th if project fails. Each time PDC drops the ball one person gets cut. Little harsh, but something has to change. What incentive do these bureaucracies have to push through projects fast? Busy work is job security. The organizations hire people who layer on crap just to keep jobs safe. Its mucks the entire process down. They should get paid by results, not how much bureaucracy they can create. So heads roll if job falls through.

Sounds like the premise to an interesting reality show. Plus network rights could help fund a project or two.

RED_PDXer · #**1024** Posted **Mar 28, 2013, 4:37 AM**

The City Council is pretty much worthless at this point. I should send them each books so they can keep their noses in a book rather than the actual business of the city.

cab · #**1025** Posted **Apr 22, 2013, 2:18 PM**

On a different note, I was down in old town yesterday to go to Saturday Market. My god the area around 4th is absolutely depressing. Whoever is making decisions for this area, things have to change. It was so embarrassing watching obvious tourist horrifyingly wandering the area trying to shield their kids from the dirt and poverty. The PDC streetscape project from a few years ago has been a total and unmitigated disaster. The centralization of homeless services has done nothing more than draw more homeless to the area. Its a critical mass of desperation. I'm not sure what has to happen, but something needs to change. I thought the only hope for this area is some huge development like the uwajimai grocery store. It was really embarrassing watching the tourist leaving the Chinese garden. Almost wanted to just point them to the Pearl and say RUN!! So much potential.

Derek · #**1026** Posted **Apr 22, 2013, 5:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cab

On a different note, I was down in old town yesterday to go to Saturday Market. My god the area around 4th is absolutely depressing. Whoever is making decisions for this area, things have to change. It was so embarrassing watching obvious tourist horrifyingly wandering the area trying to shield their kids from the dirt and poverty. The PDC streetscape project from a few years ago has been a total and unmitigated disaster. The centralization of homeless services has done nothing more than draw more homeless to the area. Its a critical mass of desperation. I'm not sure what has to happen, but something needs to change. I thought the only hope for this area is some huge development like the uwajimai grocery store. It was really embarrassing watching the tourist leaving the Chinese garden. Almost wanted to just point them to the Pearl and say RUN!! So much potential.

I couldn't agree more.

tworivers · #**1027** Posted **Apr 23, 2013, 7:49 AM**

Looks like the Fritz/Erickson's project by Innovative Solutions is moving forward:

PORTLAND, Oregon - A vibrant, mixed income community in the heart of downtown Portland moved one step closer to reality this month when the Portland Housing Bureau awarded funding to develop 62 new units of housing in the historic Erickson Saloon and Fritz Buildings in Old Town...

(story continues at the Oregon Herald, link above)

2oh1 · #**1028** Posted **Apr 23, 2013, 4:39 PM**

Where in Old Town is this?

Derek · #**1029** Posted **Apr 23, 2013, 5:14 PM**

NW 2nd and Burnside/Couch I believe.

RainDog · #**1030** Posted **May 18, 2013, 5:03 AM**

So I was walking through old town this afternoon and noticed a bunch of large colorful objects on the sidewalk along Davis street. They were maybe 12' tall and looked kinda like oversize pieces of blown glass. They also appeared to have solar panels on the top portion... Though I didn't get too good of a look so I might be mistaken on that. They're were at least four of them, the furthest west one being right in front of the old customs house.

Does anyone know what the deal is with these? Is this a permanent public art installation? Google wasn't coming up with anything.

tworivers · #**1031** Posted **May 18, 2013, 7:18 AM**

Quote:

They were maybe 12' tall and looked kinda like oversize pieces of blown glass.

Ha! I suspect that they are classic pieces of Portland Public Art. Haven't seen them in person yet but they are definitely getting noticed, as evidenced by my Facebook feed:

maccoinnich · #**1032** Posted **May 18, 2013, 7:00 PM**

Is there no end to the terrible public art the RACC inflicts on us?

65MAX · #**1033** Posted **May 19, 2013, 4:36 PM**

I like it. And there's four of them? I'll have to go take a look.

Nobody has any other information on these?

RainDog · #**1034** Posted **May 19, 2013, 9:40 PM**

Yeah at least four, at intervals on either side of the street, you can partially see the furthest west one at the very far right of that picture. It's that orange shape over there.

I personally find them quite attractive, though maybe oddly placed.
It's kind of funny how polarizing public art tends to be.

Derek · #**1035** Posted **May 31, 2013, 2:22 AM**

I'm not sure if it's been mentioned already, but Subway is opening up a store at NW Second and Couch.

tworivers · #**1036** Posted **Jul 9, 2013, 1:25 AM**

Nepenthes and Inversion: +/-
New public art pieces inspire, infuriate.

...

One of Corson’s sculptures is only paces away from the entrance to Butters Gallery, a longtime Old Town fixture. Immediately after the piece was installed, creative director Jeffrey Butters took pains to distance the gallery from Nepenthes in a Facebook post that read: “UGH! Please know we were neither consulted nor involved in this debacle.” In person, Butters expresses his disdain even more colorfully. “I wish someone would run over them with a truck,” he says. “Everyone I know who’s seen them is basically throwing up. I want to put a sign on them that says, ‘Hey, the 1970s called, and they want their lava lamps back!’”

...

mcbaby · #**1037** Posted **Jul 11, 2013, 8:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by tworivers

Nepenthes and Inversion: +/-
New public art pieces inspire, infuriate.

...

One of Corson’s sculptures is only paces away from the entrance to Butters Gallery, a longtime Old Town fixture. Immediately after the piece was installed, creative director Jeffrey Butters took pains to distance the gallery from Nepenthes in a Facebook post that read: “UGH! Please know we were neither consulted nor involved in this debacle.” In person, Butters expresses his disdain even more colorfully. “I wish someone would run over them with a truck,” he says. “Everyone I know who’s seen them is basically throwing up. I want to put a sign on them that says, ‘Hey, the 1970s called, and they want their lava lamps back!’”

...

The author of the article seems a tad biased. His viewpoint doesn't quite represent the public sentiment. I kinda found both art projects interesting but I'm not bowled over by them either. The inversion reminds me of those old 3-D city scape wall plaques made of soldered metal and wire from the 60's and I have to admit the Nepenthes do evoke lava lamps. Though neither project is my cuppa, there are definitely more hideous art pieces in throughout the city. Perhaps the there should be more public scrutiny since it is public art.

MarkDaMan · #**1038** Posted **Aug 28, 2013, 12:53 AM**

Right 2 Dream Too camp could move from Old Town to under the Broadway Bridge
By Sara Hottman, The Oregonian
on August 27, 2013 at 5:45 PM

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/i..._river_default

Quote:

Commissioner Amanda Fritz's office is negotiating with the Right 2 Dream Too homeless camp in Old Town to move from its highly visible location at West Burnside Street and Northwest Fourth Avenue to under the west end of the Broadway Bridge.

The move would settle the lawsuit Right 2 Dream Too filed against the city last December, says Ibrahim Mubarak, chairman of Right 2 Survive and Right 2 Dream Too, sister outreach organizations. The city would waive the tens of thousands of dollars of fees it has levied against the camp, accusing it of unpermitted recreational camping.

...

NewUrbanist · #**1039** Posted **Oct 8, 2013, 5:43 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkDaMan

Right 2 Dream Too camp could move from Old Town to under the Broadway Bridge
By Sara Hottman, The Oregonian
on August 27, 2013 at 5:45 PM

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/i..._river_default

Doesn't this occupation represent a public taking of personal property? Wouldn't we'd be better served by ticketing this organization, and requesting them to move from the site rather than allowing them to survive within the city and more importantly allowing them to move ceremoniously to a new site with city approval?

mmeade · #**1040** Posted **Oct 8, 2013, 5:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewUrbanist

Doesn't this occupation represent a public taking of personal property?

The current location is being leased to the homeless camp, mostly out of spite by the land owner. The city made him close his shop so he tore down the building and made it as ugly as he could.

The new location is already owned by the city, so is not private property.

The biggest problem that I have with this plan, is that there is not plan for what happens to the block after the camp leaves. The owner still isn't happy with the city, and he will continue to make this site as ugly as possible. What does the city gain in that scenario?