Byline (1400 NE Multnomah) | 75' | 6 floors | Dead

[ORNative]

Great summary - Thanks for keeping us posted!

[BrG]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

I don't know how many different ways I can phrase this, but the drawings don't yet show any design for what the elevations will look like. It's basically a massing study at this point.

Sorry...longwinded post below.

Yep. People... there is NO significant exterior design yet, beyond site organization. Those facades are there for nothing more than place holding & scale. Site organization/massing is the biggest hurdle for the developer to get buy-off on, with the commission. They need that for project scope surety. If they are smart, which Holst is...they will be very focused and methodical in the steps with DR. Glad they are doing 3 DARs. They will be lucky to get out of that with unanimous support.

A +400' long, uniformly tall housing 'bar' facing its equal in mass, offset by at times no more than 45'-55' is hardly "good, friendly, 'Portland' massing". It will be a tough sell to DR, so I'm intrigued as to their justification. Their precedents all show similar scale European spaces but those have intensive destination retail along their grades, verses low volume live work spaces that are proposed here, below the housing.

The housing plans also tell me plenty about how the living experience will be. That is one LONG hallway to lug your groceries down. Egad.

However from an urban design perspective, I'm intrigued by linking the plaza nodes at a diagonal. At first it seems gimmicky but if you think about it, there's some real sense to it. It directly links public transit on Holladay to both intersections along Multnomah, and recognizes that there is no urban reason to celebrate any connection with 16th drive... as it's below in grade and faces a freeway.

Where this 'zig-zag' plan will be a tough sell is getting DR to agree that they are successfully meeting the Title 33 Superblock requirement in their master plan. Much of the 'contiguous public space' that is required to have a minimum dimensional ratio, is covered by housing effectively bridging over it. (see C.67)

I'm always intrigued by Holst's ambition. Execution here will be of paramount importance. Risky design concept for this market.

[BrG]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Thanks for the summary, Soleri. I'll be interested to listen to it myself.



Tad Savinar makes the suggestion of incorporating sculpture for pretty much every single project.

He'll also ask to see the budget, in a contract, before he'll believe you. Same song, different day.

But that is what he knows and its there for, despite filling the Urban Design seat on the commission verses the RACC position, like you might expect given his career background.

[BrG]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

I understand that where they've got to represents a step in the design process. My comments above are mostly in reaction to what I see as people reading the images as if they're finished designs. However, I've made my point, so I'll let it rest and give my thoughts on the massing / layout.

The diagonal axis makes sense as a way to divide this superblock in a way that it wouldn't make sense on other sites. If they divided the site along the traditional 200' x 200' grid it wouldn't provide much additional permeability, given that the vacated NE 14th Ave and Hassalo St don't continue in any direction. (In clockwise order they're blocked by the mall, NE 16th Drive, the MAX tracks and Holladay Park.) By providing the diagonal route they are responding to a desire line between the Sullivan's Gulch neighborhood and the Lloyd Center MAX Station (and indeed even the future Oregon Square).

This does create a very long elevation, and I'll admit that there is the potential for this to feel unrelenting if handled poorly. I'm not necessarily giving Holst a "pass", but I also can't think of any firm in town that I would trust more to be able to resolve this. I actually think the bigger problem they're setting themselves up for is how to deal with the spaces under the buildings where they bridge over the pedestrian / vehicular access. Even disregarding Abide's very valid point about it being an attractive area for people to sleep under, spaces under buildings can be difficult to make into attractive areas. I've seen it done well, but I've seen it done poorly much more often.

I also think it's unfortunate that they seem to be dealing with parking on a building-by-building basis. A major advantage of having a superblock / multi-block site is that a very efficient parking layout can be achieved underground, albeit with the high costs involved with excavation. GBD have done this very well at Hassalo on 8th, the Brewery Blocks and Oregon Square. If the parking was all below grade this project would be able to achieve some deeper retail floorplates facing NE Multnomah or NE 13th, although there may not be the market demand for that.

You pretty much answered your own question here, I think. This land deal is pretty expensive if it clocks in at market of 87 dollars a foot. I think they just wont get it to pencil with that kind of excavation. They are clearly trying to minimize that wherever possible. Construction cost escalation is not helping matters either. Outpacing rent rate increases by a lot. They are in a horse race to get this under contract and built.

[maccoinnich]

I just listened to the hearing. A couple things I'd add to soleri's sumamry.

Originally Posted by BrG

A +400' long, uniformly tall housing 'bar' facing its equal in mass, offset by at times no more than 45'-55' is hardly "good, friendly, 'Portland' massing". It will be a tough sell to DR, so I'm intrigued as to their justification. Their precedents all show similar scale European spaces but those have intensive destination retail along their grades, verses low volume live work spaces that are proposed here, below the housing.

I think all of the commissioners felt like Holst were setting themselves up with a challenge, albeit not an unsolvable one. David Wark (the chair) seemed pretty convinced that they would need to break it up into multiple buildings, which could be taller if they wanted to maintain the same number of units. Julie Livingston seemed ok with the long facade, if it could be modulated with the dynamism currently shown in the landscape design.

Originally Posted by BrG

However from an urban design perspective, I'm intrigued by linking the plaza nodes at a diagonal. At first it seems gimmicky but if you think about it, there's some real sense to it. It directly links public transit on Holladay to both intersections along Multnomah, and recognizes that there is no urban reason to celebrate any connection with 16th drive... as it's below in grade and faces a freeway.

Where this 'zig-zag' plan will be a tough sell is getting DR to agree that they are successfully meeting the Title 33 Superblock requirement in their master plan. Much of the 'contiguous public space' that is required to have a minimum dimensional ratio, is covered by housing effectively bridging over it. (see C.67)

I think the overall concept of the diagonal path received strong support. There was a feeling that the nodes weren't there yet, but could be. I don't think the Commission is totally beholden to the letter of the superblock plaza requirements - on this and other projects they seem willing to compromise on the dimensional standards if the intent is met in a better way.

[maccoinnich]

Lloyd neighbors petition to keep movie theater



By Ted Perkins

Steve Unger, owner of the Lion and the Rose Bed & Breakfast at ‎‎1810 N.E. 15th Ave. in Irvington, was concerned when he learned that Cypress Equities, the new owner of the Lloyd Center Mall, announced plans to sell the adjacent land containing the Regal Lloyd Center 10 and IMAX theaters. The buildings are slated to be demolished to allow for the construction of 900 apartment units.

“If that happens, and the theater is removed, there will be no multiplex movie theater on the East Side of Portland.” Unger said. “We and our guests love being able to walk to the movies rather than going downtown.”

Mr. Unger wrote to the CEO of Cypress Equities and has launched an online petition at www.LloydCenterMovies.com.

...continues at the Hollywood Star News.

[2oh1]

It makes no sense to me that the owners of the mall aren't leaping at the chance to convert the Nordstrom space into theaters... unless they have a more important plan for that space...? But what could be more important for luring visitors to a mall than the foot traffic that comes from movie theaters?

It seems like a win/win/win to me.

Get 900+ more apartments in the neighborhood.
Fill the vacant and difficult to lease Nordstrom spot.
Get movie theaters back inside the mall rather than across the street.

...is the Nordstrom space not big enough?

[babs]

Originally Posted by 2oh1

It makes no sense to me that the owners of the mall aren't leaping at the chance to convert the Nordstrom space into theaters... unless they have a more important plan for that space...? But what could be more important for luring visitors to a mall than the foot traffic that comes from movie theaters?

It seems like a win/win/win to me.

Get 900+ more apartments in the neighborhood.
Fill the vacant and difficult to lease Nordstrom spot.
Get movie theaters back inside the mall rather than across the street.

...is the Nordstrom space not big enough?

Maybe someone else here knows more than I do. I'm not so sure that the existing Nordstrom space would work well as a theater. They may need to take it down and rebuild it. Most theaters have stadium seating that require super high ceilings (probably taller than what Nordstroms has). I think the better bet might be to take down the Sears and Marshall buildings and build a new theater from scratch. Sears is going to be gone within the next 3 years anyway. And Marshalls could move to other space in the mall, such as the Nordstrom building.

[58rhodes]

Originally Posted by babs

Maybe someone else here knows more than I do. I'm not so sure that the existing Nordstrom space would work well as a theater. They may need to take it down and rebuild it. Most theaters have stadium seating that require super high ceilings (probably taller than what Nordstroms has). I think the better bet might be to take down the Sears and Marshall buildings and build a new theater from scratch. Sears is going to be gone within the next 3 years anyway. And Marshalls could move to other space in the mall, such as the Nordstrom building.

well there's always the fire exit problem.they have to have emergency exits to the street.

I think they should keep the current theater and scale back the apt development. My guess is that very well could happen.

[MarkDaMan]

Originally Posted by 58rhodes

well there's always the fire exit problem.they have to have emergency exits to the street.

Huh?

[maccoinnich]

Holst Architecture have scheduled a Pre-Application Conference to discuss 1510 NE Multnomah:

Proposal is for multiple building mixed used development w/underground parking, private streets and pedestrian access corridors.

[maccoinnich]

Revised drawings [PDF - 83 MB]. Big takeaway - potentially a two phase project now, with 1250 units total. Phase II looks like it has a 19(?) story tower.

[58rhodes]

better!!

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Revised drawings [PDF - 83 MB]. Big takeaway - potentially a two phase project now, with 1250 units total. Phase II looks like it has a 19(?) story tower.

It is starting to look a lot better, I do like the addition of a tower of some sort to the complex.

[2oh1]

Originally Posted by urbanlife

It is starting to look a lot better, I do like the addition of a tower of some sort to the complex.

I agree. And here's a fun game we can all play: how many people in their drawings are about to get hit by a car? I count at least five.

[MarkDaMan]

Without phase two, phase one just looks boxy, super dense, and not utilizing the amenities. No grand entrance to the park. A pedestrian plaza with a boulevard for cars right through it? Lack of design continuity for the long block walls. (several more renderings in the link Mac provided)

(Editing note: I shrunk the pics and they look a little off from what was in the DAR.)







IMHO, the only thing that makes this project worthwhile is the phase two, however we all know subsequent phases are never a sure thing until the construction crews move in.

[cityscapes]

Much improved but I still think this project creates a lot of very awkward spaces. How inviting will they be on an overcast day? They look fine in sunny renderings but in real life I don't think they will be that inviting or succeed in encouraging pedestrians to flow through the site.

[Encolpius]

Looks awesome. Clearly an improvement over DAR #1. Because this type of more ambitious architectural placemaking is such a rarity for Portland, it's important that it's done successfully, and I'm now confident that Holst knows what they're doing.

Portland should have far more architecture like this. We want buildings that interface with streets and neighborhoods with vibrant public spaces, but we're given only glazed highrises or cost-engineered six-storey boxes. There's a glaring lack of creativity or experimentation, even in practically-built-from-scratch neighborhoods like South Waterfront or the Pearl (and the one feeble proposal for a public plaza in the Conway blocks looks like a nonstarter). We know that some twentieth-century theories about how to break up the traditional city grid were failures. Yet it's still imperative to replace bland vertical cul-de-sacs bound by a grid of car-dominated streets with processions of successful, irregular, human-scaled spaces.

It's no accident that AAT is proposing a vast, irregularly-shaped pedestrian plaza as the centerpiece to the next phase of their Lloyd development.

In stark contrast to that, however, this is a proposal that responds well to issues specific to the site and the fact that medium-rise with above-ground parking is more cost-effective (not to mention environmentally-friendlier) than highrise steel with buried parking. At the same time, it adroitly assimilates lessons from northern Italian hill towns and the playful modernism of Team X and their successors. It manages at the same time to be intimate and to accommodate high-density housing. It will line the east side of Holladay Park with the active uses that are sorely lacking, currently.

At the same time, I get the criticism that the development sort of turns its back to the neighborhood. And while the new pedestrian spaces created by breaking up the megablock look like public spaces, can we presume they'll be patrolled and tightly regulated by private security? In connection with these concerns, it's worth noting that every single pasted image in the renderings is of someone who appears to be white. There's one hip-looking Asian lady on a bicycle, and if you look hard enough, in the corner of one image you can find a black guy who snuck in because they overlaid the rendering onto a photo of the existing site. Come on, Holst: don't be so obvious!

[Abide]

I don't get the need to make the East/West road through the site accessible to cars. That would be awesome for pedestrians only.

[2oh1]

I can't help thinking that once phase one is underway, the tower in phase two will be scrapped. Obviously, costs are the reason for the boxy low design of phase one, but it's such a shame they couldn't build three of those phase two towers.