Block 216 Tower - Ritz Hotel and Condos | 459'-11 1/2" | 35 floors | Complete

[Malix]

Originally Posted by MarkDaMan

What does your comment have to do with this development? BPM Real Estate is perhaps the most successful current office/hotel development company in Portland. Pearl West, which went up during the recession, and the Broadway Tower have been absolute knock out projects delivering HUGE returns on their investment. Bowen has proven himself to be a savvy developer that has left two gems with a third going up. He's also secured full funding for this tower and they've barely dug up the parking lot.

True. The big move here is that while there are many hotels going up from large to small boutique type, there is NOTHING going up with more of a differential than the Ritz Carlton tower. It is a mix of homes, hotel/event and work space in one massive tower. Oh and a restaurant/bar and spa 200 feet in the air. This is not for just Portland. It will cater to a very curated Portland experience from design to day trips. The one thing to consider is that with this level of hospitality, the Ritz Carlton will be reaching out to their network of current owners and patrons. Portland will reap the rewards. A special place will be made for little ole Portland.

[jyim503]

Any word on a webcam?

[marlonwarren]

"Bowen has proven himself to be a savvy developer that has left two gems with a third going up. He's also secured full funding for this tower and they've barely dug up the parking lot."

So many said this would never break-ground, Bowen proved them all wrong.

Looking forward to watching this rise on the Portland skyline, over the next 36 months . . . . GBD projects are some of Seattle/Portland's better buildings . . .

https://www.gbdarchitects.com/our-work/


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t082gAZW_S8&t=167s

[subterranean]

What is happening with this

[maccoinnich]

Originally Posted by subterranean

What is happening with this

It's a giant hole in the ground right now.

[subterranean]

Thanks. I haven't been in that area in awhile and didn't know it was this far along.

[tworivers]

It is immensely satisfying to finally see that parking lot disappear...

According to the WW article below, excavation will be done by the end of Feb.

The paragraph regarding softness in the local hotel market caught my eye partially because I'm quietly hoping that the proposal to tear down the Union Arms at Grand/Davis and replace it with a hotel is DOA. We need some old fabric down there to help maintain a sense of place (thank you KEX for your contribution to exactly this), especially with the rank immaturity of the Dumbbell sitting front and center at the bridgehead. On that note, I will say that the tower going up where the old Fleischer building was is looking a hell of a lot more promising than I expected.



Hotels Owned by the Company Gordon Sondland Founded Are Feeling Effects from the Construction of a Ritz-Carlton Nearby

...

Records obtained by WW show that for months, the clanging, roaring cacophony coming from what city officials call Block 216 (see map) has been a point of contention between Provenance Hotels, the Portland company founded by U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, and contractors for BPM Real Estate Group, developer of the Ritz-Carlton project.

...

One subtext to the dispute: Portland's hotel market is getting crowded.
That's reflected in lower occupancy rates and stagnant room revenue. Data gathered by Travel Portland shows that from 2016 through 2019, the number of rooms in the central city (which includes the Lloyd District) jumped by 31 percent to 9,729. During the same period, occupancy rates slipped from 81.5 percent to 77.1 percent.

The Ritz-Carlton, which will have 251 guest rooms, is one of three new hotels coming to the neighborhood. (The 220-room Hyatt Centric at 11th and Alder and the 197-room Moxy at 10th and Alder will be finished much sooner.)

...

more at Wweek

[marlonwarren]

GBD has never done a project, I didn't like . . . . . wonder if this will be a reinforced concrete core with steel beam framing . . . like Park Ave West . . . . looking forward to watching this raise on the Portland Skyline . . . .



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t082gAZW_S8&t=48s

[maccoinnich]

Originally Posted by marlonwarren

GBD has never done a project, I didn't like . . . . . wonder if this will be a reinforced concrete core with steel beam framing . . . like Park Ave West . . . . looking forward to watching this raise on the Portland Skyline . . . .



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t082gAZW_S8&t=48s

I haven't seen the construction drawings, but the design review drawings showed concrete slabs.

[MNTimberjack]

Originally Posted by tworivers;8815639
[I

One subtext to the dispute: Portland's hotel market is getting crowded.
That's reflected in lower occupancy rates and stagnant room revenue. Data gathered by Travel Portland shows that from 2016 through 2019, the number of rooms in the central city (which includes the Lloyd District) jumped by 31 percent to 9,729. During the same period, occupancy rates slipped from 81.5 percent to 77.1 percent.

Interestingly on an average basis the number of rooms occupied shifted from approximate 6053 in 2016 to 7501 in 2019. So the market is still growing.

[subterranean]

I imagine if we ever get a baseball team that number will go up some more.

[Leo]

Originally Posted by MNTimberjack

Interestingly on an average basis the number of rooms occupied shifted from approximate 6053 in 2016 to 7501 in 2019. So the market is still growing.

Doesn't seem to be any conflict here ... The number of rooms in existence increased by 31%, while the number of rooms being occupied only increased by 23%. So supply is growing faster than demand.

[uncommon.name]

The region's hotel market has softened in the last year as a whole. While 2018 was a strong year, Statewide in 2019 there was an Occupancy growth of only 0.4%. Portland's Occupancy rate declined -1.4% with a Supply increase of 3.1%. Portland had a Room Revenue growth of only 1.9% in 2019, while the State as a whole grew 2.9%. This is partially attributed to a Average Room Rate drop of -1.1% for the city and only a 0.3% increase statewide.

You can find these travel stats here.

Source: Smith Travel Research (STR, Inc)

[uncommon.name]

Concrete forms are going in.

[MarkDaMan]

That's a big ass hole!

[pdxlexus]

I've always wondered how they get the equipmnet out when they're done digging.

[DMH]

Originally Posted by uncommon.name

Concrete forms are going in.

Does anyone here know where such a vast amount of excavated soil goes in the Portland area? Does it serve any useful purpose or is it simply construction waste?

[subterranean]

I know at least some of the time it goes to back fill quarries as part of DOGAMI's quarry reclamation plans. I'm almost certain that's how progress ridge was developed.

[RED_PDXer]

Originally Posted by DMH

Does anyone here know where such a vast amount of excavated soil goes in the Portland area? Does it serve any useful purpose or is it simply construction waste?

It depends on whether or not the soil tests reveal that it is "clean fill" or not. The "clean fill" standards are set by DEQ and if met, the dirt can go anywhere. If not (and most surface soils in developed parts of the region don't qualify), the dirt would likely be hauled to the landfill in Hillsboro. It's unlikely that any of it tests in the "hazardous" range, which would require it be to hauled to the Arlington landfill on the other end of the Columbia Gorge.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by MarkDaMan

That's a big ass hole!

That hole is deep, Deep, DEEP.