[zilfondel]

Why does that matter? It is taking a simple box form with column covers and deforming it to make it stand out. It is a one-liner. I am personally tired of the smaller firms getting stroked for the one-liners and short sighted form driven architecture that has been put up recently. It is dated, and lacks sophistication that any reasonable architect would not stand behind, but apparently is okay if done by a small design firm doing business as architects. ~dazed and confused~

ever heard of a budget?

geez, you guys all have your panties in a bundle

[crow]

ever heard of a budget?

geez, you guys all have your panties in a bundle

Okay, if the budget is the holy water that separates big from small, then we should continue to assume the little guys get small budgets and the big guys get big budgets. How is this measured $/sf or just overall size? The small guys can't be touched b/c they can't make decent architecture with a small budget, while the big guys do crap with big budgets, so we should focus there? Do you even know what you are talking about? Appears an oversimplification that doing design with small budgets is more difficult, so when it does not turn out very good we should just turn our heads. If it stinks call it out - sorry if that sounds mean.

[RED_PDXer]

No outside area's for the units for the PDX building. Notice the BC one does. We better be careful, many of the new buildings are not providing balconies, this is a must in an urban environment. You can't expect people to live in cubby holes with no connection to the outdoors. This also puts pressure on the public spaces. Is this a design choice or economic? How come every building in Vancouver BC provides most units with nice size balconies why we play with wavy lines and punctured windows?

Zoning regulations. Portland doesn't require balconies in the highest density places - many other places do. Balconies probably add to the cost of buildings and the city is trying to keep prescribed costs to a minimum to encourage more higher density and housing that is affordable. I like balconies, but they are kind of a luxury..

It's kinda like parking. Most cities require one or more spaces per unit, but they add $20-50,000 in cost per space. Portland doesn't require it for many good reasons - housing affordability, it lowers density, subsidizes driving, and conflicts with regional transportation goals.

[urbanlife]

There are two types of balconies, either they cantilever out, which is an added cost because that has to be balanced out in the structure, or they are built into the building which takes away square footage from the units. Imagine if the tiny apartments of the Cyan had balconies, the units would be even smaller with a higher price tag.

Besides, if the urban fabric around the building is active and well put together, does one really need a tiny balcony or do they just need windows that can open?

f it makes you feel any better, the 937 has red balconies.

[PacificNW]

I had a balcony with my unit while I lived in Seattle. I very seldom used it. (But, I was glad it was there for me to use....especially when friends were visiting.)

[crow]

I had a balcony with my unit while I lived in Seattle. I very seldom used it.

usually the balconies are a pure marketing equilizer with the other properties. Balconies that are attached, especially in taller buildings, are very uncomfortable places to be in. Everytime you break the skin, it is a potential for a leak. I have lived in both with and without balconies, and more times than not, having a balcony gives you an option, subconcious or not, it makes you feel like you have a choice whether to live in the "box" or not. Of course having a pad on the park blocks and being able to walk out the front door is a bigger bonus than a balcony to me!

[pdxf]

I can't imagine not having a balcony. I live on the 10th floor, and during the summer, we ate dinner on our balcony almost nightly. It also makes for a quick escape, when I want to get some fresh air, or just stand outside without having to take the elevator down 10 floors just to walk around the block. Maybe I'm not up high enough, but my balcony isn't uncomforatable (however it could be a little larger!). When we were looking for apartments this past spring, we wouldn't even consider units that didn't have some form of outdoor space (perhaps I'm not typical!?).

I have a feeling that even if people don't fully utilize their balconies, there is an effect on the the high rise dweller just knowing that it is there in case they decide that they actually want to interact with the natural environment. I used to be disappointed by balconies that don't have anything on them (plants, tables, etc...), thinking that they weren't being used. Actually, I have noticed quite a bit of activity on these "non-used" balconies. People just having their door open, wandering out onto their private outdoor space to look and see what is going on down at the street, look at the sunset, etc.... Maybe someone should do a study on the happiness of urban dwellers and the relationship to balconies.

[bvpcvm]

I agree with you, I wouldn't live in a place without a balcony either, but I think it's not typical. I live in a condo complex where the units are all townhouse-like and each one has a 6ft x 9ft deck. We eat dinner outside all through the summer, but I think we are the only ones in the complex to do so. Some units here even have rooftop terraces, which are about 15x15, and they too go mostly unused. I can't imagine why, though.

[2oh1]

Balconies also change the neighborhoods of the buildings they're in by bringing bits of life to the exterior of the buildings.

I don't use mine often, but I sure do love having it.

[JordanL]

I would absolutely refuse to live in an apartment without a balcony. Taking an elevator to get fresh air at my place of residence is completely unacceptable to me.

[urbanlife]

If we are just saying our personal opinions and choices, having a balcony on an apartment wouldnt matter to me, I would take a place based on if I liked it or not. But with that said, I have been living in a divided house for the past few years now. So I dont even live in typical apartment housing and I actually prefer only having three other neighbor units rather than an entire building of neighbors...so I guess that is more important to me than a balcony.

[Atomic Glee]

Never lived anywhere with a balcony. My first building had no outdoor space at all, the second had a rooftop deck that was nice, and the third, well, it's sort of a "roll your own" rooftop deck.

[Downtown_Gal]

My balcony is tiny but I love it and go out there almost every day. We live on the 2nd floor though and usually I go out to see what's going on down on the street more than to get fresh air - I work from home so taking a little people-watching break is exactly what I need sometimes. Plus, there is never a shortage of very entertaining drama going on down there.

We've been condo-hunting lately and with some of the condos on higher floors or ones with balconies that don't face a busy street, I just don't see myself going out on them quite as often. Having a balcony didn't make our "must-have" in a condo list.

[Leo]

I used to feel the same way. I didn’t think I used my balcony all that much, so I bought a condo without one. I missed it *much* more than I thought I would. It was one of the reasons why I couldn’t wait to get rid of the condo. Now I know it’s an absolute must-have for me.

The days of flipping condos are over. If you buy one now, be prepared to stay in it for a long time, or else lose your shirt when you sell it. I’d make sure you’re really OK with not having a balcony for a long time. I thought I was, but I was wrong.

[sowat]

Sunrose Condominiums hit the MLS a few weeks ago.
Prices range from $250,000 for 741 sf to $510,000 for 1330 sf.

Meadows Group held a Grand opening last weekend, and will no doubt hold open houses over the coming weekends.
See craigslist listings (http://portland.craigslist.org/search/rea?query=sunrose&catAbbreviation=rea&minAsk=min&maxAsk=max&bedrooms=)

[Okstate]

Two things:

1) When is the infill development on Alberta going to be completed? It is rather large & I'm surprised I haven't seen it on here.

2) When will the Hawthorne New Seasons begin demolition between 40th & 41st? They say on the website sometime late this year...it's getting pretty close to that time.

[NJD]

answer #2: demolition of existing building finished, and it looks as if they are completely removing all sidewalks and pavement too. I expect construction to begin soon.

[tworivers]

Yeah, I was surprised to see today that the Daily Grind building was completely gone. I have to say that my perception of New Seasons is rapidly declining, both in terms of their aggressive expansion/growth** and their approach to urban design.

In other infill news, I noticed a few days ago that the block next to the Prescott station on the MAX line is now completely empty. Presumably they will begin construction soon -- I hope so, anyways -- tired of developers demolishing and then not building, leaving us with the blight of vacant, weedy lots.

**detailed discussion probably not appropriate for this thread.

[Okstate]

Two things:

1) When is the infill development on Alberta going to be completed? It is rather large & I'm surprised I haven't seen it on here.


Answer to my own question: I heard a spring completion may happen. Also, I heard from an area businessman that one of the tenants will be a nationally renowned restaurant. That's all he had heard.

[tworivers]

^^^ One of the new tenants is definitely going to be the second Barista (http://baristapdx.com/) shop, which I am excited about.

[tworivers]

This (http://www.neighborhoodnotes.com/news/2009/06/ecoflats_planned_on_n_williams) project seems close to starting construction. The property has been fenced off over the past week.

[Okstate]

There's a vacant fenced off lot across from fire on the mountain-Interstate. Any ideas on that one?

[crow]

This (http://www.neighborhoodnotes.com/news/2009/06/ecoflats_planned_on_n_williams) project seems close to starting construction. The property has been fenced off over the past week.

The discussion on the project blog is worth reading, it shows a new way that projects and their team can communicate and market their projects using ambient conversation - of course the challenge is the tone of the communication in the end.

[tworivers]

Another view of the proposed Rothko apts. Got this off Vegi.tecture.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ymx9e66vrGc/Svb8-eWEF8I/AAAAAAAALMA/9hwCQxFovF8/s400/6a00d8341c86d053ef0120a6217055970b-500wi.jpg

[tworivers]

More on Williams "Eco-flats" here (http://www.neighborhoodnotes.com/news/2010/01/ecoflats_project_on_n_williams_moves_forward).

Also from the Neighborhood Notes site, additional information on the hideous Albert (http://www.neighborhoodnotes.com/news/2009/07/the_albert_appeal_changes_out_of_scale_with_residents_expectations), which has been appealed to LUBA.

[rsbear]

Another view of the proposed Rothko apts. Got this off Vegi.tecture.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ymx9e66vrGc/Svb8-eWEF8I/AAAAAAAALMA/9hwCQxFovF8/s400/6a00d8341c86d053ef0120a6217055970b-500wi.jpg

I'm usually pretty positive about new proposals for Portland but I think this is butt-ugly awful.

[2oh1]

I'm usually pretty positive about new proposals for Portland but I think this is butt-ugly awful.

It really is. The concept has lots of promise, but if the design ends up looking even close to what we see in that picture, it's awful. I enjoy the idea of a wide open space in the center of the building, and I understand that it would need a lot of structural support... but does it HAVE TO be that ugly of a design? If so, bail on the concept and move on because the building will be there for a while. Why scar the city? Sheesh.

[pdxtraveler]

I'm usually pretty positive about new proposals for Portland but I think this is butt-ugly awful.

I actually really like it! I couldn't tell you why! The Wendell Wyatt sketches however, really not getting.

[tworivers]

I like it, crooked lines and all. And I fail to see how it will scar the city any worse than the Calaroga Terrace. The fact that it will be much-needed workforce housing, and represents some of the first streetcar-inspired investment in an area desperate for density, is a nice bonus.

[crow]

fugly - what for? distorted / contorted / the poor working class that have to live in a building that looks like it is still standing after a plane hit it. Really it does not look like much more, after all it looks like a regular 70's SOM building to begin with.

[65MAX]

Where is the Rothko?

[bvpcvm]

It's between ne 2nd and 3rd, either north or south of Wasco.

Is this anything more, though, than a drawing? Is there some sort of city financing for this thing?

[CouvScott]

It's between ne 2nd and 3rd, either north or south of Wasco.

Is this anything more, though, than a drawing? Is there some sort of city financing for this thing?

It will be North of Wasco. Legacy is not giving up their parking lot right now. There have been some ideas brought up for their North parking lot (West of 2nd), though, but strickly health care related.

[Phillip Rimshack]

This may be neither here nor there, but am I the only person who sees the Rothko design, with its gaping hole and splayed vertical stripes, as having some sort of connection to the broken Trade Center on the other coast?

I like the design on its own - very courageous - but can't really separate it from a larger narrative, and find it a little bit somber and depressing (mixed with January colors/rain).

WTC or no, there are undeniable elements of destruction and imprisonment there that don't seem to play very well with a "living space".

http://groundzero.nyc.ny.us/photos/before/before002.jpg

[mcbaby]

Another view of the proposed Rothko apts. Got this off Vegi.tecture.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ymx9e66vrGc/Svb8-eWEF8I/AAAAAAAALMA/9hwCQxFovF8/s400/6a00d8341c86d053ef0120a6217055970b-500wi.jpg

I agree. Looks like a plane hit it. The fact that it reminded someone of 9/11 is even more depressing.

[urbanlife]

I still dont see this resemblance to this building looking like a plane hit it or the twin towers...so apparently no building can ever have vertical lines anymore??

Maybe if this building was at least 60 floors and a metallic gray, then I might understand this relationship between the two different buildings.

[rsbear]

I agree. Looks like a plane hit it. The fact that it reminded someone of 9/11 is even more depressing.

+1

[crow]

I still dont see this resemblance to this building looking like a plane hit it or the twin towers...so apparently no building can ever have vertical lines anymore??

Maybe if this building was at least 60 floors and a metallic gray, then I might understand this relationship between the two different buildings.

maybe it is less about the vertical lines, but how they are morphed out of vertical - in response to what? The garden, the metaphor of breaking the norm with a garden? Seems a little obtuse, and a suffering for the sake of the building image.

[bvpcvm]

I see the resemblance, but I'd be pretty surprised if it was intentional; it seems like it would be too blatantly political.

[urbanlife]

maybe it is less about the vertical lines, but how they are morphed out of vertical - in response to what? The garden, the metaphor of breaking the norm with a garden? Seems a little obtuse, and a suffering for the sake of the building image.

It just looks like a cube with a floating cube above it...personally I dont buy into what they are trying to make the garden out to be, but then again it is no different than a building that puts a garden on top of a building's base with the tower rising next to it....just in this case, the base is the same size as the rest of the tower.

[eeldip]

there is something about the design that smacks of a deconstructionist Yamasaki. but at some point, a 9/11 reference should not be off limits. if anything you could see this as a positive, resurrection themed reference.

[Phillip Rimshack]

there is something about the design that smacks of a deconstructionist Yamasaki. but at some point, a 9/11 reference should not be off limits. if anything you could see this as a positive, resurrection themed reference.

A resurrection theme makes any intentional reference a more powerful/positive one. I can see that. But who knows?

[pylon]

I hope no one interprets it as an unstable or broken home...

[urbanlife]

there is something about the design that smacks of a deconstructionist Yamasaki. but at some point, a 9/11 reference should not be off limits. if anything you could see this as a positive, resurrection themed reference.

Maybe if it was taller, all I see is the upper portion looking like a floating cube with vertical lines connecting it together....I know why people are connecting it to the twin towers, but I think it is a stretch to be doing so with this, beyond the vertical lines, it doesnt look like it would even be out of the same material or that the vertical lines are even designed the same.

[crow]

This design is really not worth all the air time to argue whether it looks like the WTC towers post 9/11 or not - it is just a dull design cloaked with a layer fizzle that really does not have much architectural significance to what would otherwise be a late 70's commercial building with a bite out of the middle of it.

[PacificNW]

I thought this was an open discussion forum.. I don't understand the dismissive type remarks being made at times.....such as "not worth all the air time...yada, yada, yada." Who made some people on here the "Forum Police" stating which posts are worth discussing and those which are not? The merits of a "post" will live, or die, based on the interest (or lack of) of the "forum" as a whole, imo.

[Okstate]

^ +1

[rsbear]

+1

[zilfondel]

I'm honestly more interested in how the project connects to the ground and creates those public spaces and interface.

I think the tower portion is a little evocative, but I'm not seeing this WTC 9/11 reference. I think this project is on such a different scale, and its a totally different type of project, that it really doesn't have anything to do with it.

[crow]

I thought this was an open discussion forum.. I don't understand the dismissive type remarks being made at times.....such as "not worth all the air time...yada, yada, yada." Who made some people on here the "Forum Police" stating which posts are worth discussing and those which are not? The merits of a "post" will live, or die, based on the interest (or lack of) of the "forum" as a whole, imo.

yeah - sorry, but getting a little bored of all the WTC analogies. Unless the person who designed this project wants to enlighten us, then at least we would be able to have a little more meaningful dialog about why it looks the way it looks - or maybe the design is just a fetish.

[NJD]

http://www.newseasonsmarket.com/images/HTDemo5.JPG
image from www.newseasonsmarket.com

Looks like the Hawthorne New Seasons will be a full site building with an auto ramp to a second floor parking garage on 40th Ave. The building is set to open October of this year.
more info: http://www.newseasonsmarket.com/dynamicContent.aspx?loc=1264&subloc=1&menuId=1366


http://www.udplp.com/images/properties/reliable1.jpg
image from www.udplp.com

Also "The Merge" is well under construction at the old Reliable Parts Building on 31st and Division. They have saved the old roof and are now placing beams over it for the structural support for the 12 new two-story townhouse style residential units that will be above new retail spaces below. With the opening of The Whiskey Soda Lounge, remodeled Pok Pok, the old Wild Oats redevelopment, and the existing businesses such as Matchbox Lounge and Detour Cafe this area is set to be Division's most popular destination (continuing Division's "main street" feel to the west of the traditional 35-38th area).

more info: http://www.udplp.com/properties_reliable.php

[bvpcvm]

"the merge"... huh. the link for that building has a link for another, 4-story project across division, which consists of two buildings connected by a skybridge. i'm surprised to see any development going on at all, given the market.

[NJD]

^ the other property hasn't changed since the economy tanked. i wouldn't be surprised if its on hold.

[Eco_jt]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_HXGRqyqdY&feature=player_embedded

Interesting video I stumbled upon:

This video was developed for use by the North/Northeast Economic Development Initiative Community Advisory Committee. Their charge is to make recommendations to the Portland Development Commission on project priorities and amendments to the two urban renewal areas, Interstate Corridor and Oregon Convention Center.

This is the first video in a 3-part series focusing on different geographic areas. This video specifically focuses on the Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd potential expansion area and will be presented at the January 20, 2010 N/NE Advisory Committee meeting at the Billy Webb Elks Lodge (6 N. Tillamook St., Portland OR). Learn more at: http://www.pdc.us/four/nnestudy

[Sioux612]

http://orgs.up.edu/egrphotos/sm_bldg.jpg

University of Portland Engineering building

[crow]

:notacrook: [QUOTE=NJD;4672867]http://www.newseasonsmarket.com/images/HTDemo5.JPG
image from www.newseasonsmarket.com

What is up with the New Season's building? You would think that New Seasons would demand better architecture. LRS really designed a turd. The second rendering from the air shows the roof like the walls - really? Is that paint or suppose to represent vegetation? Even with a modest budget, we should expect better from our environmentally sensitive company. It looks plastic, and really exudes an under-under stated quality - too bad, because i really like all the attributes they are putting into the project solution - it is just the architecture screams temporary EIFS and canvas awnings.

[Downtown_Gal]

From the New Seasons website...

Update - February 22, 2010
Dear Friends and Neighbors,

We were happy to receive our permit today, so let the building begin! If you drive by you may see earthmoving equipment preparing to the way for us to build the foundation. After that, watch for the steel structure to take shape. Stayed tuned for more updates.

[Okstate]

Does anyone know an approximate time frame something like this takes (from this point on). A year?....

[sowat]

first signs of the rental conversions in trouble

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/02/portland_condo_defaults_on_loa.html

Portland condo defaults on loan despite filling up with renters
By Jeff Manning, The Oregonian
February 26, 2010

A second major Portland condo building teetered closer to repossession this month when Bank of America issued a notice of default to owners of the 2121 Belmont building in Southeast Portland.

The failure of CityView Belmont Condominium 123 to pay its mortgage raises questions about the fate of several other glitzy condo buildings in Portland that were similarly converted to apartments when the condo market tanked.

In a renters' market, brought about by the worst economic downturn in decades, it's been difficult for these buildings to turn a profit. Generally, these buildings have been able to fetch rents in the range of $1.80 to $2 per square foot, short of what some need to make money.

The 2121 Belmont "is a really nice building, a very expensive buildout," said Gary Winkler, a multi-family real estate expert with Colliers International in Portland. "But renters want to pay the same price, regardless of whether a unit has granite countertops or whatever."

The wane of the housing boom has been brutal on condo developers. The market softened just as construction crews completed some of the biggest, most ambitious buildings ever seen in Portland. Buyers who once lined up around the block to put down deposits on $300,000 to $2 million homes all but disappeared.

Developers increasingly found it difficult to repay their loans. Backers of the Waterfront Pearl project in Northwest Portland deeded the building back to lenders in lieu of foreclosure. Lenders have taken control of both the Atwater Place and John Ross condos in the South Waterfront.

The 2121 Belmont building has been more successful than many of the converted condos in finding renters. It is 94 percent occupied, according to CityView. Other buildings are a third- to half-empty.

But high occupancy has not translated to a happy bank.

In documents filed Feb. 8 with the Multnomah County Recorders Office, Bank of America declared that CityView Belmont was in default on the $28.1 million it owes. If CityView can't repay the money, the bank will foreclose on the 123-unit building and sell it at auction on June 18 at the Multnomah County Courthouse steps.

Los Angeles-based CityView said only that it is working with its lender. "This is an excellent project with significant value to the community in a challenging market," said Forrest Beanum a CityView spokesmen. "We are working closely with the bank to find a positive resolution."

When pressed for more detail on whether that meant that CityView hopes to come current on the mortgage or whether it intends to hand the building back to the bank, Beanum said: "We are remaining open to all options at this point in time."

CityView is a large investment fund that has bankrolled the construction of thousands of urban residential units across the country. Henry Cisneros, former HUD secretary, is executive chairman of the firm, which is funded in part by CalPERS, California's giant public employees' pension fund.

CityView purchased a controlling stake in the 2121 Belmont project from the original developers, Homer Williams and Scott Stehman.

Williams and Stehman launched the effort in 2006, when the housing market was still roaring. It was a bold move -- constructing a $30 million building with all the granite and hardwood-floor touches of the Pearl District in gritty Southeast Portland.

The units came to market in 2007 bearing price tags of $220,000 to more than $500,000.

The timing was exquisitely bad. By early 2008, Stehman acknowledged that only four units had sold.

Shortly thereafter, CityView converted the 123 units to apartments.

Monthly rents at the building range from $1,275 for the smallest 707-square-foot units to $2,275 for the larger corner apartments that boast 1,583 square feet.

[smendesPDX]

Here is a cool photo courtesy of the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability.

http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt82/sbmendes/portland_future.jpg

"The Portland Plan" will be our city’s strategic plan for the next 25 years. The last time Portland created a plan like this was in 1980. I would love to see this happen!

[JordanL]

Here is a cool photo courtesy of the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability.

http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt82/sbmendes/portland_future.jpg

"The Portland Plan" will be our city’s strategic plan for the next 25 years. The last time Portland created a plan like this was in 1980. I would love to see this happen!

There's about twenty-five 30+ story buildings in that picture. :cheers:

And the redevelopment of the Morrison Bridgehead on the west side is also there.

EDIT:

You have a link for this image?

[New Madrid]

You have a link for this image?


click [here] (http://www.portlandonline.com/portlandplan/index.cfm?c=52133&a=286249) to download the pdf.

or [here] (http://www.portlandonline.com/portlandplan/) for the main site.

[RoseCtyRoks]

:previous: Also, when you include areas not shown in this picture, such as around PSU, SOWA, Lloyd district, etc., the density will be something to watch in the years to come. Hopefully, all the planned bridges will have been built as well, that are really needed.
Portland is an amazing city, and businesses will build here over the next couple of decades (including several local businesses that make the Fortune 500!).....something I'd personally love to see. I hope ALL of us WILL be around 20 years from now (or sooner!) to witness office, retail, & residential, in ANOTHER building boom. :)

[bvpcvm]

Hopefully, all the planned bridges will have been built as well

what, are there more? other than the lrt bridge?

[Rhome]

There's about twenty-five 30+ story buildings in that picture.

I would guess that the volumes shown in the map show what is currently possible within the floor area ratio (FAR) and height limits. I remember seeing a similar map specific to the Pearl District. Doubtful that we'd seeing anything close to that kind of build-out in our lifetime, though. But we can dream.

[smendesPDX]

Yea, but its not working at the moment...

http://www.pdxplan.com

Also,

http://www.portlandonline.com/portlandplan/index.cfm?

another link the talks about the plan is the following (scroll down a little bit)...

http://chatterbox.typepad.com/portlandarchitecture/

[RoseCtyRoks]

what, are there more? other than the lrt bridge?

I'm hoping that within the downtown area, both the light rail bridge and the Gibbs pedestrian bridge will become realities.
The interstate bridge is much needed for commuters asap (although the back & forth is looking more like the health care debates in DC)
I'm not sure where we stand on the Sellwood Bridge---can anyone shed some light?

[JordanL]

I'm hoping that within the downtown area, both the light rail bridge and the Gibbs pedestrian bridge will become realities.
The interstate bridge is much needed for commuters asap (although the back & forth is looking more like the health care debates in DC)
I'm not sure where we stand on the Selwood Bridge---can anyone shed some light?

The Sellwood bridge HAS to be rebuilt. The city, or county, will be sued if they don't get to it soon.

[Sekkle]

I'm not sure where we stand on the Selwood Bridge---can anyone shed some light?
from www.sellwoodbridge.org ...
- Design work on the new bridge and acquisition of land can’t begin until federal approval of the plan, expected in Summer/Fall 2010.
- This Spring, there will be a public process for bridge type and design.
- The total project cost is estimated to be $330 million. There is a regional funding plan to secure funds so construction can begin in late 2012.

[philopdx]

Here is a cool photo courtesy of the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability.

http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt82/sbmendes/portland_future.jpg

"The Portland Plan" will be our city’s strategic plan for the next 25 years. The last time Portland created a plan like this was in 1980. I would love to see this happen!

Wow, for the people that want to keep Old Town/Chinatown old and short, this really sh%#$ in their Cheerios, doesn't it?

[urbanlife]

Wow, for the people that want to keep Old Town/Chinatown old and short, this really sh%#$ in their Cheerios, doesn't it?

I think I might have to incorporate this phrase into my daily life :haha: ...and yes this would definitely be a floater for people who want that district to stay short.

[MarkDaMan]

Friday, April 9, 2010
New firm ready to ‘Merge’
Two ambitious buildings sprout on Division in Southeast Portland
Portland Business Journal - by Wendy Culverwell Business Journal staff writer

Despite an almost universal construction stoppage, a small Portland developer is doing something out of the ordinary. Urban Development Partners NW LP is building apartments.

The scrappy firm is about to complete “Merge,” a 13-unit project at 3103 S.E. Division St. It will start building a 26-unit sister project at Southeast 38th and Division streets in a few months. The firm declined to share the budget for either project.

Each is a high-end apartment building expected to command premium rents in order to pay for its splashy design, a daring move in a down market.

Urban Development Partners plans to own each project for the long term, similar to two projects it already owns in Portland.

“We’re not out to make a quick buck,” said partner Eric Cress.

The Merge site, which has a market value of $1.5 million according to county records, formerly housed Reliable Parts. The boxy one-story Reliable building is incorporated into the new building.

“Normally, the tendency by developers and contractors is to wipe the slate clean and start over again,” said Kava Massih, the San Francisco-based architect who designed the project for Urban Development Partners.

Merge essentially sits on stilt-like structural supports dropped through the building. Above the ground-floor retail, the two-story apartment section features a series of soaring blocks separated by a courtyard and varying roof heights.

The result is a light and airy project where many units have windows on three or four sides. A simple block-like project would have packed in more units, but wouldn’t have met the developer’s goals.

“Design matters,” Massih said. “People will respond to that.”

Urban Development Partners has its roots in Berkeley, Calif. where the founding team worked on a successful loft conversion. Inspired to form their own company, Cress and co-founders Steven Pontes and Avi Ben-Zaken moved the company to Portland in early 2006, a period when the company deliberately scaled back its development activity in anticipation of the real estate meltdown. It acquired two older apartment buildings and rehabilitated them, and started casting around for sites to develop.

Southeast Portland appealed to the team’s budget and urban lifestyle.

The company, which does not disclose revenue, is backed by private investors through its sister firm, Willamette Capital Management Ltd.

One reason Urban Development Partners is active now is because it did little new construction between 2004 and 2008. As a result, it didn’t end up with properties worth less than they cost to build.

“We didn’t lose anyone’s money,” Cress said.

Nonetheless, filling the high-end units at Merge could be a challenge.

Apartment vacancy rates have climbed in Portland as a result of the city’s high unemployment rate. Most new construction has been put on hold until the recession ends.

Amidst the gloom, however, is a persistent belief that demand will rebound faster than supply. That could mean an apartment shortage in the not-too-distant future.

Though small, Urban Development Partners has positioned itself to take advantage of that pent-up demand.

“Now is the time to be working on it,” said Ann Blume, a multifamily broker with the Portland office of CB Richard Ellis. “The market is tightening.”

The vacancy rate for newer apartment properties in Portland’s close-in eastside neighborhoods was about 4 percent in the first quarter, according to a report by CB Richard Ellis that covered properties with 100 or more units.

While larger than the projects Urban Development Partners is developing, the low vacancy rate signals that supply is tightening in some parts of town even as Portland struggles with ongoing job losses.

Mark Barry, principal with Mark Barry & Associates, a multifamily appraiser and author of the widely-read Barry Apartment Report, said some developers may be getting ready for a recovery now. Barry, who is not familiar with Urban Development, said the apartment shortage won’t hit until 2012.

One reason for low vacancy rates in the inner eastside is its lower-than-average rental rates. A Metro Multifamily Survey of inner and central southeast apartments last fall found the average rental rate was $1 per square foot.

At Merge, Urban Development Partners expects to command much higher rent by appealing to lifestyle-driven renters attracted to the neighborhood and its close proximity to downtown. Asking rents are $2.20 per square foot for units at the front of the building and $1.61 per unit for those at the back, Cress said.

The firm’s next project is at 3810 S.E. Division and like Merge, emphasizes design. The mixed-use project will feature 26 apartments and 5,500 square feet of street-level retail space. The property has a market value of $645,000 according to county tax records.

An existing home on the site is incorporated in the plans at the rear of the property to serve as a break between the heavy commercial development facing Division and the residential neighborhood behind it.

From the street, the single building will suggest the appearance of two structures flanking a courtyard centered on a Japanese ribbon leaf maple already on the site. The plans emphasize light and air and will recycle a local landmark.

The maple will be removed to a storage nursery at a cost of about $4,000 during construction and will be returned when the work is finished, Cress said.

wculverwell@bizjournals.com | 503-219-3415

http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2010/04/12/focus1.html?t=printable

[crow]

I like their approach very much. I think if the development community can take on a more long term approach to the buildings, and certainly by having a vested interested beyond just flipping for the quick buck. As well nothing is worse than having a huge development rip the fabric of a cool, edgy inner eastside neighborhood.

[JordanL]

I like their approach very much. I think if the development community can take on a more long term approach to the buildings, and certainly by having a vested interested beyond just flipping for the quick buck. As well nothing is worse than having a huge development rip the fabric of a cool, edgy inner eastside neighborhood.

It's hard to borrow money to build and do what you're describing.

[GreenCity]

It's hard to borrow money to build and do what you're describing.

And really that's the problem isn't it? I have to wonder what the financial backing of this firm is, seems like there are some bucks behind it. Big backing for luxury projects that'll turn a big profit in the longer-terms. The downside of this approach is that it's a push towards unaffordable neighborhoods, jacking up the rates across the board. Sure it's nice for the economic scene, but the prices in inner Eastside are already inflated above what the "young creatives" we so love can afford.

[JordanL]

And really that's the problem isn't it? I have to wonder what the financial backing of this firm is, seems like there are some bucks behind it. Big backing for luxury projects that'll turn a big profit in the longer-terms. The downside of this approach is that it's a push towards unaffordable neighborhoods, jacking up the rates across the board. Sure it's nice for the economic scene, but the prices in inner Eastside are already inflated above what the "young creatives" we so love can afford.

Well there's two ways to view that really. It could very well be profitable in the future, but is it more profitable than leaving your money to collect interest until you can actually build and sell them?

That depends on how long it takes to sell.

[Okstate]

Friday, April 9, 2010
New firm ready to ‘Merge’
[I]
One reason for low vacancy rates in the inner eastside is its lower-than-average rental rates. A Metro Multifamily Survey of inner and central southeast apartments last fall found the average rental rate was $1 per square foot.http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2010/04/12/focus1.html?t=printable

-Judging from this I don't think the SE neighborhood will be too affluent of a neighborhood anytime soon.

[CouvScott]

The repo man arrived Monday at Salpare Bay, the first in a series of steps that could lead to a foreclosure auction for the failed Hayden Island condominium project this summer.

Western International Recovery Bureau, a firm that recovers equipment from cars to airplanes, repossessed the crane that has been idled nearly three years since work stopped on the $70-plus million Salpare Bay condominiums.

Salpare Bay once promised marina-side living in the shadow of Portland International Airport, with prices starting at $500,000.

Poor timing, a recession and lender difficulties brought the 204-unit project to a stop in 2007 and set off a legal case that ultimately involved the developer, contractor, architect, city of Portland and even the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

[MarkDaMan]

Beam Development pitches affordable live-work
POSTED: Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at 03:40 PM PT
BY: Nathalie Weinstein
Daily Journal of Commerce
Tags: Beam Development, Brad Fowler, Brad Malsin, Jonathan Heppner, live-work, Works Partnership Architecture

Location: 900 N.E. 81st Ave.

Size: 127 units, 150 to 350 square feet

Developer: Beam Development

Architect: Works Partnership

To date, most of Portland’s live-work space marketed toward artists, designers and Web innovators has been for purchase only. However, artistic endeavors don’t always generate enough money to pay the rent, much less a down payment on a condo.

But the second phase of the Milepost 5 development near Northeast 82nd Avenue will offer live-work studios starting at just $185 per month. The project is being developed by Brad Malsin of Beam Development.

“I think so many artists and creatives spend so much time doing other work to support themselves because the cost of living is high,” Malsin said. “Our goal is to provide the most affordable housing for creatives and artists in the city.”

Malsin said he was challenged to figure out how the project, which cost approximately $5 million, could pencil out. A 1928, three-story brick building is being converted from a former retirement community into 127 live-work studios, a restaurant, a performance space, a gallery and community studio spaces. Malsin has paid for much of the project from his own wallet.

“We’ve had to be very creative,” Malsin said. “It’s been a lot of self-financing at a time when it’s not that easy. But it’s also easy to spend way more money than is necessary for space like this. Throughout the project, we’ve looked at how we can accomplish the most cost-effective rental rate for the spaces.”

Developer Brad Fowler can attest to the challenges of developing rentable live-work space. While working on his Alberta Mercantile project, he found that its rentable live-work spaces needed to meet both commercial and residential code regulations.

“From a cost perspective, live-work is difficult to finance as a rental product because you have to incorporate legal commercial space,” Fowler said. “That means the units have to be fire protected and have their own ADA bathroom. If you’re a developer starting from the ground up, it can be expensive space to develop.”

Alberta Mercantile’s 800-square-foot units are fully leased, to an apparel designer, a ceramic artist and others. But Fowler said it took longer than he expected, mostly because many people looking at the units wanted to rent them as living space and not as live-work space. Rents for the Alberta Mercantile units range from $1,150 to $1,450.

“I’m hoping to reemphasize the work aspect of this project,” Malsin said. “The idea is for people who are starting a career or wanting to be around other artists to have a safe, cost-effective place to work, and also live.”

Project designer Jonathan Heppner of Works Partnership Architecture said cost was in the back of his mind as he designed the studios. As a result, the building wasn’t gutted.

“We’re trying to create spaces that are affordable and at the same time, fresh,” Heppner said. “We want to get rid of things like the ADA handrails in the hallways. But there are quirky fixtures that we’re trying to retain. We’re putting fresh paint over the beiges that were used in the home and trying to work with what’s there.”

“We’re going for an Ace Hotel feel,” Malsin said. “We’re being very careful and using a light touch for painting, plumbing upgrades, heating, hot water and cosmetics. The building luckily is very structurally sound, so there’s very little deferred maintenance.”

To make sure the development is housing creatives and not just renters looking for affordable housing, Milepost 5’s creative director Gavin Shettler will vet each potential tenant. Applicants are required to submit a short statement on why they want to live in the studios, a brief bio and examples of their work. Currently, 400 people are on the waiting list for the Milepost 5 studios.

The first phase of the Milepost 5 development was for 54 live-work condominiums. Fewer than half of those are occupied, though Shettler said more units are continuing to sell. The condos cost from $99,995 to $274,995.

Malsin hopes that Milepost 5 condo owners may also want to lease studios. Owners receive discounted rent at the studios and don’t have to go through the application process. He added that his project will feature additional community spaces, including a dining facility, a coffee shop and an art store.

“We’ve finally found the money,” Malsin said. “And the time is now to get it going.”

Construction of the project is expected to wrap up in July. Beam Development is acting as its own contractor.

http://djcoregon.com/news/2010/04/21/beam-development-pitches-rentable-affordable-live-work/

[CouvScott]

Portland Business Journal - by Wendy Culverwell Business Journal staff writer

The developer of the Salpare Bay condominium project is optimistic he will work out agreements with creditors and restart the project.

Developer Michael DeFrees filed this week to reorganize under Chapter 11 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Oregon. The filing caps three years of legal disputes that yielded multiple judgments against the Hayden Island development, which has languished untouched for nearly three years.

The project was one of many that faltered when the economy turned, but had a high profile because of the amount of legal activity it inspired.

DeFrees settled a federal lawsuit against the project’s lenders on June 2, which means creditors owed nearly $10 million will be repaid in full, said his attorney, Christine Kosydar, a partner at Stoel Rives LP Details of the settlement were not available.

Salpare Bay foundered in late 2007 after lenders funded only $20 million of a $63.6 million construction loan.

The contractor, J.E. Dunn Northwest Inc., won a $4.4 million judgment in Multnomah County Circuit Court for its unpaid work. Additional creditors, including its architect, also sought compensation in court.

By filing for bankruptcy late Monday, DeFrees halted a sheriff’s auction to satisfy the judgment. The auction is rescheduled for 10 a.m. July 6 on the Multnomah County Courthouse steps, subject to bankruptcy court approval.

The settlement stems from a $390 million suit DeFrees and the development team filed against lenders. The suit sought damages caused by the developer’s inability to proceed with the project when it lost access to funding. A transcript of the proceedings where the agreement was reached does not reveal specific terms but indicates all the banks involved agreed to it.

After being sued by DeFrees, the banks in turn sued Portland-based Sussman Shank LLP for $447 million, saying its counsel led them to underfund the loan and exposed them to liability to DeFrees. It is thought to be the largest legal malpractice case in Oregon history.

Sussman represented the original bank on the loan, BankFirst of South Dakota. BankFirst in turn divided the loan among 40 smaller banks, which are suing Sussman. BankFirst failed in 2009 and its loans were assumed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. The FDIC is not a party to the case.

Sussman denies liability, saying the 40 plaintiffs were never its clients and its actual client is not making claims against the firm.

It was not clear Wednesday what impact the banks’ settlement with DeFrees will have on their suit against Sussman Shank.

The $100 million Salpare Bay project, 499 N.E. Tomahawk Island Drive, was supposed to offer luxury condominiums and a first-class marina with 204 slips. The first units would have opened in 2008.

Instead, construction stopped after just four months when the developer couldn’t pay J.E. Dunn.

[Okstate]

http://pdx.eater.com/

Rumors have long been swirling about a new project by Clyde Common mastermind Nate Tilden, who's busily been building a PDX empire that now also includes charcuterie house Olympic Provisions. And now, paperwork makes it official! A source familiar with the lease confirms that Tilden's take on a Portland sports bar will occupy the MLK space that formerly housed American Cowgirls Bar & Grill. And just as with Clyde, the spot will live under the cozy umbrella of the the hipster-fancy Ace Hotel. According to our source: "It is a sports bar with the guys from the Ace doing the build-out and branding."

[tworivers]

The old Cyan show room is almost fully reconstructed at the corner of Shaver and Williams. Just down to the left is where the 4-story "Eco-flats" are under construction.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1234/4732656680_4af8c378f1_b.jpg

[WestCoast]

^^^

that used to be outside our building. That's sweet to see it reused as they promised.

[2oh1]

Tilden's take on a Portland sports bar will occupy the MLK space that formerly housed American Cowgirls Bar & Grill. And just as with Clyde, the spot will live under the cozy umbrella of the the hipster-fancy Ace Hotel. According to our source: "It is a sports bar with the guys from the Ace doing the build-out and branding."

Wait. Hipsters at a sports bar? I thought hipsters just ugly themselves up with oversized glasses and bad hair while seeking out irony that isn't there and discussing how meh everything is. Hipsters and a sports bar? Wow. I'm having trouble imagining that.

[New Madrid]

Wait. Hipsters at a sports bar? I thought hipsters just ugly themselves up with oversized glasses and bad hair while seeking out irony that isn't there and discussing how meh everything is. Hipsters and a sports bar? Wow. I'm having trouble imagining that.

Really? You're having trouble imagining that? It's not like it's unheard of . . . (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=ne+tillamook+portland+OR&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=42.310334,92.988281&ie=UTF8&hq=ne+tillamook&hnear=Portland,+Multnomah,+Oregon&t=h&layer=c&cbll=45.538987,-122.661563&panoid=gN5_JcTVeXcIJlXTavwqRw&cbp=12,73.57,,0,-18.18&ll=45.53907,-122.661817&spn=0,0.001608&z=20)

[crow]

Really? You're having trouble imagining that? It's not like it's unheard of . . . (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=ne+tillamook+portland+OR&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=42.310334,92.988281&ie=UTF8&hq=ne+tillamook&hnear=Portland,+Multnomah,+Oregon&t=h&layer=c&cbll=45.538987,-122.661563&panoid=gN5_JcTVeXcIJlXTavwqRw&cbp=12,73.57,,0,-18.18&ll=45.53907,-122.661817&spn=0,0.001608&z=20)

what are you trying to show us?

[dkealoha]

what are you trying to show us?

Billy Ray's

[urbanlife]

Wait. Hipsters at a sports bar? I thought hipsters just ugly themselves up with oversized glasses and bad hair while seeking out irony that isn't there and discussing how meh everything is. Hipsters and a sports bar? Wow. I'm having trouble imagining that.

You're having trouble imagining this?? :shrug: Think of the irony of hipsters at a sports bar. Though watching sports might be the new cool thing to do, so it is hard to say which direction they are going to move to next.

[2oh1]

Think of the irony of hipsters at a sports bar.

You're RIGHT. Hipsters won't go there for the sports... they'll go there for the irony of them actually being there. How could I have missed that? It's so obvious!

[tworivers]

Eco-flats progress:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4130/4845281295_13dd465deb_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4087/4845900076_08dc845800_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4091/4845900048_005d231be3_b.jpg

[twofiftyfive]

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/09/hawthorne_safeway_will_get_raz.html

This is fantastic news. That horrible Safeway with its giant parking lot in front is a little bit of auto suburbia on Hawthorne.

[crow]

Mulvanny G2 got that project - I believe.

[2oh1]

Great news, certainly. It's just a shame they're not building housing above the store, especially since what they build will stand for decades.

[crow]

Great news, certainly. It's just a shame they're not building housing above the store, especially since what they build will stand for decades.

that is true. The one downtown has been pretty successful, and I know the there are a few in Seattle too.

[tworivers]

Great news, certainly. It's just a shame they're not building housing above the store, especially since what they build will stand for decades.

Agree, just like the hideous one-story New Seasons with a parking lot on top u/c at 40th.

[202_Cyclist]

In Washington, DC, Safeway recently rebuilt its Georgtown store (Social Safeway). This had a large surface parking lot in front of the store in what is otherwise a pretty walkable area. The new store in now two floors with first-floor retail fronting the sidewalk.

http://www.safeway.com/ifl/grocery/Georgetown-Safeway-News

Safeway has another store in Tenley (near the DC/Maryland border). This store is right off of Wisconsin Avenue (a major corridor) and within a ten minute walk of two metro stations. Safeway proposed modernizing this store but largely retaining the suburban 'big-box' format. A group of us smart growth advocates are trying to get Safeway to build a mixed-use development here, with 2-4 floors of residential above the store.

[mmeade]

Looks like grocery stores are trying to get competitive in this neighborhood. FredMeyer renovated their Hawthorne and 39th store about a year ago. The Hawthorne and 41st New Seasons will open before too long. Now Safeway is trying to get into the mix with a "green" store possibly seeking some sort of LEED recognition. Interesting that they all seem to be competing for the Hawthorne crowd.

I certainly don't mind as it makes for better shopping in my neighborhood.

[2oh1]

Looks like grocery stores are trying to get competitive in this neighborhood.

It's not just happening over there. Consider the grocery options downtown during the last ten years: Whole Foods opened in 2002. The old Safeway closed and a new one opened directly across the street on SW Jefferson in 2003. A new Safeway opened in the Pearl District in 2008. The downtown Safeway was remodeled in 2009 (who remodels a store that's only six years old?)

[CouvScott]

Michael DeFrees retools the beleaguered project
Portland Business Journal - by Wendy Culverwell Business Journal staff writer




The failed Salpare Bay condominium project may be revived as an apartment complex.

The developer of a failed Hayden Island condominium project intends to construct a 371-unit apartment complex in its place.

The plan to convert Salpare Bay, 499 N.E. Tomahawk Island Drive, from a 204-unit luxury condominium into a high-density apartment complex is detailed in documents filed this month in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Oregon.

Michael DeFrees, the project’s Vancouver-based developer, placed Salpare Bay in bankruptcy in June to prevent the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Department from conducting a court-ordered auction to satisfy a $4 million judgment in favor of its contractor, J.E. Dunn Northwest Inc.

Salpare Bay has a total of about $7.5 million in secured claims against it.

[Shilo Rune 96]

The Waterside to go up for auction:

http://www.egusts.com/kennedy-wilson/waterside/10-0921/