Ankeny Blocks - Goodman Lots | 11 Buildings

[innovativethinking]

Originally Posted by Derek

I agree. The architecture in this town is so incredibly lacking. It would be nice to get some glassy curves. I just wish it were 600+ feet.

This is not happening anytime soon

[Derek]

Originally Posted by innovativethinking

This is not happening anytime soon

People keep saying this, but I'd like to see concrete evidence as to why. Some of the lowest vacancy rates in the country in both apartment rentals and commercial space, growing hotel needs, yet most of what we're getting is 6 story boxes. I've said this before in another thread somewhere on here, but I just don't get it. I get the whole "lack of large corporate presence" thing, but I don't see why we can't get a tower that's 20 stories of office, 20 stories of apartments, and 20 stories of hotel rooms. I'm not an economic major or anything, but a mixed use tower like that seems like it would make a ton of sense in Portland. PAW is a good start, I just can't get why developers and investors in Portland can't think big. It's pathetic with how much growth Portland has had in the past few decades that our tallest building was built in 1972. It would be nice to get something that pushes the 600 foot mark just to modernize the skyline a bit. I know, I know, built urban form is more important than tall buildings. I just think a new tallest would make a huge impact for this city.

[hat]

"Surface parking lots should go away," Seltzer said. "The historic district has become kind of a de facto parking district supporting the rest of downtown, and it's kind of held back the development that the district needs."

Imagine the impetus for development were the city to decide on a moratorium via tax on surface parking lots over a specific size in the central city. What area of the inner SE is parking lot?

[innovativethinking]

Originally Posted by Derek

People keep saying this, but I'd like to see concrete evidence as to why. Some of the lowest vacancy rates in the country in both apartment rentals and commercial space, growing hotel needs, yet most of what we're getting is 6 story boxes. I've said this before in another thread somewhere on here, but I just don't get it. I get the whole "lack of large corporate presence" thing, but I don't see why we can't get a tower that's 20 stories of office, 20 stories of apartments, and 20 stories of hotel rooms. I'm not an economic major or anything, but a mixed use tower like that seems like it would make a ton of sense in Portland. PAW is a good start, I just can't get why developers and investors in Portland can't think big. It's pathetic with how much growth Portland has had in the past few decades that our tallest building was built in 1972. It would be nice to get something that pushes the 600 foot mark just to modernize the skyline a bit. I know, I know, built urban form is more important than tall buildings. I just think a new tallest would make a huge impact for this city.

That's what I been saying for awhile now. If not now in this booming economy then when? If we can't get nothing over 550ft now then I'm afraid we never will.


From what I understand is there's tons of old buildings that can be converted to creative spaces first before anything is built. Once those are out then I guess we MIGHT be able to see some game changers.

But I'm afraid this city just doesn't do tall buildings other than your occasional 28 story tower here and there

[mhays]

This would be phenomenal.

I suspect that residential developers will be interested. This neighborhood seems like a great place to live, and there must be a pent-up demand to be in the actual core vs. a few blocks outside it. Lease rates are always a risk but a smaller one, and you can build it without pre-leasing. Further, the lot sizes might be better for residential -- I don't know Portland's parking codes, but 200x100' is inefficient for garages, and I suspect you'd get away with a lot less parking (relative to leasable area) for housing than for office. Condos would be somewhere in between because you generally need more parking, and you typically need to pre-sell unless the developer team is really well capitalized.

[innovativethinking]

Originally Posted by mhays

This would be phenomenal.

I suspect that residential developers will be interested. This neighborhood seems like a great place to live, and there must be a pent-up demand to be in the actual core vs. a few blocks outside it. Lease rates are always a risk but a smaller one, and you can build it without pre-leasing. Further, the lot sizes might be better for residential -- I don't know Portland's parking codes, but 200x100' is inefficient for garages, and I suspect you'd get away with a lot less parking (relative to leasable area) for housing than for office. Condos would be somewhere in between because you generally need more parking, and you typically need to pre-sell unless the developer team is really well capitalized.

Yes in theory this would be phenomenal but this is no where close to happening for the record.

The article and the comments both paint this as some formal development plan that is underway. It is really a concept plan for a group of blocks the Goodman own. They have decided now is the time to start working on development deals for these blocks. There are no buildings in for design review, no permits issued, yet there are a bunch of comments about a plan that doesn't really exist in any detail.

[downtownpdx]

^ I wouldn't be so pessimistic, I have a feeling developers would be eager to build some tall mixed use projects in an increasingly touristy part of downtown. Especially, as a previous post noted, when we have some of the lowest commercial and residential vacancy rates in the nation.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by mhays

This would be phenomenal.

I suspect that residential developers will be interested. This neighborhood seems like a great place to live, and there must be a pent-up demand to be in the actual core vs. a few blocks outside it. Lease rates are always a risk but a smaller one, and you can build it without pre-leasing. Further, the lot sizes might be better for residential -- I don't know Portland's parking codes, but 200x100' is inefficient for garages, and I suspect you'd get away with a lot less parking (relative to leasable area) for housing than for office. Condos would be somewhere in between because you generally need more parking, and you typically need to pre-sell unless the developer team is really well capitalized.

The comment about the garage size being inefficient is untrue. The Embassy Suites' garage is a half block and functions quite well. Though I am not a fan of a site being solely used for just parking, that does seem to be a bit of a waste.

[theoberheim]

This would be nice, but keep in mind, this is Portland. At most we will see two 15 story "towers" and the rest will be 5 over 1 mixed use development.

[mhays]

Originally Posted by urbanlife

The comment about the garage size being inefficient is untrue. The Embassy Suites' garage is a half block and functions quite well. Though I am not a fan of a site being solely used for just parking, that does seem to be a bit of a waste.

I was talking about spatial efficiency, which relates to parking spaces per square foot area, construction cost, etc. I'm thinking like a construction guy, not a driver.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by mhays

I was talking about spatial efficiency, which relates to parking spaces per square foot area, construction cost, etc. I'm thinking like a construction guy, not a driver.

I gotcha, that makes more sense.

[58rhodes]

Originally Posted by theoberheim

This would be nice, but keep in mind, this is Portland. At most we will see two 15 story "towers" and the rest will be 5 over 1 mixed use development.

unfortunately this is probably close to the truth

[pylon]

the james beard public market would certainly benefit if these get built

[Rob Nob]

Originally Posted by mhays

200x100' is inefficient for garages

If they go underground they can grab space out to the curb line instead of the property line. That tends to make it layout efficiently. On a full block, 224'x224' could layout nicely.

[Rob Nob]

Originally Posted by urbanlife

The comment about the garage size being inefficient is untrue. The Embassy Suites' garage is a half block and functions quite well. Though I am not a fan of a site being solely used for just parking, that does seem to be a bit of a waste.

I think it is quite true based on the city standards. For a double loaded parking aisle you need 52' wall to wall, so with 100' wide site you can't fit two efficient aisles. You could angle park, but that is poor efficiency.

Like I noted above, below grade it what makes it work for two aisles.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by Rob Nob

I think it is quite true based on the city standards. For a double loaded parking aisle you need 52' wall to wall, so with 100' wide site you can't fit two efficient aisles. You could angle park, but that is poor efficiency.

Like I noted above, below grade it what makes it work for two aisles.

I am not sure I follow you here, you can have angle parking along the ramp and straight in parking along the aisle. That is how it is done in the garage at the Embassy Suites. Though I misunderstood what he was saying, I thought he said it couldn't be done, I wasn't commenting about how efficient it was.

[65MAX]

I think automated parking is going to become the norm as the technology matures and becomes more cost effective. Typical parking garages use way too much valuable real estate downtown where costs/sf are getting more and more expensive. Since most of these Ankeny Blocks (only one of which is actually on Ankeny, BTW, so kind of a misnomer) are 1/2 and 1/4 block sites, I can see all of these proposed point towers using automated parking. If they even have parking.

[Photogeric]

Greg Goodman on KATU tonight at 6:30 talking about the potential project and food cart relocation...

[mhays]

Below-grade private parking can extend into public right of way in Portland? Very interesting, and surprising.

[maccoinnich]

Only under the sidewalk, I think, but yes it can. Requires an encroachment permit.