Downtown Portland News

[zilfondel]

Originally Posted by urbanlife

I am for taller buildings the closer you get to the waterfront, it hasn't hurt Vancouver, BC in that kind of thinking.

No kidding! Not to mention our buildings are what, 150' from the water, while Vancouver's are right on the edge, besides a little ped walkway? I'd like to see skinny towers, fat towers, whatever... just not those horrid box office bunkers with no street connection.

[pdxman]

Originally Posted by MarkDaMan

I talked to Fred Hansen (general manager of TriMet) the other day, and I told him I’d like to get involved in an initiative to get all the buses hybrid. I think buses are great, but they stink and they’re noisy. I was down in Southern California a few weeks ago and I’m riding my bike, and right next to me is a hybrid bus, and I’m not hearing anything, and I thought, “Well, this is pretty cool.”

I couldn't agree more in regards to the buses.

[PacificNW]

If I am not mistaken Metro/Sound Transit in the Seattle area, has some hybrid buses. They seem to work fine when I rode them 5 days a week to and from work. (Seattle/Bellevue, Bellevue/Seattle).

[alexjon]

The hybrids are nice...

So, does this mean he's going to offer up his lots to builders if they want to do more mixed-use?

[pdxman]

You know whats ironic? (while we're on the topic of hybrid buses) salems bus system is almost done converting all their buses to the new low floor, Clean Natural Gas style. And, to my knowledge, trimet only has a few. Not bad for a transit district that has almost no money and not that great of ridership--not to mention being in a community that could care less about transit.

[mcbaby]

used to love the galleria when i was a teenager. very charming with two cafes where goth kids would congregate and smoke cloves. would love to see it preserved in some way and not made into offices and storage. pioneer place is ok if you like malls. pioneer place 2 is very suburban ho hum and really should have had better design. not a fan.

[Black Box]

I don't think there is a Galleria in Seattle proper. There is one of sorts in Bellevue, but our equivalent of a Galleria (there are several througout the country), is Bellevue Square which is locally owned and operated. I know of one in Edina, MN, just south of Minneapolis and in Houston, but otherwise, I am not aware of any others. Someone, please correct me. I was never aware of the Galleria in Portland while I lived there.

[PacificNW]

The Galleria in Portland was just a name for the vertical,one city block, mall....it definitely wasn't anything like the huge (multi block) Galleria's in Dallas and Houston.

[Black Box]

Okay, I was very uncertain of a Galleria in Portland. I was starting to think that I missed something (aside from a beautiful building worth preserving). Thanks for the clarification.

[westsider]

This interview has improved my opinion of Greg Goodman quite a bit. I'm glad to hear he's thinking ahead to some mixed use construction on his lots.

[robbobpdx]

Originally Posted by westsider

This interview has improved my opinion of Greg Goodman quite a bit. I'm glad to hear he's thinking ahead to some mixed use construction on his lots.

I TOTALLY agree with that. I think when I've read in the past that the Goodman's were only interested in leasing their property, I was thinking that would only hurt deveopment in the West End. It's very refreshing to hear his interest in partnering with more developers, and also his keen interest in mixed use (including HOUSING with other buildings). It is an area Portland has maybe missed in much of it's development in recent years. I mean, ground-floor retail does make a condo project "mixed-use," but having offices, hotel, retail and housing is really more mixed use, and it has a tendency to draw more people over a more hours of the day. The "eyes on the street" concept, and keeping the downtown area alive 24-7. Doesn't mean it has to be loud and roudy 24-7, but places that have more people on the street tend to feel safer.

Vancouver, BC, as many have noted, is a great example. Lots and lots of density, and it feels really great to just be there. Vancouver has also figured out something Portland hasn't quite gotten yet, and that is how to have families living in the central downtown core. It feels a lot like a newer New York when you're in Vancouver. It's very urban, in the best possible way. I hope we can move more in that direction.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by robbobpdx

I TOTALLY agree with that. I think when I've read in the past that the Goodman's were only interested in leasing their property, I was thinking that would only hurt deveopment in the West End. It's very refreshing to hear his interest in partnering with more developers, and also his keen interest in mixed use (including HOUSING with other buildings). It is an area Portland has maybe missed in much of it's development in recent years. I mean, ground-floor retail does make a condo project "mixed-use," but having offices, hotel, retail and housing is really more mixed use, and it has a tendency to draw more people over a more hours of the day. The "eyes on the street" concept, and keeping the downtown area alive 24-7. Doesn't mean it has to be loud and roudy 24-7, but places that have more people on the street tend to feel safer.

Vancouver, BC, as many have noted, is a great example. Lots and lots of density, and it feels really great to just be there. Vancouver has also figured out something Portland hasn't quite gotten yet, and that is how to have families living in the central downtown core. It feels a lot like a newer New York when you're in Vancouver. It's very urban, in the best possible way. I hope we can move more in that direction.

I would love to see our downtown go that route.....soon.

[BrG]

Originally Posted by zilfondel

This is ridiculous!

I wish more developers would unbundle parking from their projects - like G/E is doing on their next project over by the urban center. They would probably be surprised at how little parking a downtown project really needs...

Often the first question asked by potential buyers is how much parking they get.

There is certainly a demographic that you speak of however.

I wish parking was not the lynchpin either. The designs of the condos would not be driven by the 18' or 27' spacing of the columns then either. We'd have much more freedom to design something interesting (and still be cost-viable), both in massing and in the floorplans.

I suspect I will continue to be wishing for that.

[robbobpdx]

Originally Posted by robbobpdx

was a huge Montgomery Ward store. Anyway, it will be GREAT to see this come to life finally. A hotel (five star would be GREAT too) is maybe just the thing for the location too.

Originally Posted by 65MAX

Slight correction, it used to be a warehouse for all the Montgomery Wards stores in the area.

I think maybe what is now Montgomery Park was a warehouse TOO, not sure, or maybe it was after it was a store. I have relatives who used to shop at it when it was Montgomery Ward, and the sign used to say Montgomery Ward on top. It may have been that eventually the store was used only as a warehouse for awhile. Or like I said, maybe it was used as both at the same time.

Coincidentally, the time period I'm thinking of (early 1960's) was also when Meier & Frank had elevator operators (people running them with hand levers) as well as the escalators. Downtown was a hopping place then, but probably on its way to a bit of a decline before it came back. Hopefully Meier & Frank will gain back some of its grandeur and will remain a stately reminder of our past. Hopefully the Galleria (as a hotel) will do the same.

[robbobpdx]

Originally Posted by Fruitland Guy

This page has some interesting info on the Galleria when it was the Olds, Wortman, and King department store. Other cool stuff too:
http://www.pdxhistory.com/html/olds___king.html

VERY cool history post. If anyone wants to see the original 1910 (what is now the Galleria) it's there if you scroll down. Very very cool. Thanks for that!

[westsider]

The building @ 27th + Vaugn was a store+warehouse.

[pdxstreetcar]

If I had a dollar for every unrealized proposal for improving the Galleria I'd be able to buy the building myself and fix it up. I'd love to see this happen but I wouldn't necessarily count on it, although maybe if its being bought by new people.

[pdxstreetcar]

Originally Posted by bvpcvm

http://www.oregonlive.com/printer/pr...780.xml&coll=7

Think tank slips out of Portland to 'safer' Washington County

Moving on: The Cascade Policy Institute, which describes itself as Oregon's free-market think tank, no longer will do its thinking downtown. The nonprofit moved last week to slightly larger digs at 4850 S.W. Scholls Ferry Road, just over the line into Washington County.

Cheaper rent and free parking were among the reasons, says Steve Buckstein, who founded Cascade in 1991. So was the, uh, ambience around the Woodlark Building at 813 S.W. Alder St.

"This part of downtown gives the appearance of being less safe, with the street people and panhandlers," Buckstein said during his final week at the Woodlark. "People don't want to come down here, people tell us. And women did not feel safe after dark."

©2006 The Oregonian

If there's anything surprising about this, its that they are moving to suburbia only now.

Afterall downtown Portland is so dangerous after dark.

[cab]

What are the odds of being attacked in DTPdx compared with a car crash?

[roner]

sounds like they are throwing in the towel and considering Portland a lost cause.