Broadway Corridor (Post Office Redevelopment) | Proposed - Page 6

MilwaukeeMark · #**101** Posted **Mar 13, 2015, 3:02 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by PDXDENSITY

I really wish there were some rumor about a 500'+ going up in the Lloyd District. That's the only place it can currently happen in the city, if I'm not mistaken?

In reality, I wish height restrictions were lifted for all of downtown, south waterfront, and pearl. I feel like Portland's skyline could really go far by adding an iconic, tall building.

That would be such a shame to have the downtown skyline miss out on a new tallest. How strange it would be to have it in Lloyd Center.

2oh1 · #**102** Posted **Mar 13, 2015, 3:52 AM**

PDXdensity, I think you're thinking of a different post office site... perhaps the one downtown by PSU? This particular post office site in the Pearl is HUGE. As 65MAX said, it's around 12 city blocks. HUGE huge HUGE! And it has so much potential to greatly change the north/northeast end of the Pearl. Sometimes, timing is everything, but I'm surprised this site has been what it is for so long. Even without redeveloping the site... just moving that post office out to the airport makes far more sense than having it where it currently is.

urbanlife · #**103** Posted **Mar 13, 2015, 4:54 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 65MAX

Not likely.

This is a 12 block site (including the 4 center blocks that will undoubtedly be extensions of the North Park Blocks). That will be unused FAR that can be tacked onto the surrounding 8 blocks as bonuses. And those blocks will already have high FARs and height limits. Given the prime location and the willingness to build increasingly taller buildings in the northern Pearl, there's going to be a lot of pressure to go big, and there could potentially be a couple of very tall buildings (350'+) plus many midrises along the northern end of the Park Blocks.

I am hoping we get either a new tallest out of this potential future development, or at least another tower that is similar height to our two 500+ft towers.

maccoinnich · #**104** Posted **Jun 19, 2015, 12:40 AM**

Powerpoint Presentation [PDF - 13MB] from Charette #1 for the Broadway Corridor. Not much to see yet but this has a lot of potential.

2oh1 · #**105** Posted **Jun 19, 2015, 1:07 AM**

Very exciting indeed. That's one huge and potentially amazing chunk of land.

One piece of info caught my eye: The PDF says downtown LOST population between 2000 and 2010. How is that possible? So many new buildings were built. Eliot Tower. Museum Place. The St. Francis. The Mosaic. Benson Tower. Ladd Tower. The Jeffrey. Indigo. Cyan. There must be a bunch of others...

maccoinnich · #**106** Posted **Jun 19, 2015, 1:45 AM**

The population of downtown increased from 9,950 to 12,801 between 2000 and 2010. That chart shows a population decrease because they're counting the West End and South Auditorium District separately. I guess not that many people live in downtown outside of those areas.

WestCoast · #**107** Posted **Jun 19, 2015, 3:10 AM**

agreed, this is one of the most exciting potential projects in downtown ever.

All the trucks rumbling downtown carrying mail make me grimace. More traffic, noise... not the place for it.

Hopefully there is a good mix of office/workspace and not just full residential. This city needs more reasonably priced yet close in offices (and I'm not just talking creative suites).

maccoinnich · #**108** Posted **Jun 23, 2015, 7:21 PM**

Sign up here.

Quote:

Open House #1: Broadway Corridor Framework Plan

Pacific Northwest College of Art Mediatheque (First Floor)
511 Northwest Broadway
Portland, OR 97209

Tuesday, June 30, 2015 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM (PDT)

We are excited to announce our first Open House for the Broadway Corridor Framework Plan. This will be an interactive opportunity to explore the future potential of the U.S. Postal Service site, Union Station, and adjacent opportunity sites and shape the way this area will best serve the broader region.

Please stop by to inform the vision for this area by reviewing Guiding Principles and brainstorming their implementation. Designers will be on hand to help craft a shared vision for the area.

maccoinnich · #**109** Posted **Jul 1, 2015, 1:50 AM**

Well I went to the open house. I didn't learn anything.

ORNative · #**110** Posted **Jul 1, 2015, 2:20 AM**

Thanks for trying

cityscapes · #**111** Posted **Jul 1, 2015, 2:33 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Well I went to the open house. I didn't learn anything.

But did you "inform the vision"?

maccoinnich · #**112** Posted **Jul 1, 2015, 2:40 AM**

I didn't. There were comment cards, but I don't think I have anything to say right now that wouldn't be immediately obvious to the design team.

Sometimes I wonder what the point of these public engagement excercises is. Maybe some people enjoy spending their evenings drawing on tracing paper with sharpies more than I do.

zilfondel · #**113** Posted **Jul 1, 2015, 6:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

I didn't. There were comment cards, but I don't think I have anything to say right now that wouldn't be immediately obvious to the design team.

Sometimes I wonder what the point of these public engagement excercises is. Maybe some people enjoy spending their evenings drawing on tracing paper with sharpies more than I do.

Last time I went to one, the staff said they were gauging support for things like bike and pedestrian improvements (I think it was for the James Beard open house).

They do summarize the findings and put them in a report, so there's that.

Also, years ago I adamantly informed the designers for director park that they really needed to get rid of the curbs in their preliminary design and put bollards in. They said they would consider it...

cailes · #**114** Posted **Jul 6, 2015, 3:48 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by zilfondel

Last time I went to one, the staff said they were gauging support for things like bike and pedestrian improvements (I think it was for the James Beard open house).

They could gauge support for reducing parking....

maccoinnich · #**115** Posted **Jul 10, 2015, 7:12 PM**

Quote:

Time to weigh in on PDC’s Broadway Corridor Plan

By the end of this year Portland City Council will adopt a redevelopment plan that will have a huge impact on the central city — and it’s your job to make sure that plan includes a world-class vision for cycling.

As we first reported back in April, the Portland Development Commission wants to redevelop a 24-acre parcel of land bound by Union Station, the Broadway Bridge, NW 9th Avenue, and NW Glisan. NW Broadway — a major bicycle route into downtown — bisects the parcel. Beyond that, the future Green Loop that city leaders and planners say will create “Sunday Parkways everyday” will also run right through this parcel.

Suffice it to say, this is a golden opportunity to get biking right. But it won’t happen unless the PDC hears from smart people like you. Earlier this week the PDC opened up an “online town hall” to receive official comments on their Broadway Corridor Plan.

...continues at Bike Portland.

maccoinnich · #**116** Posted **Jul 22, 2015, 6:33 PM**

Powerpoint presentation [PDF - 22 MB] from last night's open house. There are some--shall we say "interesting"?--ideas in there.

urbanlife · #**117** Posted **Jul 22, 2015, 6:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Powerpoint presentation [PDF - 22 MB] from last night's open house. There are some--shall we say "interesting"?--ideas in there.

Wow, consider me on the excited side for this, the framework renderings do have that sort of Rockefeller Center potential look to it which could lead to another tall focal point tower on the north end of downtown.

2oh1 · #**118** Posted **Jul 22, 2015, 6:51 PM**

I'm very excited about the potential for this site, but I'm equally confused by some of those corny-named concepts. They seem determined to not extend the North Park Blocks further north, and I don't understand why. Why would anybody pass on the opportunity to extend the park blocks into the heart of the site and design around them, using them as a focal point?

cab · #**119** Posted **Jul 22, 2015, 7:36 PM**

i know. Terrible concept ideas. The park extension is the easiest and most obvious first step. I mean you could put a 4 block atrium over the new park blocks similar to Europe, call it a day and it would be a better development than what this is proposing.

urbanlife · #**120** Posted **Jul 22, 2015, 8:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cab

i know. Terrible concept ideas. The park extension is the easiest and most obvious first step. I mean you could put a 4 block atrium over the new park blocks similar to Europe, call it a day and it would be a better development than what this is proposing.

These are just initial ideas, not the final product. What we are seeing are possibilities of what could be done with this site, it is good to see options that try to push the limits of urban planning, the end product will hopefully be a combination of ideas that come from this. Obviously extending the park blocks is a no brainer and will probably be in the final design, but these ideas could potential reshape the idea of the park blocks beyond just extending them and building around them.

I personally like the idea of the cascade where the park blocks rise up to the Broadway Bridge in a zigzag motion. Combine that with the park blocks and possibly some blocks that don't fit into square lots, plus add in a potential new tallest or a complement to our other two tallest, and we could have a really great addition to downtown.