More housing, one fewer porn house
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Fred Leeson
The Oregonian
A plan unfolding on Southwest 11th Avenue would erase a downtown landmark.
Just as well, some would say. We're talking about the Jefferson Theater, downtown's premier X-rated movie house for 35 years.
Developer Mark Fraser once thought of building condos nearby, on the site of a parking lot and smaller building at 1139 S.W. 11th Ave. The theater is on the same block, facing 12th Avenue and tucked inside a low-income apartment building.
But the theater's proximity made Fraser nervous. "It concerned us about investing in market-rate condos," he said.
But rather than give up, he entered talks with the Portland Development Commission, which bought the Jefferson West apartments and its theater lease in 2001 to preserve the low-income units.
The outcome? Fraser agreed, with help from subsidies for low-income housing, to build a six-story apartment building on the 1139 site to become the new home for about 80 Jefferson West tenants. Fraser would then buy Jefferson West from the PDC and build a condo project in its place. At that point -- Fraser estimates four years -- it would be adieu, Jefferson Theater.
The new low-income apartment building, called The Jeffrey, would include a library, a TV/computer room and an enclosed courtyard.
"For most tenants, we would be almost doubling the size of their space for the same rent," he said, describing many rooms at Jefferson West as about the size of a compact parking space, and with no common areas. "We believe that by moving those residents into a new environment, we can affect their behavior positively."
The new building would reserve 50 units for tenants earning up to 30 percent of median income, and 30 units for tenants in the 30 percent to 50 percent category. The building would be committed to low-income housing for at least 60 years.
When Fraser laid out his plans at a Portland Design Commission advisory meeting, Chairman Michael McCulloch asked why the low-income building wasn't larger. The zoning would allow a much taller structure.
Fraser said the building is intended to replace Jefferson West, not expand it. "The residents pay barely enough to meet operating expenses," he said. "Over time, you run into negative numbers. The more you build, the worse it gets." As it is, Fraser's plan meets the city's "no net loss" policy for low-income downtown housing.
Some unused development rights from the apartment site could be transferred to the condo project -- allowing for a taller tower, if city officials approve.
Gunnar Langhus, an associate with Ankrom Moisan architects, showed a plan for the apartment building depicting a facade of red brick and fiber-cement panels known as Swisspearl. "The real trick is to create longevity on a building that does not generate revenue," he said.
Design commission members raised a few quibbles about proportions on the facade, and Fraser and Langhus plan to return for another meeting soon. But they appeared headed toward an acceptable blueprint.
As commission member Jeff Stuhr said, "For affordable housing, it's one of the nicer projects we've seen."
Fred Leeson: 503-294-5946;
fredleeson@news.oregonian.com
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/o...480.xml&coll=7
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