Pearl District News

[babs]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Looks like this half block site sold for $7,150,000 in January.

Guessing that it wont be the 24 hour fitness parking garage much longer. Both this block and the 24 fitness building across the street are ripe for redevelopment. A new flagship location for 24 would do really well here. Of course, topped by the usual mix of apartments.

[maccoinnich]

Notice of a Public Hearing for Overton 15.

[maccoinnich]

[maccoinnich]

[maccoinnich]

Final Findings and Decision by the Landmarks Commission on Pearl East. There is one neighbor who is extremely upset by this building, and tried to talk the Neighborhood Association into opposing the project (they didn't). He's been threatening to appeal the project, so it will be interesting to see if he does.

[RainDog]

Seems strange that this design could elicit hatred in someone. It's extremely unoffensive and contextually appropriate on top of that... What was his reasoning?

[maccoinnich]

It is a) beside his condo and b) a lot taller than his condo.

[Leo]

Originally Posted by RainDog

Seems strange that this design could elicit hatred in someone. It's extremely unoffensive and contextually appropriate on top of that... What was his reasoning?

If it's a few individuals who are very strongly opposed, it's almost a sure bet that they are neighbors who are being personally impacted by the new building.
It's easier to understand when you imagine a few hundred thousand dollars of your own money at stake ...

[RainDog]

Originally Posted by Leo

It's easier to understand when you imagine a few hundred thousand dollars of your own money at stake ...

He must own a unit on the south side of the confectionery building. I wonder exactly how much that will effect the value of his unit. Seems like there is a decent buffer space between the two properties, but that still will greatly reduce the amount of light reaching those lofts.

Regardless, that's the risk you take buying next to a vacant lot in an urban center. Wah wah.

[Leo]

Originally Posted by RainDog

He must own a unit on the south side of the confectionery building. I wonder exactly how much that will effect the value of his unit. Seems like there is a decent buffer space between the two properties, but that still will greatly reduce the amount of light reaching those lofts.

Regardless, that's the risk you take buying next to a vacant lot in an urban center. Wah wah.

That’s what I would guess, probably one of the penthouse units on the south side of Confectionary Lofts.

Yeah it’s a risk, just like taking the risk of an accident when you get into a car – and just because you knowingly take the risk doesn’t mean you don’t try to manage it. Protesting with a Neighborhood Association seems a fairly appropriate way to manage it. Not so strange.

[Derek]

Or maybe this guy shouldn't have bought a unit in the middle of the city?

[maccoinnich]

Originally Posted by Leo

That’s what I would guess, probably one of the penthouse units on the south side of Confectionary Lofts.

Yeah it’s a risk, just like taking the risk of an accident when you get into a car – and just because you knowingly take the risk doesn’t mean you don’t try to manage it. Protesting with a Neighborhood Association seems a fairly appropriate way to manage it. Not so strange.

I just looked it up: the guy who opposes the project bought his condo in 2014, a time at which there was already a substantial amount of construction going on in the Pearl. If he didn't expect that lot to develop at some point he was exceptionally naive.

[pdxwonderboy]

Another one of the opposed also lives in the building and will be losing sunlight (I happen to know her). So yeah, nothing rational about opposition to this.

[Derek]

Originally Posted by pdxwonderboy

Another one of the opposed also lives in the building and will be losing sunlight (I happen to know her). So yeah, nothing rational about opposition to this.

Again, maybe she shouldn't have bought a unit in the middle of a city?

[Leo]

Again, even if you knowingly take a risk doesn’t mean you don’t try to actively manage it. Going to a couple of Neighborhood Association meetings and raising a stink is pretty cheap. Low cost / low probability of success – doesn’t seem unreasonable to me.

I find it interesting that the default reaction here seems to be that this guy should just roll over and take it; otherwise he must be either dumb or crazy. This is just a fundamentally unrealisitic expectation of how human beings act. When an outsider rolls into your neighborhood and proposes to do something that makes your daily life worse, it should not be a surprise that some people make a little noise instead of rolling over and taking it. It’s not that difficult to understand.

[Derek]

It's the inherent risk of buying property in the middle of a city, next to a vacant parking lot no less.

[2oh1]

Originally Posted by Leo

It's easier to understand when you imagine a few hundred thousand dollars of your own money at stake ...

Anyone who's buying a home needs to be smart enough to consider the potential impact of what's in the neighborhood that could be redeveloped.

[2oh1]

Originally Posted by Leo

I find it interesting that the default reaction here seems to be that this guy should just roll over and take it;

Take it? Take what? He knew the risk when he bought his home, otherwise he must be dumb.

Originally Posted by Leo

...otherwise he must be either dumb or crazy.

Exactly.

Actually, my first guess is that he's not a particularly good person. Greedy, and selfish. How dare they build on land I don't own!

Originally Posted by Leo

This is just a fundamentally unrealisitic expectation of how human beings act.

It's a reminder that not all human beings are good.

[maccoinnich]

Originally Posted by Leo

When an outsider rolls into your neighborhood and proposes to do something that makes your daily life worse, it should not be a surprise that some people make a little noise instead of rolling over and taking it. It’s not that difficult to understand.

The "outsider" being Keen, who have had their headquarters in the Pearl since 2006, and at 13th & Glisan since 2012.

[pdxlexus]

I use to have to deal with situations like this frequently when I work in the Multnomah County Planning Division. Someone would call up to complain about a development proposed for a vacant piece of land and tell me that the relator told them that, "it would always be a vacant property". When I heard statements like that I was tempted to offer to sell them a bridge.