Is there a Conway thread somewhere? Definitely an interesting plan; curious to see how much of it gets built.
Con-way developers face some concerns, some opportunities with higher density
POSTED: Friday, December 2, 2011 at 03:36 PM PT
BY: Angela Webber, DJC
The Con-way trucking company is rolling along toward development of 16 acres in Northwest Portland.
At a design commission meeting last week, representatives from GBD Architects and Spencer Consultants presented their updated plans. Consultants say that the multiuse development will include housing, office and neighborhood-service retail spaces.
The team is looking into the possibility of an ambitious district heating and cooling system, and is planning for projects with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ratings. One big concern, however, about the high-density development is whether it will leave enough parking in the district, where a large parking lot is slated to be replaced by tall buildings.
Con-way is creating its own development framework through a new Northwest Master Plan process that includes a design review process and density requirements. Con-way is not planning to develop buildings itself, but rather forge agreements with individual developers for different projects on the site.
“We’re happy to report that currently there is a lot of interest in the property,” GBD Architects President Phil Beyl told the design commission on Thursday.
The company is choosing to use much of the city’s existing code, with some exceptions to allow taller buildings – up to 150 feet – in some locations.
The Con-way team brought preliminary guidelines to last week’s meeting, and shared its estimates for the district’s makeup. Developers will determine the final composition, but the team estimated that the district will include: 1,100-1,500 residential units; 368,000 square feet of office space; and 144,000 square feet of retail space. That represents about 1.9 million square feet of new development on the site using the proposed 3:1 floor area ratio.
The Con-way team said that the project will be self-contained, with just enough retail to serve the people who live and work nearby. They plan to cap the amount of retail allowed at approximately 150,000 square feet and allow only neighborhood-service retail, said John Spencer of Spencer Consultants. Some people had expressed concerns that the new neighborhood could include “destination retail” companies able to sap business from other areas of the city.
The first project, and the only one officially announced, will be renovation of an existing warehouse building to suit a 40,000-square-foot grocery store. The project will need a special consideration in the master plan, because it will be a low-density, one-story project in an area projected to be denser.
Beyl said the grocery store building would eventually be torn down and replaced with a higher-density project, but would be a “catalytic” step for the development.
But Northwest District Association member John Bradley said, “I doubt that the grocery store will ever be torn down.”
Beyl in fact admitted that the grocery store would likely remain in the area for 20 years, after design commissioner David Wark asked what would motivate a grocer to leave a successful area.
Bradley added that the Northwest District Association is concerned that the grocery store could be OK’d without a requirement for new underground parking. Presently, the 16-acre area includes a large lot with more than 1,000 parking stalls for employees who work at Con-way’s offices. Construction of underground parking would cost approximately $45 million – an amount that Con-way doesn’t expect to be able to afford on its own. It’s hoping to work with developers to build underground parking as part of new projects.
The issue is complicated somewhat by the fact that the site is no longer slated to be in an urban renewal area – a fact, along with economic factors, that caused the entire master plan to be scaled down.
The team told design commissioners that it was considering whether to implement its own tax-increment system to pay for parking, pedestrian plazas and parks. Other projects that would have received urban renewal money, such as affordable housing, face greater uncertainty.
However, Beyl touted the sustainable opportunities in the district. The Con-way team is looking for projects able to meet LEED for New Development rating standards, and is hoping to re-route the streetcar through the neighborhood and add bike lanes to promote multi-modal travel. Also, an eco-district plan is on the table.
“Discussions suggest that we have large enough density that it may pan out,” Beyl said. “(A central heating and cooling plant) will ultimately be an integral part of the project.”
At Thursday’s meeting, commissioners and residents asked how the new development will impact the area’s crowded Chapman elementary school and Multnomah County Library location, and whether a new community center could be included. Beyl said that Con-way is working with the Northwest District Association on those issues, but noted that desires will need to be balanced with Con-way’s business needs.
“Con-way is a publicly-traded company, so the project needs to show a benefit for shareholders,” Beyl said.
The Con-way master plan, including the company’s guidelines and goals, will be reviewed by a city hearings officer. The Con-way team expects to submit its application next month; the review process may require a couple of months.
The first phase of work is planned to result in the grocery store and residential development, Beyl said. The team expects office development on the northernmost blocks of the property to occur last.
“The market is there right now, but we don’t want the opportunity to pass by,” Beyl said.
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