Park Avenue West | 450 feet | 26 floors | On Hold - Page 49

Sioux612 · #**961** Posted: **Jan 5, 2013, 3:05 AM**

The vacant hole to the family feud, I've lost respect for TMT. Economy aside, they've handled this poorly.

But at least there is plywood bordering the plot with art on it! lol

tworivers · #**962** Posted: **Jan 5, 2013, 3:36 AM**

Quote:

2oh1: The city needs some sort of law to prevent developers from tearing the city apart and then sitting on a construction site due to a lack of motivation.

Totally agree. Particularly when historic/old fabric buildings are being demolished. I wonder, though, how such a law would translate/be implemented. Any specific ideas? The PAW hole might not exist in the first place -- or TMT might have been compelled to sell the hole to Gerding by now.

NJD · #**963** Posted: **Jan 5, 2013, 7:53 PM**

It is what it is, and market conditions reign king. For me, a lower height and remorse over what existed before do not trump the prospects of well-designed streetscape, good overall architecture, and need. I like the current design for these reasons, albeit not as good as the original specs had the market not crashed. I'm not a fan of Le Corbusier like TVA are, but the white and glass box will look good with our gray sky backdrop. When this site gets built, I expect that nearby plots like the empty lot North of the Galleria and the parking garage on the South side will get redeveloped as well. Something will get built, but it may take a long time to find a new anchor tenant (which our little city has too few of).

crow · #**964** Posted: **Jan 6, 2013, 2:11 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by NJD

It is what it is, and market conditions reign king. For me, a lower height and remorse over what existed before do not trump the prospects of well-designed streetscape, good overall architecture, and need. I like the current design for these reasons, albeit not as good as the original specs had the market not crashed. I'm not a fan of Le Corbusier like TVA are, but the white and glass box will look good with our gray sky backdrop. When this site gets built, I expect that nearby plots like the empty lot North of the Galleria and the parking garage on the South side will get redeveloped as well. Something will get built, but it may take a long time to find a new anchor tenant (which our little city has too few of).

Maybe a park in the future on this site is not such a bad thing...it supports the Park Block concept...there are few buildings that plug up this strong north south concept connecting PSU to a future Post Office development...then to the river.

2oh1 · #**965** Posted: **Jan 6, 2013, 6:35 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by crow

Maybe a park in the future on this site is not such a bad thing...it supports the Park Block concept...there are few buildings that plug up this strong north south concept connecting PSU to a future Post Office development...then to the river.

Exactly. And let's not forget, this new design is going to blend into Fox Tower rather than stand out due to the location. Don't get me wrong - if they can start construction again this year, I'm all for it, less for the design (though I like it very much) and more for the density.

There's a limit to how many high rises the market can support, and if PAW were turned into a park, it would encourage other sites to rise instead. Broadway, across from Ladd House, for example. That site is vacant too. And it's not as if we lack surface parking lots to develop. It would be better to have The PAW Hole turned into a park block than to wait an eternity with a scar in the heart of downtown as TMT tries to figure out what to do with the mess they've made. Finish the underground garage and turn the surface into a further extension of the Park Blocks.

Market conditions aren't holding TMT back in 2013. In 2008, 2009 and 2010, yes, that was the case. But now, what's holding back TMT is ineptness, disorganization, petty squabbling and a sheer lack of motivation. Do any of us see any of that changing any time soon? I'd be thrilled to be wrong. But I'm not, am I?

Have they made any preparations to put the crane back up? They're not building PAW in 2013. Maybe not even by 2023. Hey, that's only ten years away and they've already been at it for six. This site is basically a surface parking lot, minus the parking lot. It's waste.

It's time to seriously discuss extending the Park Blocks.

Cap this mofo and move on.

pdxstreetcar · #**966** Posted: **Jan 6, 2013, 5:55 PM**

I'm sorry but the last thing downtown Portland needs is more parks and open space. It needs more commerce, people and buildings. If I had my way I'd like to see O'Bryant Square and Terry Schrunk Plaza redeveloped snce they are a complete failure as public spaces (largely due to adjacent uses/bldgs combined with their own bad designs) wasting prime land and have better public spaces adjacent or nearby. (Schrunk Plaza IMO would be a perfect site for a new courthouse.) I dont understand when there is one nice yet underutilized park why the solution is to dilute its activity by building another park adjacent. A building on the PAW site would make Director "Park" (Square) a much more successful public space by enclosing it and concentrating the activity, and afterall Pioneer Courthouse Square is only on the other side of Nordstrom.

There's a Michael Powell quote regarding the old plan to expand the park blocks...
"I was sort of under the impression that people came downtown to work and shop, not to gain a rural experience" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Director_Park)

cab · #**967** Posted: **Jan 6, 2013, 7:49 PM**

O'Bryant Square has totally turned around because of the pod village a block away. On nice days that park is packed with people eating and utilizing the sitting space. It would be a huge mistake to give up that public space when you have plenty of surface parking lots rotting. Totally short sited thinking. Never, never give up public space. It's too difficult to get back. The plaza could use a reboot, but it sure as hell doesn't need to turn into commerce, we have plenty of space for that.

PacificNW · #**968** Posted: **Jan 6, 2013, 8:13 PM**

Surface parking lots suck in the CBD and Portland has many but I have seen much worse examples in other American cities. But...we (Portland) can always do better, IMO. I have a gut feeling something good is going to happen for PAW...like I said in a much earlier post, and Mark has also mentioned, that Salesforce.com is looking for space....hopefully downtown. They may like the creative vibe of a spot downtown Portland as they are leasing space in downtown San Francisco.

downtownpdx · #**969** Posted: **Jan 7, 2013, 5:35 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdxstreetcar

I'm sorry but the last thing downtown Portland needs is more parks and open space. It needs more commerce, people and buildings. .

There's a Michael Powell quote regarding the old plan to expand the park blocks...
"I was sort of under the impression that people came downtown to work and shop, not to gain a rural experience" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Director_Park)

Totally agree. Pioneer Square and Director Park, etc. are great in their own ways but not without active, high density urban surroundings.

MarkDaMan · #**970** Posted: **Jan 7, 2013, 7:15 AM**

There's too many millions of dollars already built into this tower's foundation to just cap it and turn it into a park, from a business perspective.

2oh1 · #**971** Posted: **Jan 7, 2013, 7:18 PM**

Mark, believe me, I know it's not going to happen. I'm just frustrated because I also know nothing else is going to happen either. I hope to be proven wrong though.

2oh1 · #**972** Posted: **Jan 7, 2013, 7:22 PM**

Here's a blast from this thread's past:

Quote:

Originally Posted by TANGELD_SLC

I can't believe they are going to let it just sit there for 9 months. It's insane.

Ah, it seems like only 44 months ago we thought a 9 month delay was a big deal. This project is dead.

philopdx · #**973** Posted: **Jan 8, 2013, 2:22 AM**

I think PAW will rise in some form eventually. Look at Waterview in Chicago - it was a concrete hulk for years, and it's going to be finished.

maccoinnich · #**974** Posted: **Jan 8, 2013, 3:08 AM**

Or the Ryugyong Hotel....

crow · #**975** Posted: **Jan 8, 2013, 8:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Or the Ryugyong Hotel....

perhaps it will be the symbolic Phoenix Rising of the post-recession.

tworivers · #**976** Posted: **Mar 26, 2013, 12:05 AM**

Is this a good sign? Shows a completion date of June 2015.

http://www.capacitycommercial.com/pa...est-tower.html

65MAX · #**977** Posted: **Mar 26, 2013, 12:31 AM**

Good. It looks like they're working on pre-leasing again. But they still show the 35-story rendering while marketing 27 floors. I suppose if they snag a large enough anchor tenant, they could potentially raise the building height back to the original. Wishful thinking, but it's possible.

edirp · #**978** Posted: **Mar 26, 2013, 12:39 AM**

"Occupancy June 2015"

i2m · #**979** Posted: **Mar 26, 2013, 2:45 AM**

I would like to see this project restart although listing on a website doesn't mean anyone is building a tower soon. Wishful thinking may be all we get.