PROJECT OVERVIEW
In 2004, PDC solicited and received
three competitive development proposals
for the Burnside Bridgehead Project
- a significant, mixed-use “gateway”
project. The project is envisioned to transform five city
blocks at the base of the Burnside Bridge and provide a distinctive
entryway to eastside neighborhoods. It is one of the
signature projects within the Central Eastside Urban Renewal
District, one of eleven such districts in the city.
A redevelopment site of this size – over 195,000 square feet – is
extremely rare in the Central City and offers a unique opportunity
to develop a landmark retail/commercial, housing and
offi ce project in the Central Eastside area. In April 2005, PDC
selected Opus Northwest LLC as the preferred developer for
the project.
Getting the Public Involved
A Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) was formed early in the
project to serve as an ad hoc advisory group to the development
team and PDC. The CAC has, and will continue to provide
advice throughout the predevelopment and implementation
stages of the Burnside Bridgehead project to ensure that the
fi nal project creates an asset that surrounding neighborhoods
can be proud of and achieves the policy goals of PDC and
the City of Portland.
The CAC currently meets at least once per month. The meetings
are open to the public, and time is provided at each
meeting for input from the general public. Please note that
the timing of these meetings is subject to change and can
be confi rmed by calling 503-823-3200 or by consulting the
online calendar one week in advance of the meeting date
at:
www.pdc.us/ura/eastside.asp#calendar.
PDC would like to thank the representatives from the following
organizations, businesses and property owners for serving
on the Citizen Advisory Committee:
Central Eastside Urban Renewal Advisory Committee
Central Eastside Industrial Council
Buckman Community Association
Hosford-Abernethy Neighborhood Development
Kerns Neighborhood Association
AFRIEND
Adjacent Property Owners
The Skateboard Community
Bicycle Transportation Alliance
City Club of Portland
Portland Institute of Architects, Portland Chapter
Portland Business Alliance
Williams & Dame
Affordable Housing Advocate
Real Estate Commercial Broker
Real Estate Financial Lender
PDC and Opus Northwest created a Public Participation
Plan to clearly defi ne the opportunities for public involvement
throughout the project. PDC and Opus Northwest are
committed to working with stakeholders and the broader community
throughout the life of the project to ensure that public
aspirations and concerns are understood and considered by
staff, the developer and the PDC Board.
Specifi cally, the public participation plan outlines:
• Public participation goals
• Identifi ed stakeholders
• Public participation tools – including the
formation of a Citizen Advisory Committee
• Preliminary public participation timeline, roles
and responsibilities
• Tools for dissemination of public input
• Tools for evaluation of the public participation
process
The full document may be downloaded at www.
pdc.us/public-participation/pp-plans.asp.
Memorandum of Understanding
On March 8, 2006, PDC and Opus Northwest signed a Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) setting forth the roles and
responsibilities of PDC and Opus to implement the $200 million
Burnside Bridgehead development project. While the MOU is
not legally binding, it sets the stage for how the project partners
will move forward to realize an exciting new development.
PDC and Opus have begun negotiating the terms and conditions
of a legally binding Disposition and Development
Agreement (DDA). The DDA will establish the obligations for the
acquisition, fi nancing, development and operation of the project.
PDC expects to have the DDA fully executed by the end of
2006.
Zone Changes Requested;
One Block of Five to Remain
as Industrial
Portland’s Comprehensive Plan, a
plan for future land use, designates
a Central Employment or “EX” zone for
all of these blocks except one, allowing
a wide range of employment, retail and
residential uses.
The majority of the property comprising the Burnside Bridgehead
project site is currently zoned General Industrial, abbreviated
IG1. This land use zone requires development that
is industrial in character in order to promote viable industrial
sanctuary.
The Comprehensive Plan contains a map showing the type, location
and density of land development and redevelopment
permitted in the future. When the Comprehensive Plan Map
identifi es a parcel of land as appropriate for a more permissive,
fl exible use, the change must be made on a case-by-case
basis following the city’s standard zoning amendment procedures.
The fi rst step for this project is to request a zone change from
IG1 to EX on four of the project’s blocks. Group Mackenzie, a
local consulting fi rm, was selected to process this zone change.
The zone change application was submitted to the City Bureau
of Development Services in December 2005 and is currently
in process.
The remaining block has a zoning and Comprehensive Plan
designation of IG1, limiting development on the block to industrial
uses. After careful study with the Central Eastside Industrial
Council, the Burnside Bridgehead CAC and other stakeholders,
the project team has decided to leave the IG1 designation
as is. The property will remain available to support industrial
uses within the Burnside Bridgehead project.
Good Transportation Access
Provides Foundation for a Good Project
The development team and the Citizen Advisory Committee
are working together to provide good access in, through and
around the Burnside Bridgehead project area for all kinds of
traffi c – motor vehicles, bikes, bus transit, and pedestrian traffi c
alike. Several options have been raised and the team continues
to refi ne the concepts. The CAC has been an invaluable
source of insight in the analysis of the transportation alternatives.
The fi nal design concept is contingent upon resolution
of various issues pertaining to the redesign of the Burnside-
Couch couplet, a separate but parallel effort led by the
Portland Offi ce of Transportation (PDOT).
Uniting the Burnside-Couch Couplet and
Burnside Bridgehead Project
Converting two-way Burnside and Couch streets into a pair of
one-way streets from I-405 east across the Willamette River as
far as the NE Sandy Boulevard/E. Burnside Street intersection
(at approximately SE 13th) has been in the works for several
years. The eastside portion of the project, from the Willamette
River east to roughly 13th Avenue is a critical component of
the Burnside Bridgehead Project. A traffic couplet allowing
vehicles traveling west on Couch to the Burnside Bridge is
envisioned as a central corridor in the Burnside Bridgehead
project. By redesigning the streets, the city hopes to slow traffic,
improve pedestrian connections, improve commercial access
with left turns at all intersections, and generally create a more
pleasing streetscape environment.
The Portland City Council recently voted to divide the project
into two discrete projects – one on the east side and the other
on the west side of the Willamette River. This allows the eastside
design work to proceed while City Council continues to review
issues specific to the westside. The resolution also directed the
PDC and PDOT to prepare a funding plan that aligns the timing
of the traffi c improvements with the opening of the Burnside
Bridgehead project.
PDC is supportive of the Burnside Couch transportation project
as it has been envisioned and supports the decision to move
forward with the eastside design. Full funding of the eastside
portion of the project is critical to the success of the Burnside
Bridgehead project and will provide enormous benefi ts to the
entire district, as well.
Acquisition of Convention Plaza Property
The Convention Plaza property at 123 NE 3rd Avenue is
another key piece of the Burnside Bridgehead project.
In January 2004, PDC entered into an Option to Purchase
with the property owner. The PDC Board voted to exercise the
Option and proceed with the acquisition at its January 11, 2006
meeting. The transaction closed in May 2006. PDC will transfer
the property to Opus Northwest in advance of demolition and
construction according to the terms and conditions to be negotiated
in a Disposition and Development Agreement.
The Convention Plaza Building is a fi ve-story offi ce building
which currently houses approximately 25 tenants. PDC has
assumed all of the current tenant leases and will continue to
operate the building until demolition and reconstruction is imminent.
At that point, the property will be conveyed to property
developer, Opus Northwest. The current schedule projects
demolition and property transfer by the end of 2007. Existing
tenants will be eligible for relocation assistance as provided for
by Oregon Sate Law and PDC’s Relocation Policy.
For More Information please visit the PDC’s
website at
www.pdc.us/bridgehead.
Also contact Trang Lam by calling
503.823.3200, or email
lamt@pdc.us.
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