Hyatt Centric (619 SW 11th Ave) | 150' feet | 15 floors | Complete

[Abide]

Originally Posted by crow

That is an amazing photo. You can see Henry's brewery or Blitz back then perhaps. You can also see the Cathedral Church and so much more.

Looks like Henry's was brewing up a batch of beer. Steam coming out of the stack. When you click the picture, the zoom is pretty clear. Vintageportland has an amazing archive going back over half a dozen years. They post a new pic every week day.

[2oh1]

Originally Posted by babs

Thanks for posting!
Great to see the buildings where 405 is now. Actually looking at that photo, it makes me wonder how much further ahead that neighborhood would have been without 405. A lot was taken out for the freeway and it's amazing to see how little things have changed.

Oh, wow. I think it's heartbreaking to see the buildings where 405 is now.

Sometimes I forget how much the 405 ripped neighborhoods apart.

And look at Burnside. It looks like so much less of a monster - though looks can be deceiving I suppose.

Wow again. What a photo!

[maccoinnich]

Mortenson Development have requested Early Assistance to discuss a project at 619 SW 11th Ave, currently the United Way of the Columbia-Willamette offices:

Proposal is to develop a hotel.

[babs]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Mortenson Development have requested Early Assistance to discuss a project at 619 SW 11th Ave, currently the United Way of the Columbia-Willamette offices:

Wonder what they have planned. They are the team behind both the AC Marriott downtown and the Convention Center Hyatt. Low expectations for a great design.

[2oh1]

Originally Posted by babs

Wonder what they have planned. They are the team behind both the AC Marriott downtown and the Convention Center Hyatt. Low expectations for a great design.

Thanks for peeing in my lemonade, babs. Sigh. The United Way location would be such a great spot for a striking design, but you're probably right. I sure hope we don't end up with something bland.

[maccoinnich]

From this week's Metro reports:

demolish existing 1/4 block building and replace with a new construction 221 room, 15 floor hotel.

[Photogeric]

Is this ANOTHER hotel?! Or one that we've already been aware of?

[maccoinnich]

Another hotel. The site is the United Way of the Columbia-Willamette offices, which were put up for sale earlier in the year.

[pdxlexus]

That's huge!!!

[2oh1]

Wow! Another hotel! This is getting crazy. I guess they've done the math and know there will be enough demand. A hotel would be such a massive change for that location - a change for the better, of course. Lots of foot traffic!

[urbanlife]

Well that didn't take long, I knew once that building went up for sale that it would be getting torn down. Though with this hotel market, I am not surprised it is for a hotel....I am expecting a hotel bust in the coming years, but for now, I see a lot more hotels in Portland's future.

Originally Posted by 2oh1

Wow! Another hotel! This is getting crazy. I guess they've done the math and know there will be enough demand. A hotel would be such a massive change for that location - a change for the better, of course. Lots of foot traffic!

This summer we have hotels charging in the $300-500 range with only a few hotels charging under $300, so there is definitely plenty of demand for more hotel rooms right now....it will be really interesting when the hotels start popping up in areas outside of downtown and the Lloyd District.

[pdxdave]

Portland's hotel prices this summer are sky high. There is definitely demand for more rooms, but I agree that there will be a bust in the future. Also, I am wondering how the conditions in the North Park Blocks, Bryant Square and the Waterfront will affect tourism going forward. Portland has received so much positive press that it is not surprising that demand for hotel rooms from tourists is through the roof. However, are tourists having an experience here in Portland that lives up to the hype. Anecdotally, I have heard from some that they were dismayed with the trash, groups of young aggressive street youth, etc. that can be seen all over downtown Portland.

[PacificNW]

I have always thought the Sentinel Hotel should built a hotel tower adjoining the south side of the original Governor all the way to Morrison. I don't think the old buildings presently there are historical.

[davehogan]

There are a lot of reasons that Portland has such hotel demand right now.

A large part is the growth that has occurred since 2009 when the hotel industry almost stopped growing. A large part of the recent growth were filling gaps in the room night (REVPAR) patterns that were seen up/through 2007.

Another big factor is a lack of apartments that can be leased out for medium term occupancy by a corporate buyer. This applies to hotels in Downtown Portland as well as in Hillsboro. A few years ago it was more cost effective to purchase a few extra condos for guests than it was to charge hotels to the company credit card. As the rental prices have increased this isn't always as easy of a decision.

The Convention Center hotel also will play a part. Brands want to establish themselves, so having a new Hyatt to support the Rose Quarter and Convention Center will motivate other brands to try getting a foothold that will survive a few hundred rooms hitting the market. It's easier to deal with before it opens than trying to play catch up.

[downtownpdx]

This will be such a great development in that neighborhood, kind of where the West End activity dies off. It will be interesting to see how the hotel market adapts in coming years with all the new rooms being built. The OregonIan had an article yesterday about how Hillsboro is basically doubling its hotel capacity right now. I agree a to a point with pdxdave about the issue of the homeless kids etc affecting tourism, but honestly Portland is a safe enough city. It's mostly just a visibliltiy thing, and Bryant Square for example is thronged with people every day with those food carts nearby. I wish there was more being done to diminish all the road warrior panhandling, but part of me thinks it might just be expected to a degree as part of the whole Keep Portland Portland Weird / Portlandia experience haha. But the city should be keeping the waterfront etc cleaner. I hear the gentrification on the inner east side has sort of moved the homeless around recently, especially waterfront park area.

[Photogeric]

It moved them around only once, and they are all basically back, so that was worth it.

[maccoinnich]

Notice of Pre-Application Conference [PDF]. Has floor plans, though no elevations / renders yet.

[innovativethinking]

So we have this hotel, the recently announced SW 3rd hotel, and of course the 710 SW Columbia announced hotel all between 15-21 stories? Man what a turn of events in the last few weeks for tower proposals. We're definitely in the midst of a construction boom. Just wish they were taller but I'm sure we'd all take the infill happily.

[AcmeGreg]

Portland's hotel industry has pretty much reflected the city's "boutique" personality: tiny city blocks, compact skyline, small businesses that make big splashes etc. In what other "major" city would the big tourist attractions be a bookstore and a doughnut shop?!. I love it! All of these new hotels are following suit as far as the number of rooms each will offer, but it is interesting that so many are in now the works. Makes you wonder if much of this is in anticipation of the business that might be generated by the convention center now that a headquarters hotel is (apparently) an imminent reality. Naturally, that facility is also "boutique" by convention center hotel standards. Also makes you wonder if the Heathman now regrets their decision to pull the plug on their ten floors atop the Indigo tower a few years back.

[downtownpdx]

So this block is where United Way is, correct?