Toyoko Inn | 357' | 32 floors | Dead

maccoinnich · #1 Posted **Oct 16, 2015, 8:09 PM**

Was listening to the audio of a City Council work session, where Patrick Quinton of the PDC mentioned that there is movement on the 3rd and Oak site. Development on the site has stalled for years, because the PDC has a commitment to replace the parking that was demolished a decade ago now. This is how it famously wound up with a negative land valuation. Now it seems like there's a hotel operator interested in the site, who will pay the PDC enough for the site to cover the cost of building a new parking facility.

innovativethinking · #2 Posted **Oct 16, 2015, 8:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Was listening to the audio of a City Council work session, where Patrick Quinton of the PDC mentioned that there is movement on the 3rd and Oak site. Development on the site has stalled for years, because the PDC has a commitment to replace the parking that was demolished a decade ago now. This is how it famously wound up with a negative land valuation. Now it seems like there's a hotel operator interested in the site, who will pay the PDC enough for the site to cover the cost of building a new parking facility.

Hmm what is the maximum height listed for that site? I wonder if they would take advantage of that

ORNative · #3 Posted **Oct 16, 2015, 8:45 PM**

Hard to tell from my 2035 Plan map but it is either 325' or 460'

downtownpdx · #4 Posted **Oct 16, 2015, 9:09 PM**

Wow that needs to happen so bad there, a 460' tower would be a dream come true in that neighborhood, not to mention what it would do for the skyline. Give Big Pink some company!

Derek · #5 Posted **Oct 16, 2015, 9:28 PM**

If anything happens, I can almost guarantee you it'll be no taller than 250'. I mean, yeah, I'd love something tall, but we're Portland...

ORNative · #6 Posted **Oct 16, 2015, 9:29 PM**

At worse it is 250' - - - It depends how close this gets to the Skidmore Historic District. Some of those blocks are chopped up between heights limits and proposed 2035 Plan map that I have doesn't name the roads. Much of the area surrounding Big Pink is zoned 460' though.

urbanlife · #7 Posted **Oct 16, 2015, 9:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by innovativethinking

Hmm what is the maximum height listed for that site? I wonder if they would take advantage of that

It is 250ft or it was changed to 460ft recently....

MarkDaMan · #8 Posted **Oct 16, 2015, 11:25 PM**

The Oak Tower was originally imagined as a 328' point tower. I'm assuming that was within the height limits at the time. I don't remember height being an issue with the site.

http://www.emporis.com/buildings/230...ortland-or-usa

Abide · #9 Posted **Oct 17, 2015, 12:39 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Was listening to the audio of a City Council work session, where Patrick Quinton of the PDC mentioned that there is movement on the 3rd and Oak site. Development on the site has stalled for years, because the PDC has a commitment to replace the parking that was demolished a decade ago now. This is how it famously wound up with a negative land valuation. Now it seems like there's a hotel operator interested in the site, who will pay the PDC enough for the site to cover the cost of building a new parking facility.

If the parking's been gone over a decade and the city has somehow survived without it, it would seem it was superfluous to begin with.

maccoinnich · #10 Posted **Oct 17, 2015, 12:52 AM**

It's a little more complicated than that:

http://www.wweek.com/portland/articl...3rd_choke.html

Essentially they have to either build parking to replace what was demolished, or continue to lease spaces somewhere else—for almost 300 years.

innovativethinking · #11 Posted **Oct 17, 2015, 4:54 AM**

Just sell the land to a developer and the city can cover the portion of the cost for the under ground parking they owe in the deal

urbanlife · #12 Posted **Oct 17, 2015, 8:47 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

It's a little more complicated than that:

http://www.wweek.com/portland/articl...3rd_choke.html

Essentially they have to either build parking to replace what was demolished, or continue to lease spaces somewhere else—for almost 300 years.

Here are a few questions about this lot....wasn't this the old jail? Which I would assume either the city or the county owned the lot, which leads the question to why the PDC overpaid for it to begin with? If it was a private owner that owned it, that is obviously different....though kudos to the one who got more money out of PDC than the land was worth.

Why the hell does the city own a private company 32 parking spots? Which I can only assume they have already found 32 spots somewhere else by now. Also, what moron gives a deal to someone that is, I assume, leasing spots a deal where they can renew a 99 year agreement twice? In 300 years everyone who was involved in this deal would be dead and the cars would be holograms that people keep in their pockets.

For such a stupid deal, which should have never been made? Who in their right mind approved this? Which mind you, is coming from someone who is actually pro-PDC in the sense that they use to be very good at getting big projects to happen....nowadays, I feel like they need to be dumped and replaced with something more efficient.

Also, doesn't the city own the public housing building next door to this site? Why not be like, hey, guess what, we just found 32 parking spots in a building next to this site that the city owns.....problem solved. This shouldn't be an actual issue.

And here is my final question, who was the idiot that was in charge of this deal to begin with? We should really have a day set aside where everyone in Portland get to line up and each give this person a punch in the nuts for being a moron and wasting tax payer money on something that should have been an easy deal or no deal at all.

Abide · #13 Posted **Oct 17, 2015, 8:55 PM**

Portland is booming so intensely across most of the city at this point that we'd probably be fine without the PDC. Not like we're decaying and starved for development anymore. But once you put a bureaucracy in place, good luck getting rid of it.

urbanlife · #14 Posted **Oct 19, 2015, 7:25 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abide

Portland is booming so intensely across most of the city at this point that we'd probably be fine without the PDC. Not like we're decaying and starved for development anymore. But once you put a bureaucracy in place, good luck getting rid of it.

If I remember correctly, the City Council could dissolve the PDC. I know there was one point where they were going to make the PDC have to answer to the City Council rather than have no boss.

maccoinnich · #15 Posted **Jan 12, 2016, 8:57 AM**

Looks like something is finally happening with 3rd and Oak: a 300 to 400 room Toyoko Inn.

downtownpdx · #16 Posted **Jan 12, 2016, 1:55 PM**

Wow so nice to finally see some action on this block. I got excited when I saw 300-400, thinking it was a height reference but I guess it's hotel rooms. Interesting, their only US location beside New York. The renderings on their website look pretty awful, hopefully something more attractive gets built here!

babs · #17 Posted **Jan 12, 2016, 5:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by downtownpdx

Wow so nice to finally see some action on this block. I got excited when I saw 300-400, thinking it was a height reference but I guess it's hotel rooms. Interesting, their only US location beside New York. The renderings on their website look pretty awful, hopefully something more attractive gets built here!

A Japanese Motel 6?

innovativethinking · #18 Posted **Jan 12, 2016, 6:19 PM**

300-400 hotel rooms? In terms of verticality, that's atleast 20 stories?

2oh1 · #19 Posted **Jan 12, 2016, 7:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by downtownpdx

I got excited when I saw 300-400, thinking it was a height reference but I guess it's hotel rooms.

I did exactly the same thing! "Oh, YAY! ....oh, wait... Oh well." It's still good news though.

I sure do hope we're not seeing hotels overbuilt to the point where it could harm the industry here. I'm blown away by how many rooms are being added. We certainly need more than we have - but wow, so many are on the way. It's wild.

ORNative · #20 Posted **Jan 12, 2016, 7:27 PM**

Regarding height - The AC by Marriott Hotels is being built on a quarter block parcel as well. It will be 13 stories with 205 rooms. Anything over 15 stories at 3rd and Oak will make a big impact in that area. It is great to see downtown highrises FINALLY reaching toward Big Pink. So lonely out there for the past 30 years.