Downtown Portland News - Page 141

philopdx · #**2801** Posted **Apr 22, 2012, 3:54 AM**

Target update 4-21-2012:

Derek · #**2802** Posted **Apr 22, 2012, 4:48 AM**

What time were you over there? I was getting lunch right around 12:45 at the Hawaiian food cart on the other side of the street.

philopdx · #**2803** Posted **Apr 22, 2012, 10:38 PM**

About 1:30 maybe?

Derek · #**2804** Posted **Apr 22, 2012, 11:21 PM**

Ah we just missed each other.

Black Box · #**2805** Posted **Apr 23, 2012, 3:25 PM**

I've been to Portland twice in the last two weeks and I always manage to forget the name of the tower going up across from Nordstrom. I love that location. My experiences have been pleasant and bright, my 3 year Portland drought is definitely over.

Derek · #**2806** Posted **Apr 23, 2012, 4:40 PM**

Park Avenue West. From my understanding, it's been an unfinished project for a number of years now. I believe there's a thread somewhere in the Portland subsection about it. I think there's plans to start it up again next year?

Ah, here it is:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...123828&page=46

Sioux612 · #**2807** Posted **Apr 26, 2012, 2:33 AM**

With the weather nice (finally) I walked through downtown and noticed two blocks I think should be ideal for development:

The block between the Koin Tower and the hideous Marriott and the empty block behind the Strand buildings.

What are the height limits for this area?

MarkDaMan · #**2808** Posted **Apr 26, 2012, 3:21 AM**

There was a mid-rise tower proposed for the block behind the Marriott from the 90s actually that resurfaced before the economy tanked a few years ago. The underground parking garage was built, I believe, with the foundation to support the tower. The Strand block is up for sale by the PDC, there's two bids for hotels, and one for an apartment building. I think it's in the South Waterfront thread but not sure.

NJD · #**2809** Posted **Apr 26, 2012, 4:10 AM**

100 Columbia. Was a 14 story commercial building with a street side plaza built on an existing underground parking garage. Forgot about that proposal...

Sioux612 · #**2810** Posted **Apr 26, 2012, 8:21 AM**

It definitely looks '90's!

Actually, it kinda reminds me of First and Main.

2oh1 · #**2811** Posted **Apr 26, 2012, 6:03 PM**

As long as we're on the topic and in the neighborhood... this is only a block or two away at SW 2nd and Jefferson. It's a building with so much potential that has sat vacant - pretty much abandoned - for probably at least 15 years. Maybe double that? I'd love to see it rehabbed. I'd especially love to see it turned into loft homes, though I know that's not at all likely. I'm a sucker for lofts, especially in old buildings with great bones. I used to live in the building this is against, The Essex House, years ago. I loved living in this part of downtown.

MarkDaMan · #**2812** Posted **Apr 27, 2012, 10:26 PM**

Iconic - and beloved - Galleria is for sale
Portland Business Journal by Wendy Culverwell , Business Journal staff writer
Date: Friday, April 27, 2012, 2:58pm PDT - Last Modified: Friday, April 27, 2012, 3:04pm PDT

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/...&ed=2012-04-27

Quote:

...We learned this week that The Bill Naito Co. is offering it for sale. It’s no surprise.

With Target Corp. slated to take two floors for a new urban-themed retail outlet, The Galleria at long last has a future to match its past. With Target Corp., Brooks Brothers and other tenants signed to long-term leases, Bill Naito Co. can expect to turn a nice profit on the building.

It’s a good time for The Galleria and historic preservationists who want to see the 1910-built department store rehabilitated and reused.
Thanks to Target, The Galleria is getting a $15 million makeover worthy of its proud retail history.

That includes more than $3 million earmarked for seismic updates. The investment ensures The Galleria will play a major role in Portland’s retail scene for decades to come...

MarkDaMan · #**2813** Posted **Apr 27, 2012, 10:28 PM**

Provenance takes stake in The Governor
Premium content from Portland Business Journal by Wendy Culverwell , Business Journal staff writer
Date: Friday, April 27, 2012, 3:00am PDT

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/...-governor.html

Quote:

Downtown Portland’s 100-room Governor Hotel will get a light makeover after its sale to a new ownership group.

Portland-based Provenance Hotel Group is teaming with Dallas-based Woodbine Development Co. to buy the hotel from the Royal Bank of Scotland. Woodbine Development is a real estate investment firm associated with members of the prominent Hunt family in Texas.

The deal will close in May. Terms were not disclosed...

Sioux612 · #**2814** Posted **Apr 29, 2012, 11:11 PM**

Ok, I was strolling through DT again today (great weather!) and there is one block that bothers me more than the empty PAW hole: The Oak Tower block.

That was one of my favorite proposals but now it's just an absolute eyesore.

MarkDaMan · #**2815** Posted **Apr 30, 2012, 2:55 AM**

That's Randy Leonard's hole! The tower was set to go and he made a big fuss about providing tax breaks for the proposed affordable units in the building, thinking they should be multiple bedroom family size apartments on all level of floors, instead of affordable studios in the lower portion of the tower. Worked out well for downtown, eh?

Grantenfuego · #**2816** Posted **Apr 30, 2012, 8:11 AM**

A picture of downtown Portland's surface parking lots, vacant buildings and undeveloped blocks I stumbled across.

This was in a compilation of similar images from other US cities.

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/art...ibrancy-killer

Portland, in comparison to many other major cities, fared pretty well. Still this number is way too high for my liking.

Mr. Walch · #**2817** Posted **May 1, 2012, 1:45 AM**

I agree. Far too much vacant land. And just think, that does not even include other close in areas like Lloyd Center/Rose Quarter and South Waterfront. I often think what this city really needs is just 100,000 more people to live and work on all those vacant site.

Grantenfuego · #**2818** Posted **May 1, 2012, 9:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Walch

I often think what this city really needs is just 100,000 more people to live and work on all those vacant site.

I'm sure they're on the way. The US population is estimated to go up 100 million in the next 30 years, I'm sure the Portland metropolitan area will receive at least a million of that.

MarkDaMan · #**2819** Posted **May 4, 2012, 12:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grantenfuego

A picture of downtown Portland's surface parking lots, vacant buildings and undeveloped blocks I stumbled across.

Thanks for sharing. I do have a couple clarifications. The Morrison bridgehead is preparing for a public market and office tower. The USPS parking lot is another large chunk of land the city is trying to purchase and redevelop. A large piece in the far west Pearl is the under construction Fields. In NW, those large blocks are Con-Way property, preparing to be developed. Those four projects significantly reduces the amount of squared off land.

But yes, I agree, we still have a lot of work to do.

2oh1 · #**2820** Posted **May 4, 2012, 2:29 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkDaMan

I do have a couple clarifications...

That was very true. It's amazing to think of those huge chunks of land that are (hopefully) going to soon be changing for the better. That being said, every time I pass the parking lots at SW 10th & Main, I just shrug. It's sad. I realize those lots make money, but it's sad. It's amazing how much prime land is wasted, even in the heart of downtown. And it's sad.