[MarkDaMan]

Metro living sees more height and high style
CONSTRUCTION COSTS AND LAND PRICES CHANGE THE PACE OF EXPANSION
Saturday, April 21, 2007
RANDY GRAGG
The Oregonian

From Milwaukie to Hayden Island and from Gresham to Hillsboro, the five-year horizon in architecture and urban design is looking, in a word, higher -- as in higher-rise.

Or, that's at least the promise as downsizing baby boomers join GenX urbanites to further fuel the market for city living -- not just in downtown Portland, but in the city's neighborhoods and suburbs, too.

The architectural consequences will be huge.

Suburban centers

In the suburbs, the Metro regional government's Centers program is bearing its first fruit.

Initially subsidized with free land and tax abatements, The Crossings apartments at Gresham Station are now fetching the highest rents in the region outside of Portland. That success is quickly leading to the most architecturally progressive housing project in the metro area outside of Portland, developer Fred Bruning and Myrhe Group Architects' Civic Neighborhood: an eight-building complex with 180 apartments and condos plus retail and underground parking -- all next to a MAX stop and across the street from The Crossings.

Metro has plans to seed similar retail/housing mixes on land it owns in downtown Milwaukie, Beaverton and Hillsboro.

Centers program manager Phil Whitmore once had even higher-rise hopes. But soaring construction prices are holding heights down to the four to eight stories possible with wood and light-gauge-steel construction.

Nevertheless, rising land prices, rents and condo prices might spring some suburban higher living on TriMet land. The transit agency owns the equivalent of more than 52 Portland city blocks in park-and-ride sites. Several have become the hole-in-the-doughnut of other medium density housing projects that have grown near light rail.

New neighborhood heights

In Portland's central city, the build-higher ethos has been pushing buildings higher for a decade. But as the Portland Bureau of Planning begins a two-year process of updating blueprints for downtown and the city as a whole, how high promises to be a question and, in some neighborhoods, a battle.

Look for more and more four- and five-story "infill" buildings rising along north, northeast and southeast Portland transit lines -- many of them more aggressive architecturally than anything Portland has seen yet. Myhre Group is the infill king with 20 projects under way from Southeast Morrison and 20th to an eight-story number on North Montana Street, nearly all styled with a standard-issue "modern" look that has been greeted with mixed blessings by neighborhoods.

Developer Williams & Dame and Ankrom Moisan Architects are pushing another neighborhood envelope -- in this case length rather than height -- with a 300-footer soon to stretch down Southeast Belmont Street. Holst Architecture continues to push the stylistic boundaries -- this time outward --with its SunRose condos at Southeast 28th and Burnside, featuring decks and bays dramatically cantilevering over the sidewalk.

But the east side rising isn't all condos. Newbie developers such as Beam Development and Brian Faherty and Lance Marrs are bringing a new generation of work space to Portland. Watch especially for Works Partnership's austere seven-story Bside 6 loft-office building at East Burnside and Sixth Avenue.

And lest we forget what could be the east side's tallest building: Derek Hanna's 300-foot-plus high-rise storage facility -- to be designed by Gary Larson of MulvannyG2 planned for the height-limit-free Inner Eastside Industrial Area north of the Ross Island Bridge.

Downtown looking up

Bigger buildings are set to be rising downtown as well, as developers start stacking retail with office and housing.

The ZGF Partnership version (and also its new headquarters), which is being developed by Gerding/Edlen and the Goodman family at Southwest 13th Avenue and Washington Street, promises to be an important new gateway building on Interstate 405. TVA Architects' Robert Thompson version for developer Tom Moyer will behis second major contribution to the skyline (the first was Fox Tower) rising at Southwest Park and Yamhill.

But the man who may most reshape Portland's skyline -- if the city lets him -- is long-time developer Joe Weston. The future of urban living, he believes, is in thin, elegant, Vancouver-style "point towers" that cast thin shadows and block fewer views. His first, the 26-story Benson Tower, will soon be complete at Southwest Clay and 11th. He'll soon break ground on his second, the 32-story Manhattan, at Southwest 14th and Alder.

Weston owns more prime tower sites in downtown and the Lloyd District and is gathering up land along Northeast Sandy Boulevard. His modest proposal to the city: Remove all height limits for towers with floorplates of 8,000 square feet or less.

Meantime, at downtown's two ends, height discussions are in the air. In what is now being dubbed the "North Pearl District," Hoyt Street Properties' Tiffany Sweitzer wants to raise the city's allowed heights from 175 max to a South Waterfront-sized 325 feet for the few remaining blocks of empty land it has left.

In SoWa, the towers continue to rise like so many aerosol cans on a shelf. The latest to head into permitting is the Mirabella, a high-end, high-rise development for senior citizens. The bigger news will be the shape Oregon Health & Science University's expansion takes on the 20 acres the Schnitzer family donated at SoWa's north end.

Randy Gragg: 503-221-8575; randygragg@news.oregonian.com
http://www.oregonlive.com/special/outlook/homes_and_real_estate.ssf?/base/news/117719433190320.xml&coll=7

[urbanlife]

I would love to see what happened if the city made no height restrictions for towers under 8000 sq ft. Would be cool to see what would happen if they do.

[sirsimon]

Exciting times across the NW. Let's hope the city is forward thinking as they consider raising the limits. :)

[zilfondel]

I'm moving to 28th and Stark, so I'll have to give you guys juicy updates on the new SunRose condos (replacing the hungry tiger).

Should be interesting. For the past 5 months I've lived next to the Clinton condos going up as well...

In SoWa, the towers continue to rise like so many aerosol cans on a shelf.

ROFLMAO! :jester:

[Dougall5505]

I'm expecting pictures lol

[der Reisender]

is there any information on the SunRose condos out there that we haven't seen?

[MarkDaMan]

not sure where the Washington County 'potential high-rise district' thread is...

Can high-rise mixed use make it in the burbs?
A residential, research
Sunday, May 06, 2007
ESMERALDA BERMUDEZ
The Oregonian

HILLSBORO -- Bold moves have raised Hillsboro's standing in the Portland metro area.

Intel's Ronler Acres campus. Orenco Station's nationally recognized town center. The rise of the retail-heavy Tanasbourne area.

Now, Hillsboro's leaders are offering their most daring vision for the city's mostly suburban landscape: a high-rise urban center with condos that could reach 20 stories tall.

The project site in east Hillsboro, if realized, would fill an area equal to 100 downtown Portland blocks. If the land can be brought together and the proposal wins financing, both public and private, it would create a new mold for urban living in Portland's suburbs.

The community, the OHSU/AmberGlen Area, could attract 10,000 residents to nearly 600 acres in the city's Tanasbourne area over the next 20 years. South of Northwest Cornell Road, the area is envisioned as a magnet for high-income singles and two-member households seeking alternatives to Portland.

Still in its initial stages, the project remains in the city's hands -- an idea being shaped and touted by its planners. A handful of developers have been briefed on the proposal, the concept plan is almost finished and supporters in coming months will begin to look for financing.

Billions of dollars would be needed for all the work.

Development community members have greeted the concept with excitement and skepticism. They marvel at the forethought, but question whether the vision would be profitable.

"No one would do a project of this scale and just hope that it works," said Ethan Seltzer, a Portland State University professor of urban studies and planning. The city's planning team, he said, must do enough to prove the area is ready.

While centers of this scale have flourished in suburbs outside much larger cities -- Atlanta and Los Angeles, for example -- the Portland area seems an unusual candidate. Ultimately, developers would determine whether it is strong enough to succeed, Seltzer said.

Retail and research

With as many as nine 20-story buildings and a series of smaller towers stacked around a 35-acre park, the center would include condos and townhouses mixed with retail, office space and research centers.

There are a few examples of this concept nationwide. In Oregon, Portland's Pearl District comes closest with its mix of condos and townhouses built along a streetcar route dotted with shops and restaurants.

The Hillsboro land now consists of vacant lots, greenspace, office buildings, Oregon Health & Science University research facilities and education centers used by Portland Community College and the state.

Those behind the idea see the timing as ideal.

"We've got growth, income, the right political attitude and willingness," said David Leland of Leland Consulting Group, one of the lead planners steering the project as a consultant to the city. "You don't find these conditions elsewhere. Hillsboro might be the best place in the region -- one that becomes a case study, a paradigm for the evolution of centers in the Portland region."

The locale includes a bounty of acres owned by a few willing property owners. It's 12 miles from downtown Portland. It's easily accessible to U.S. 26 commuters. And it's adjacent to Tanasbourne, one of Washington County's most popular hubs of retailers and restaurants.

In coming years 7,000 to 8,000 new jobs are expected to arrive in Hillsboro as companies such as Genentech Inc. and Standard Insurance Co. build sites, and Kaiser Permanente adds a new hospital just blocks from the planned community. In all, 270,000 new residents are expected to arrive in Washington County in the next 25 years.

Unknown details

Whether those residents would buy into a high-rise condo lifestyle or prefer the traditional single-family home with a backyard remains among many unanswered questions.

Hurdles include how to pay for the project's high cost, secure land rights and line up public and private funding -- not to mention how to cope with traffic congestion that could result when infill developments arrive.

For developers, the question is simple: Would units sell?

"We all remember the Round," said Craig David, vice president of Matrix Development with Legend Homes, referring to the Round at Beaverton Central, an office-restaurant-condominium complex that failed to gain momentum as a residential center. "We won't commit to invest a lot of money unless we're convinced that it will be viable."

Matrix Development, which builds residential buildings as high as four stories, recently completed the first phase of The Q, urban-style high-end condominiums in Hillsboro. It is also one of three lead developers in North Bethany, an 800-acre site that could eventually be home to as many as 15,000 people.

Hillsboro's concept has the right ingredients and makes sense, but it's hard to predict how suburban home buyers would react, said Matt Brown, a project manager who looks into new projects for Williams & Dame Development.

"The $64,000 question is whether Hillsboro and the western suburbs are ready," he said. "When you think of suburbs, you don't think of that type of environment."

Developers would need to study closely the demographics of the area, said Brown, whose Portland-based company was one of the primary developers of the Pearl District and has been involved in Portland's South Waterfront district.

Start from scratch

Brown said suburban areas are a challenge because "you have to create a highly vibrant, mixed-use community out of whole cloth. You don't have the bare bones of an interesting urban area. It can be done, but it must be done right."

Planners realize the idea raises eyebrows, but with the right partnerships, it can pan out, Leland said. Rather than rising from the ground overnight, the community would take years to mature and develop character.

The study area is not among the Portland region's town centers. But that may change with the leaders at Hillsboro and Metro -- the area's regional government -- discussing the land's future. A town center designation would mark the area as a future home for retailers and employers. It also could qualify any projects for financial assistance, such as transportation grants.

In the end, the area might not support 20-story towers or look like the Pearl or a mini-version of New York City's Central Park.

"This cannot happen without an arsenal of private-public partnerships," Leland said. "It will take a major commitment from Hillsboro, and support from Metro, the governor and others to make this a reality."

Some developers, including John Bartell, vice president at Opus Northwest, plan to stand back and watch the vision mature before they reach for their checkbooks.

After discussing the idea with Hillsboro planners and property owners, Bartell said, he considers the project too much of a gamble for now.

The cost of construction may be too high, and compared with prices of surrounding homes, it may be impossible to make the proposed community so "special" that people would be willing to pay $100,000 more to live in it, he said.

Also, with the suburbanlike layout of wide roads and large lots, it would be difficult to imitate the intimate feel of the Pearl.

"Who would want to walk through a suburban office park and major arterial to get to retail?" he asked.

Of course, 10 years from now, Bartell's opinion may change.

"If you would have asked me 20 years ago whether the Pearl could have made it this far, I would have said, 'No way.' "

Esmeralda Bermudez: 503-221-4388; ebermudez@news.oregonian.com
http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/117825642846990.xml&coll=7

[MarkDaMan]

conceptual rendering and plan summary here:

http://www.ci.hillsboro.or.us/Planning_Department/documents/Concept_Plan_Summary.pdf

[zilfondel]

is there any information on the SunRose condos out there that we haven't seen?

Fire department was out cutting the old building into pieces as part of their training... :rolleyes:

=================================

^^^ According to the Concept Plan PDF for the Hillsboro "high-density development," they only plan on allowing a maximum of 3.0 FAR for the highest density lots. Most of the rest of the project will only be around .3 - .7 FAR for the "higher density" infill areas. That's pretty damn low... how the heck are you supposed to build 25 story buildings with structured parking on a max FAR of 3?! I don't think this will be particularly urban... more like a nice park-like suburban setting with towers placed every few hundred yards, at best. Corbusier, anyone?


Ironically, in their conceptual images, they show a lot of pictures of point towers and urban settings in Vancouver CA. :P

[MarkDaMan]

Planners eye construction in booming Hillsboro
04:53 PM PDT on Monday, May 7, 2007
By JOE SMITH, KGW Staff

Hillsboro is Oregon's fifth largest city, for now. But, in years to come it's predicted the city will move up a notch. All of Washington Country is expected to double in population. It has planners thinking forward and looking skyward to create a true urban living experience.

Some 580 acres of prime real estate sit in just the right spot city leaders hope will become the centerpiece of a city with the city.

"We have very high employment, we have good income and we have very few property owners all of whom are capable of making it happen," said David Lelanda, consultant on the OHSU/Amberglen concept.

The mixed-use project of retail, office and housing will sit to the north next to the Streets of Tanasborne on NW Cornell Avenue. It will extend East to 185th avenue and West to 206th avenue and South to the max line.

"The conditions are right -- it really establishes a new paradigm in terms of urban development," said Leland.

It's expected the population of Washington County will double within the next 30 years, hitting 400, 000 people. That will creating a need for condos, townhouses and high density housing. Leland calls it classic city building. The focus of the planned community is several high rise buildings. They could be as high as twenty stories.

"They will live in higher density if they're getting something in return. So one of the elements here is to create about a forty acre park We're calling it central park," Leland said.

While the need for high rise living doesn't exist now, Hillsboro Mayor Tom Hughes believes, "There's going to be a demand, " in the future. " We know we've got seven to eight thousand jobs in the pipeline right now. Those jobs usually create two to three additional jobs, so you're looking at an additional 24 thousand jobs," he said.

Like other cities across the country planning for the future, Hillsboro is taking a page from Portland's Pearl district. A streetcar system will transport residents from home to work to shopping. I will also connect to the main Max line on Baseline Road.

Mayor Hughes says it all part of being patient during the planning. He wants potential developers to take their time to think the project through completely.

"We've probably been able to do the best urban planning of any jurisdiction in the region and that's beginning to pay fruit," he said.

But, it will take at least 15 to 20 years before the project is complete. And it will take some two billion dollars when it's all said and done. And it will take convincing developers it's a viable project. Consultant David Leland says this is such a pioneering project, developers want to be sure it is marketable.

It will take at least another two years of planning before any construction will begin.

[ForAteOh]

^ What do you guys think are the chances of this development happening anytime soon?

I guess I should introduce myself to you guys now... My name is Brian and I'm going to be moving to Hillsboro from the Phoenix area in late July. My wife will be going to optometry school at Pacific U in Forest Grove, hence the move to the western suburbs of Portland. I am in the process of buying a townhouse in Hillsboro in the Orenco Station area (~231st & the Max Line if I remember correctly).

I've been less active on SSP lately because I've been busy getting married and planning this move to OR, but I've been reading about Portland developments from time to time on your forum. There seems to be a lot going on, and I'm very excited about the move. We visited in mid May and loved Portland. Much more my speed than Phoenix. Hillsboro seemed pretty rural/suburban in many parts, but I liked the transit oriented neighborhoods along the Max line. I can't remember who posted that photo thread of Portland's Suburban Development a few months back, but I really enjoyed that. The new homes being built in the area are much different than the cookie-cutter sprawl being thrown up around Phoenix.

Anyway, hopefully when I'm all settled, I'll be able to contribute to your forum as I become more knowledgeable about things in that area. Just wanted to introduce myself and say that there will be another Portland-area forumer coming your way in a few weeks.

[PacificNW]

Welcome to the Pacific Northwest....once you get past the grey skies you, and your wife, will love the possibilities!

[MarkDaMan]

The Hillsboro development is a ways off. Probably nothing for at least 5 to 7 years. Though once things take off, they take the 'ef off.

Hillsboro is still really suburban, it is one of the last burbs before the coast range. It connects to downtown Portland both on the MAX and freeway really easily. There is hope for the town, the mayor and council seem to be forward thinking for the most part, and buy into the Metro dense growth idea, probably moreso than closer in Beaverton. Orenco is nice, lots of activity in the area, and you are investing into a good area. That part of Hillsboro is only going to get better, Intel will continue to grow and build a community of high tech off-shoots, according to a recent newspaper article, and Hillsboro is planning on being a major submarket of Portland. Downtown Hillsboro has good bones, just needs some heigh...

Anyway, Welcome, are you going to change your handle to FiveOhTree?

[MarkDaMan]

Library site might house high-rises
Development - Hillsboro is marketing a five-acre property as mixed-use commercial
Monday, June 25, 2007
MARJON ROSTAMI The Oregonian
The Oregonian

HILLSBORO -- Three years after voters narrowly rejected funding for a new library in the Tanasbourne area, the city is hoping to attract a large, urban-style commercial and residential development to the vacant site.

The five-acre parcel at Northwest Cornell Road and John Olsen Avenue is marketed as mixed-use commercial -- retail on the bottom, residential on top -- and priced between $3 million and $5 million, said Marion Hemphill, capital planning and development director. A portion of the earnings would pay for the city's new main library, which recently opened on Northeast Brookwood Parkway.

The city hopes to develop the John Olsen land in accordance with the OHSU/AmberGlen concept, which includes a 20-year plan for high-density urban development, said Wink Brooks, the city's former planning and economic development liaison who retired in March. This is his last project with the city.

The five acres is west of the OHSU/AmberGlen area but is included in the concept plan, Hemphill said.

"We want to get the maximum use out of the land, obviously," Brooks said. "That means a very urban project that could see the construction of 11 million square feet of development."

The project could range from single-story units to as high as 20- to 25-story buildings, Brooks said.

"What we could see is a different paradigm in the suburbs," he said.

Initial offers for the five-acre site are due July 9.

The land, which the city bought in 1999 for $1.5 million, went on the market about two weeks ago. Since then, the city has received at least 20 serious inquiries but no official offers, said Keith Young, a broker with GVA Kidder Mathews, the commercial real-estate firm in Portland hired by the city.

The city initially bought the land to build a 60,000-square-foot library and police precinct. But in 2004, voters rejected the $25.5 million bond intended to pay for the construction. Instead, the city bought and renovated an existing building on Brookwood Parkway for about $13 million, said Rob Massar, assistant city manager. The new main library opened in May.

Part of the earnings -- about $2 million -- from the expected sale of the John Olsen property is essential to the financing plan of the new library, Hemphill said. The remainder will go back into the capitol development fund that the city used to buy the land.

"It's a very nice site that has generated a lot of interest," Young said. "I don't think the city will have any problems selling the property."

Marjon Rostami: 503-221-4388; marjonrostami@ news.oregonian.com
http://www.oregonlive.com/metrowest/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/metro_west_news/1182740116274230.xml&coll=7

[Drew-Ski]

I am surprised Beaverton hasn't put togther a plan simular to Hillsboro's Amberglen. It is hard to imagine Hillsboro leapfrogging past Beaverton. Another place of interest is the Kruse Way Office Park in LO. It was mentioned at one time that 10-20 story buildings would be constructed at that site. There seems to be a lot of demand for office space there. Has any body heard anything about this?

[bvpcvm]

^^ i remember, like, 20 years ago, there was talk of a 20-or-so story building near 217/i-5. i think i read recently there's another office building the pipeline, but it sounded like it was another 5-8 story thing.

[Drew-Ski]

^^ i remember, like, 20 years ago, there was talk of a 20-or-so story building near 217/i-5. i think i read recently there's another office building the pipeline, but it sounded like it was another 5-8 story thing.

What a waste! There are already a dozen or so office buildings that ht already. That area could support a larger office tower. I believe the area is close to build-out, so time could be running out unless of course ht. restrictions are in place there.

[pdxstreetcar]

kruse way is a pretty popular business address so i could definately see another tower in that general area. there was a large article in the oregonian about a week ago about kruse way

its seems to me hillsboro is much further ahead of beaverton in the TOD/density area. but the old movie theater site next to the beaverton round looks like it is about to start construction on something.

i'm not so sure about this hillsboro amberglen project solely because it is a good distance from the max line. why not do something like this next to an existing max station, theres still quite a bit of developable land near the stations.

i just explored the westside max line a few days ago to see what new has been built since the last time i saw which was about a year ago, lots of construction along most of the stations west of beaverton and those empty lots between orenco max station and the official "orenco station" development are either completed or nearing completion. exploring the communities along westside max is great on a sunny summer evening

[zilfondel]

^ because large out-of-state real estate investment & development firms usually much prefer large open sites than small infill ones. This is one of the reason that Opus is probably the only major out of town developer in Portland...

It's easier to make projects 'pencil out' and all that good stuff.

Also, quite frankly, Beaverton has its head in the sand.

[pdxstreetcar]

i think your right on with the developers wanting the large parcels, but think about what a long range development opportunity buying up now those small lots next to the max stations would be once all the big lots get developed

speaking of large parcels for urban development, the willamette week has even more good development news that the lincoln high campus is "in the initial stages of reimagining the downtown campus as a mixed use hub of city services and possibly other offerings such as housing."

[MarkDaMan]

Milwaukie expects revitalization effect for downtown
Portland Business Journal - June 29, 2007
by Jon Bell
Special to the Business Journal

Like other recent efforts to revitalize the downtowns of Portland's suburban communities, North Main Village in Milwaukie faces great expectations.

Completed in January of this year, the $14 million mixed-use project -- which includes both rental and for-sale residential units and some 9,000 square feet of retail space on Main Street -- is the first major construction development to hit downtown Milwaukie in roughly 10 years.

And the great hope is that North Main will serve as the catalyst for Milwaukie's rejuvenation.

"The idea," says developer Tom Kemper, managing member of KemperCo LLC, "was to create a mixed-use village that was fairly high-density and that would kick off a renaissance in downtown Milwaukie."

The project arose in part out of the city of Milwaukie's 2000 Downtown Milwaukie Comprehensive Plan. Like plans for many other satellite city centers around Portland, Milwaukie's version called for a revitalization of the downtown core with new businesses and new living opportunities.

Kenny Asher, Milwaukie's director of community development and public works, says the site for North Main -- nearly 2 acres -- sat in disuse for years before the city purchased it.

"The site had been envisioned for some catalytic redevelopment of the downtown," he says, adding that one of the original plans was to use the land for a new transit center.

The state and Metro also have been involved in the process from early on.

After an effort with one developer failed to come to fruition, Kemper stepped in and took on the project a few years ago.

"I looked at how close Milwaukie was to downtown Portland and how it was right on the [Willamette] river," he says. "Those two things are pretty attractive features, so we decided that we wanted to pursue it."

What Kemper and his team came back with was a proposal for North Main Village. The project would bring six different buildings to the site and include 64 rental units, 33 for-sale units -- condominiums and townhouses -- and ground-level retail space for shops and restaurants.

"It's nice to bring a mix of housing product and therefore a mix of people to the downtown core," says Michael McLaughlin, an associate with Myhre Group Architects, the firm that designed North Main. "I think that's the biggest thing Milwaukie will benefit from is having people living downtown."

Similar mixed-use projects have helped breathe new life into places like downtown Gresham and in Hillsboro at Orenco Station.

"I think North Main does fit into the trend as far as town centers go," McLaughlin says, "but it's definitely not a trend in Milwaukie. In Milwaukie, this is a pioneering project."

Myhre Group's design for the six buildings incorporates various architectural and construction styles that flow together but at the same time give the impression that the buildings arose separately over time. The buildings also surround a central community plaza of sorts designed, like the ground-level retail spaces, to accommodate and encourage foot traffic and local living.

Kemper says rising construction costs during the building phase of the project, as well as securing necessary financing, were the biggest challenges in bringing North Main Village from renderings to construction.

But the project may actually be facing its biggest challenge right now, which is rising to the expectations that so many have for it -- and for downtown Milwaukie.

Kemper says that all of the apartments have been rented in North Main and just seven for-sale units remain available. The retail end has been a bit slower to catch on, even though townhouses that include ground-floor retail spaces have been offered 10-year property tax abatements.

Kemper is not discouraged. He says roughly 25 percent of the retail space has been leased by a couple planning to launch a restaurant later this year that will feature modern American cuisine and "knock-your-socks-off" vegan options.

The city, too, is optimistic that North Main will eventually achieve the desired results.

"It's on its way to doing what we want it to do," Asher says. "We can't confuse the building itself for the activities it supports though. The building is there, some of the activities are there, and people are living downtown now where we didn't have that before. I think the most important thing is that people are living in and using downtown Milwaukie in new ways."

Another sign that Milwaukie is confident in the mixed-use model for revitalizing downtown? The city recently chose Kemper and his team to develop another building just across the way from North Main.

To be called Milwaukie Town Center, the new building will include 76 for-sale housing units and 16,000 square feet of retail and office space along McLoughlin Boulevard and Main Street. The side facing McLoughlin will be five stories tall, with housing units that offer views of the river.

Asher says it's projects like North Main and Milwaukie Town Center, along with long-range plans for light rail and other developments, that are reshaping the city as a whole.

"I think people ought to pull off McLoughlin and check out Main Street in Milwaukie," he says. "It's changing, and between downtown and the river, Milwaukie is really a diamond in the rough."

portland@bizjournals.com | 503-274-8733
http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2007/07/02/focus6.html?t=printable

[pdxstreetcar]

there was an article in the oregonian today that that large dump site in Oregon City that was rumored for development for years will be made into a Bridgeport Village/Streets of Tanasbourne type of project. should be a good shot in the arm for oregon city but its a little unfortunate that this retail couldnt have taken place in the historic downtown of oregon city.

although i understand downtown OC is starting to revive and this project isnt all that far away from it.

[bvpcvm]

there was an article in the oregonian today that that large dump site in Oregon City that was rumored for development for years will be made into a Bridgeport Village/Streets of Tanasbourne type of project. should be a good shot in the arm for oregon city but its a little unfortunate that this retail couldnt have taken place in the historic downtown of oregon city.

although i understand downtown OC is starting to revive and this project isnt all that far away from it.

...AND the article hinted that H&M might be coming!

[Snowden352]

:previous:
Okay... call me a philistine, but what is H & M?

[WESTSEATTLEGUY]

^^^^

It's a very fashionable Swedish Clothing Company.

See here-http://www.hm.com/

[pdxtraveler]

^^^^

It's a very fashionable Swedish Clothing Company.

See here-http://www.hm.com/

Fashionable, yes, but more importantly to me.. very affordable!

[WESTSEATTLEGUY]

^^^

That's all that matters!!! ;)

[bvpcvm]

it's the IKEA of fashion!!

[WESTSEATTLEGUY]

LOL!!!! :lmao:

[zilfondel]

^ So whatever happened to the Portland thriftshop phenom?

omg, did I just say 'phenom?!' Ugh... :P