NV | 252' | 26 floors | Completed

[RainDog]

Originally Posted by bvpcvm

Anyone remember what other projects Unico has been involved in?

Looks like they have a pretty large portfolio. Including Big Pink.
http://www.unicoprop.com/prop/northrup.aspx

[maccoinnich]

What the ____?

[Nunya]

Originally Posted by MarkDaMan

^This is new! Do you have a link? Is this an office tower or condo/apartment?

From the DJC Article linked above:

...early designs for the tower show 275 dwelling units, 3,500-square-feet of ground-floor commercial space, and three levels of below-grade parking for up to 271 vehicles...

[pdxtraveler]

I must have no taste, I like it. Though most people on here haven't liked anything purposed in years! lol!

[Photogeric]

Ditto that, I don't see it as being THAT bad, plus look how early of a rendering that is, it's going to be changing some. Every single building I have ever seen proposed on here has been filled with complaints at every corner, so it's not that surprising. But one thing is for sure, I don't really see the 1970's when I see that rendering, when I think of that era, I instantly think of the old Edith Green, now THAT was '70s!

[Derek]

If it was 10 stories, sure. But at 26 stories, I'd expect a little bit more effort.

[65MAX]

This is the block immediately west of the new Block 17 proposal. I'm thrilled that we're getting so much height in the north end of the Pearl. But I'm not thrilled about the ground floor. It looks like a driveway with a porte cochere and almost half of the block has no street frontage. I seriously doubt that will fly with the design review board. And it definitely will not pass muster with the neighborhood association.

[2oh1]

I agree with 65MAX. I'm not saying I love this design, but it's fine. My only issue is the ground story. If they fix that to give the building a sense of being part of the neighborhood, it will make a huge difference. The north Pearl is really, finally, filling in.

[mmeade]

It reminds me of the Portland Plaza. I'm not sure that is a good thing.

[2oh1]

I had that thought too - for reasons good and bad. The angle of the tower reminds me of the Portland Plaza tower, and I think that's a good thing. But the base also reminds me of how poorly Portland Plaza connects with the sidewalk and the city. Only the west side of the block Portland Plaza sits on has any connection to the city at all. The other three sides of the block are walled off, excluding a parking entrance. It's terrible. I think it's practically shameful. Why design a building in the city if it isn't going to be part of the city? It makes no sense to me. I'm not saying it needed retail on the ground floor, but it needed something. Walling the building off is shameful, especially considering the fact that they walled off the side of the building that faces a park! What The Heck Were They Thinking?

I like the tower of Portland Plaza, and I'm guessing that I'd like the tower for this project. My only concern is the street level.

[pdxtraveler]

The Pre-App document:
http://www.portlandonline.com/bds/in...47126&a=461716

[maccoinnich]

Architects are ZGF. I'm still far from sold on it, but slightly more likely to give them the benefit of the doubt now.

[bvpcvm]

Originally Posted by 2oh1

Walling the building off is shameful, especially considering the fact that they walled off the side of the building that faces a park! What The Heck Were They Thinking?

Wow, thanks for the link; I didn't realize / probably forgot just how awful that is. Thank god that the era when this was considered ok is over. ... or is it? That driveway (I'm referring to the Unico proposal now) is just terrible. Do they really think they need a driveway to make this work? In the Pearl? In the city? I'd almost wonder if the threat of a driveway isn't a way to have some leverage to get something else approved during design review. I mean, surely it must pencil out better to have retail all around and rent it out than to insist on a non-revenue-generating driveway, right? Right???

[MarkDaMan]

^It's going to be a high, HIGH rent building. I don't think the driveway is a joke or bargaining chip. I've noticed other luxury developments on SSP with prominent driveways, and not just in Texas and southern sprawl. 432 Park Ave in NYC has a big driveway planned.

The Courtyard Marriott set this precedence in the Pearl, granted it's a hotel.

[65MAX]

But there are a lot of high rent residences and hotels on Park Ave and elsewhere that have done just fine without driveways. They just have a curbside loading area with a prominent canopy where the chauffeurs can pull up and drop off their clients quite comfortably. A driveway in a high density neighborhood is a waste of valuable real estate.

[MarkDaMan]

^I agree, I don't want to see this 'driveway' entrance trend continue. Perhaps zoning needs to be updated to address it? With the retail, townhouses, dog wash/run, all underground parking, and what, 100x100 tower footplate? AND with ZGF the architect, this should turn out to be a sexy, slender tower. Nothing like Portland Plaza's street level interaction.

[Sioux612]

I'll hold my excitement until there's something more concrete. If there's anything I've learned about potential projects in Portland it's that they can drastically change (20-floors cut down to 6-floors, etc.) or they stay in the 'idea' stage indefinitely.

But I love the high density and that ZGF are the architects for this project.

[PDX City-State]

I love it.

[Shilo Rune 96]

Hi guys,

I wrote a blurb on the project here:
http://www.pearlhelp.com/1970s-style...earl-district/

Nothing more than what's already been discussed here (maybe some better renderings?). And I quoted 65max.

[bvpcvm]

What bothers me most about this is that driveway. As a pedestrian, I want to encounter as few automobiles as possible. Aside from streets, most buildings just add one driveway, and some add none. This one adds three. To me, that seriously detracts from the pedestrian environment, and I don't want to see this set a precedent for other new buildings.

Aside from that, even though the base apparently has some retail - some 'eyes on the street', the tower is set back so far that it makes it all look like a fortress, the people in the tower won't interact with the street at all. In fact, they're fleeing the street, and the city. This isn't the type of building I want in my neighborhood, even if it brings 26 floors' worth of density.