Old Town/Chinatown News

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Tuck Lung building DAR #2 drawings [9MB] and memo the Landmarks Commission.

So paint it black? Is SERA trolling the Landmarks Commission?

[mmeade]

Originally Posted by 2oh1

Design Advice? I can sum up my advice in one word: DON'T.

The ground story lacks any character whatsoever. It couldn't be any more generic if they tried. And the second story...? Oof. Just oof. The proportions make it look imposingly top heavy, but for what purpose? The street level looks like it belongs in a bad strip mall, not in Chinatown, and the top looks like they're trying to hide a garage. I don't see how the redesign is a benefit. Why not clean up and improve what's there?

I don't understand this at all. Hopefully they get sent back to the drawing board.

Looks like you got your wish? Honestly, I prefer the clean lines of the first proposal over the mish mash of the second.

[RainDog]

Originally Posted by urbanlife

So paint it black? Is SERA trolling the Landmarks Commission?

It seems like the main alteration here is to open up the street level retail. Which may not seem like much, but it would be a welcome improvement.

[tworivers]

The scope of this project seems pretty weak. If we can't snap our fingers and magically recreate the original handsomely-proportioned building on this site I'd suggest tearing this thing down, building anew, and giving the neighborhood some additional square footage to work with. Or retain the facade and hire a quality architecture firm to go higher out of the existing shell.

[johnliu]

There's really no design or visual relationship between the Grove Hotel and the new building, is there?

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

[PacificNW]

Originally Posted by johnliu

There's really no design or visual relationship between the Grove Hotel and the new building, is there?

I have the same thoughts. Is there a historical reason the Grove was saved? I don't care for the disconnect between the old and the new.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by PacificNW

I have the same thoughts. Is there a historical reason the Grove was saved? I don't care for the disconnect between the old and the new.

The Grove Hotel is a historic landmark building, built in 1907 as a low income hotel, it is also one of the buildings that was affected by the widening of Burnside.

The original version of the building was twice as wide.

[2oh1]

Originally Posted by mmeade

Looks like you got your wish? Honestly, I prefer the clean lines of the first proposal over the mish mash of the second.

Well... it's better than what they were going to do, but that's not saying much.

Originally Posted by RainDog

It seems like the main alteration here is to open up the street level retail. Which may not seem like much, but it would be a welcome improvement.

That is true... but this is too:

Originally Posted by tworivers

The scope of this project seems pretty weak.

[downtownpdx]

I'd forgotten about this project, but looks like the time share development is going up on the waterfront. (Sorry for the drive-by shots).


20171119_131319 by Ryan Miller, on Flickr

20171119_131308 by Ryan Miller, on Flickr

[urbanlife]

I noticed the crane was up last week, I have a photo on my phone of it that I have been meaning to upload and post.

[maccoinnich]

Thanks for sharing. It sure is nice to finally see that gaps along Naito filling in.

[maccoinnich]

According to an article ($) in the PBJ Naito Development has sold the Grove Hotel to London hotelier Ennismore. They will brand the hotel as The Hoxton Portland.

[johnliu]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

According to an article ($) in the PBJ Naito Development has sold the Grove Hotel to London hotelier Ennismore. They will brand the hotel as The Hoxton Portland.

They must have Photoshopped out the homeless. I wouldn't bet on a nice hotel on that particular block. Unless the city has a secret plan that we don't know about.

[MarkDaMan]

Originally Posted by johnliu

They must have Photoshopped out the homeless. I wouldn't bet on a nice hotel on that particular block. Unless the city has a secret plan that we don't know about.

There's a nice hotel coming on that particular block and it's almost complete. So close to Ankeny Alley and Pine Street Market as well as in the middle of the downtown PDX nightlife district...I think the hotelier will do well.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by MarkDaMan

There's a nice hotel coming on that particular block and it's almost complete. So close to Ankeny Alley and Pine Street Market as well as in the middle of the downtown PDX nightlife district...I think the hotelier will do well.

I am almost 100% sure you are talking about the Grove Hotel. I am confused on who owned the Grove Hotel. I thought the city owned the buildings and sold it to a hotel developer that is building the hotel that is going up now. I didn't realize Naito Development bought it and started building a hotel, something that seems to be outside of what they would typically do with their property. Either way, good for them for selling a hotel before it is even completed, that way they don't have to deal with the issue of running a hotel.

[maccoinnich]

The surface parking on Block 25 (bound by Flanders, 4th, Glisan and 3rd) is going to be transfered from OMF to Prosper Portland. Once NW Natural moves out of Old Town that will make the block available for development.

https://prosperportland.us/wp-conten...port-18-12.pdf

https://prosperportland.us/wp-conten...ution-7269.pdf

[maccoinnich]

A downtown 'resort' set to land on Naito

A Florida company said Monday it plans to bring an Orlando touch to the core of downtown Portland.

Wyndham Destinations (NYSE: WYND) plans to build "a vacation ownership resort" at the corner of Southwest Naito Parkway and Pine Street. The 75-unit effort, called WorldMark Portland, could be ready by July 2019, the company said.

Some 100 jobs will result from the project, which will include condo-style suites. Wyndham said 550 workers will have jobs during construction.

"This will be an exciting location for us," said Michael D. Brown, the company's president and CEO in a release. "Resorts like this provide desirable destinations for our owners, while also helping facilitate lead generation and new-owner sales,"

...continues at the Portland Business Journal.

[maccoinnich]

A Pre-Application Conference has been scheduled to discuss demolition of the old Blanchet House at NW 3rd & Glisan:

Removal of the three-story building currently occupying the parcel at 340 NW Glisan Street based on existing conditions and barriers to reasonable economic use of the site. Potential small scale replacement structure options to be discussed as well. This is a contributing structure in Historic New Chinatown/Japantown. CC - Old Town/Chinatown Plan District.

This is going to be pretty contentious.

[maccoinnich]

Notice of a Pre-Application Conference for the demolition of the old Blanchet House

[maccoinnich]

Honestly not in love with the idea of buying this building to demolish it.

Old Town building selected as Portland's latest housing bond acquisition



Portland's housing bureau will buy, tear down and replace an Old Town apartment building to house low-income renters.

The Westwind apartment building, at 333. N.W. Sixth Ave., would be the fifth acquisition funded by the housing bond the city's voters approved in 2016. The site will cost $3 million, and construction will bring the project cost to about $20 million.

In addition to housing bond funds, the project will also draw from the Downtown Waterfront Urban Renewal Area, and Multnomah County has dedicated $4 million from the sale of the county's Wapato Jail toward the project.

The purchase will go to the Portland City Council for approval this fall.

...continues at the Oregonian.