South Waterfront News - Page 74

PacificNW · #**1461** Posted **Oct 30, 2011, 11:25 PM**

Tks. for the updates..

PacificNW · #**1462** Posted **Oct 30, 2011, 11:27 PM**

This is going to be a nice addition...

victor.cmyk · #**1463** Posted **Oct 31, 2011, 8:26 PM**

I'm curious if anyone has any insight on whether the free rail zone will be adjusted to include this new station. Would be interesting to see where the cut-off will be, since the eastside streetcar will require payment on board.

PacificNW · #**1464** Posted **Oct 31, 2011, 11:50 PM**

I think the days of a "ride free zone" will probably be ending for all modes of public transportation in Portland soon, IMO. Budgets in the red don't sit well with the public.

bvpcvm · #**1465** Posted **Nov 1, 2011, 12:09 AM**

Currently, RiverPlace is the last stop in the free rail zone. I think technically it ends at the Marquam Bridge.

2oh1 · #**1466** Posted **Nov 1, 2011, 8:25 PM**

And since the free rail zone is likely to be eliminated entirely next year, it's unlikely that it will be expanded.

philopdx · #**1467** Posted **Nov 7, 2011, 1:25 AM**

Update 11-6-2011:

And, as an added bonus, I spied two workers on the tram doing maintenance:

philopdx · #**1468** Posted **Nov 25, 2011, 9:46 PM**

Moody Avenue Project update from 11-24-2011. This turned out really, really nice. Now it's kind of hard to imagine it wasn't there before.

And two more from the waterfront restoration project:

philopdx · #**1469** Posted **Nov 25, 2011, 9:53 PM**

Gibbs St. pedestrian bridge 11-24-2011:

65MAX · #**1470** Posted **Nov 26, 2011, 7:27 PM**

Thanks for all the pics, philo. Great job.

philopdx · #**1471** Posted **Nov 27, 2011, 2:08 AM**

One thing that's interesting, if you look at the Gibbs Street project: The poles supporting the streetcar wires are wood on both sides.

I think that's the case because they are going to have to tear up the whole shebang to route the MAX tracks across the streetcar tracks over to the approach to the new bridge.

It's fascinating to me to see them think ahead like this, but I wonder why they didn't go ahead and lay the angled tracks in the road now and just hook them up at a later date like the utility pipes jutting out of the concrete toward the approach.

Maybe they think they will do a better job of laying MAX tracks all at once in case there is a millimeter or two variance leading up to the road?

NJD · #**1472** Posted **Nov 27, 2011, 10:03 PM**

^ Unfortunately, there are 3 (partially) federally funded projects involved from different federal sources. From what I understand, legally, each funding source cannot be used for the other projects even though they happen to overlap in function and design. Hence why 'Close-the-loop' is being funded entirely by non-fed sources so that they can build the Streetcar connections to the new bridge at the same time as the fed funded LRT project (Trimet made an agreement with Portland Streetcar in order to prevent future closures after initial LRT construction). Funny that the fed funded Gibbs Street and Streetcar Loop projects have to stop short of these connections now, as I'm sure we (as a society) would save some money overall if we could be more flexible. However, I understand that these funding safeguards are in place to prevent the corruptions of the past.

Sioux612 · #**1473** Posted **Nov 28, 2011, 11:00 PM**

(via email) the 18-story apartment building by SERA @ SoWa had stalled but will "re-start" within the next few months.

Sioux612 · #**1474** Posted **Nov 29, 2011, 8:14 AM**

Street level of this building is atrocious. A prime candidate for a Wendell-Wyatt Federal Building type of makeover. But that'll never happen. This is some sort of morbid landmark that will never go away.

M Kass · #**1475** Posted **Nov 30, 2011, 9:52 PM**

Dropped the kids off at school in SE today, and drove over the Ross Island on the way to work, and saw them erecting the tower crane for the OHSU Life Sciences (?) building going up.. Maybe PhiloPDX took some pix.. Hope so!

downtownpdx · #**1476** Posted **Dec 1, 2011, 8:37 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sioux612

(via email) the 18-story apartment building by SERA @ SoWa had stalled but will "re-start" within the next few months.

huh?

zilfondel · #**1477** Posted **Dec 2, 2011, 5:22 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sioux612

(via email) the 18-story apartment building by SERA @ SoWa had stalled but will "re-start" within the next few months.

Wait, what?

bvpcvm · #**1478** Posted **Dec 2, 2011, 6:04 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by zilfondel

Wait, what?

next block south of the Alexan in SOWA. six months or a year ago there was a pre-app conference.

65MAX · #**1479** Posted **Dec 2, 2011, 8:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sioux612

(via email) the 18-story apartment building by SERA @ SoWa had stalled but will "re-start" within the next few months.

I think what everybody's asking is "Where is your source?".... (via email) doesn't mean anything.

Sioux612, what email did you receive and from whom? This is pretty big news if it's true, so verification would be nice.

MarkDaMan · #**1480** Posted **Dec 8, 2011, 5:11 PM**

OHSU/OUS project sprouting on South Waterfront as officials seek savings
Published: Wednesday, December 07, 2011, 8:39 PM Updated: Thursday, December 08, 2011, 5:57 AM
Nick Budnick, The Oregonian

Steel pilings are sprouting inside a chain link fence in Portland's South Waterfront District.

There, by 2013, classrooms will host Portland State University pre-med, pre-nursing, nutrition and pre-dentistry students -- with other universities to come. A long-planned joint project of Oregon Health & Science University and the Oregon University System is becoming real on the north end of the district. It will be the first on 20 acres donated by the Schnitzer family to OHSU in 2004.

Construction began in October on an educational and research facility as well as a 12-story tower, as the project design moves toward city approval. "We're on a fast track," says Mark Williams, who oversees the project for OHSU, "so we're doing everything at once."

The project is all about multitasking. In 2008, OHSU was unable to fund the Schnitzer campus on its own. So OUS joined in, based on the promise of space for PSU and Oregon State University in the life sciences building. PSU plans to move in by fall 2013, and the other programs the following year.

To save money, OHSU pushed up the timing of its tower, which will house part of its dentistry school, says David Robinson, OHSU's executive vice provost. "You've got cranes, you've got permits: It was an opportunity we didn't want to pass up."

The entire project is expected to be 650,000 square feet, according to city senior planner Kara Fioravanti. However, details are being changed because of unexpected costs, and it's unclear whether that size will change.

"There needed to be some modifications that would allow us to stay within budget," said Mark Zabriskie, dean of the OSU College of Pharmacy, who sits on the steering committee guiding the project. "We are doing everything we can to maintain the program and not cut anything back."

He and Williams said the changes are routine. However, the city was recently notified that a Dec. 15 hearing at the city Design Commission may need to be delayed.

The life sciences building has a $160 million price tag, supported by $110 million in state bonds, $10 million from TriMet, and a $40 million gift from an anonymous donor. The $135 million Skourtes Tower will be funded by donations and OHSU, Robinson said.

-Nick Budnick

http://blog.oregonlive.com/health_im...us_projec.html