Portland Infill | Northeast Portland

[maccoinnich]

Anyone know anything about this? It's a leasing flyer for "Hollywood Square", a mixed use development across both sides of NE Sandy at NE 35th. Includes 90 apartments, 37,000 sq ft medical/office and 30,000 sq retail. I can't find anything about it on Google, and the only thing I learned from portlandmaps is all the sites seem to be owned by "Jim Breslin properties".

[bvpcvm]

Lots of surface parking on that one. Let's hope it doesn't get built.

[hat]

Originally Posted by bvpcvm

Lots of surface parking on that one. Let's hope it doesn't get built.

Apparently the 13% stat available on their document on people who walk or bike to work within 5 miles of this site did not persuade them to design any bicycle parking or reduce the number of parking spaces. Indeed, the plans call for demolition of a warehouse on 35th for the sole purpose of creating a parking lot. What total shit.

[maccoinnich]

The zoning code requires short and long term bike parking for most uses, so if this ever got to permit, they would have to provide some. I agree with both of you though that it loss pretty bad from an urban design perspective.

[maccoinnich]

Natural Grocers is new anchor tenant at NE Portland site Trader Joe's abandoned



Natural Grocers, a Colorado-based grocery chain that's expanding in Oregon, plans to open its newest store on the long vacant city-owned property in Northeast Portland once slated for a Trader Joe's.

The store, which co-president Kemper Isely said specializes in natural healthy food and organic produce at "everyday affordable prices," will fill the void of the 1.79-acre site on Northeast Alberta Street and Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

"We think Portland is really under-served," Isely said, saying the store will complement other grocery stores nearby while adding services such as free nutritional coaching for customers and cooking classes.

...continues at the Oregonian.

[urbanlife]

Well that sounds like a load of BS that doesn't address any of the issues. The problem wasn't Trader Joe's, it was the fact that they were wanting to build a suburban style strip mall with a grocery store. Are they planning on adding affordable housing or doing anything that doesn't include having a surface parking lot for a whole city block?

[MarkDaMan]

Originally Posted by urbanlife

Well that sounds like a load of BS that doesn't address any of the issues. The problem wasn't Trader Joe's, it was the fact that they were wanting to build a suburban style strip mall with a grocery store. Are they planning on adding affordable housing or doing anything that doesn't include having a surface parking lot for a whole city block?

Yep, the Mayor has set-aside $20M to build affordable housing on top of the store. I don't know about the parking situation.

[hat]

Originally Posted by MarkDaMan

Yep, the Mayor has set-aside $20M to build affordable housing on top of the store. I don't know about the parking situation.

If those are both true, this is a fantastic turn of events for this block.

[MarkDaMan]

Originally Posted by hat

If those are both true, this is a fantastic turn of events for this block.

I skimmed the article posted by maccoinnich too fast, Hales has committed to $20M in affordable housing in the neighborhood, not that specific block.

Natural Grocers is new anchor tenant at NE Portland site Trader Joe's abandoned
By Andrew Theen | atheen@oregonian.com
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on August 28, 2014 at 11:43 AM, updated August 28, 2014 at 6:56 PM

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/i...rtland_sa.html

...


On Feb. 3, Trader Joe's abruptly announced it wouldn't open a store on the property, citing "negative reactions" from the community. PAALF and other community groups held listening sessions earlier this year to discuss the property, gentrification and affordable housing. In March, Portland Mayor Charlie Hales convened a summit of local leaders, and pledged to spend an additional $20 million on affordable housing projects in the neighborhood during the next five years.

...

City's plans

Patrick Quinton, PDC's executive director, said the urban renewal agency worked for months with Majestic to find an alternative after Trader Joe's pulled out. He said the bones of the original plan for a grocery store development remain the same. The project includes a 15,000-square-foot store, with an adjacent building to accommodate an additional 4-10 retailers.

Majestic will retain as its general contractor Colas Construction, a minority-owned building firm that Majestic had engaged for the Trader Joe's project.

The Natural Grocers deal isn't finalized. Quinton said he planned to return to the PDC board next month with an update on the project.

...

[urbanlife]

That is good news, though still seems like poor use of this block.

[davehogan]

Originally Posted by urbanlife

That is good news, though still seems like poor use of this block.

There's a pipe (sewage I think) that runs right through the middle of it. Not much other than a parking lot can be built on it without splitting the lot into two. I'm not sure why that wasn't considered, but apparently it wasn't.

[maccoinnich]

I got into an argument with someone about this on reddit, but I think the sewer pipe is an issue that could be dealt with, if there was a strong enough desire to do so. As can be seen here, the combined sanitary-storm main only serves the vacant block, and doesn't extend south of NE Alberta. Removing it would have no impact on any other property. It's only 10' below grade, so the cost of removing it would trivial in the context of excavations for a new building. The City would also have to agree to vacate the right-of-way, but they have an existing process in place to allow for that. I really think the PDC are being disingenuous when they state that the pipe prevents the site being developed more intensely.

[urbanlife]

NE 7th and NE Russell, proposed apartment building is getting resistance from the locals for being too big. I actually have to agree with them on this one, something 4-5 stories would be much more realistic for this area. I also hope this is just a loose concept and not a real design proposal because this building would look awful.

[Derek]

Sorry, but if people don't want "big scary tall" buildings in their neighborhood, then by all means please move out to Beaverton or Hillsboro.

[zilfondel]

9 stories is awfully tall for that area tho. Does the zoning actually allow that much height? I would be incredibly surprised, normally you can only do 45 or 65 feet.

[maccoinnich]

I had a quick look at the zoning for that site when this came up as a discussion on Reddit. It seems like yes, it does. One person suggested that the developer might be trolling the neighbors: show them something awful, and then offer them shorter later on (which was what they wanted to build all along anyway). That image is so incredibly ugly it's hard to believe they showed it to anyone, even if it was only intended to illustrate massing.

[hat]

Originally Posted by zilfondel

9 stories is awfully tall for that area tho. Does the zoning actually allow that much height? I would be incredibly surprised, normally you can only do 45 or 65 feet.

This building would dwarf everything around it except the 3 story building adjacent. While I would love to see ground floor businesses on this block, I can't agree with this height.

It's zoned HD residential. I believe this used to be a gas station. Perhaps it is costly to redevelop?

[Derek]

I think we're missing the point. Density is desperately needed in Portland. We can't waste opportunities for density just because the surrounding buildings "aren't tall enough". There's enough SFH housing in the area, a little bit of high density won't hurt anybody or anything except the NIMBY's feelings.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by zilfondel

9 stories is awfully tall for that area tho. Does the zoning actually allow that much height? I would be incredibly surprised, normally you can only do 45 or 65 feet.

Yeah, I was surprised about that too. Along MLK something this size would make sense, but this site seems like it would be an area that they would want 4-5 story buildings mixed with old houses.

Originally Posted by Derek

I think we're missing the point. Density is desperately needed in Portland. We can't waste opportunities for density just because the surrounding buildings "aren't tall enough". There's enough SFH housing in the area, a little bit of high density won't hurt anybody or anything except the NIMBY's feelings.

This isn't really a NIMBY issue because the people in the neighborhood aren't against the building, just think it is too big for the area. A building that is 4-5 stories would still provide the needed density and that poor rendering looks awful and massive. I

I am really having a hard time taking this proposal seriously because it looks like they are just trying to scare people with a horrible proposal and then switch it to the smaller proposal that they want to actually build.

[65MAX]

This drawing says "Option 1" and "Preliminary". So clearly just a massing diagram, and where are the other options? As far as being too tall... this is close-in MLK, so no, it is NOT too tall. It's what should be built (height-wise) in ALL close-in areas that are on major commercial corridors.