The SSP:Portland Awards for Predicting the Future

[maccoinnich]

Your newest moderator would like to hand out a few awards to forumers who correctly predicted the events of the future.

Urbanlife knew that the Galleria was the right building for Target 4 years before they did:

Originally Posted by urbanlife

I wouldn't mind seeing that building be renovated for Target or something like that to move in. Would make shopping for us poorer people downtown much more enjoyable and give me just another reason to not to have to ever leave downtown.

Delaney was talking about the Weave, but had comments that seem equally applicable to another project that shall not be named:

Originally Posted by Delaney

I hope it gets built but the renderings are deceptive.

See the Cyan for what the flashing and overlapping planes will really look like: much more chunky and complicated.

Plus Skylab hasn't done any good exterior details that I've seen yet either...all thin metal panels that oil can. They'd better step it up for this one. Maybe hire someone with experience that knows how to do exterior details to compliment Kovel's vision.

PDX City-State predicted the European debt crisis in 2006:

Originally Posted by PDX City-State

IDevelopment in Madrid is interesting. It´s one of the fastest growing cities in Europe, and one local told me there are more cranes in the skyline of Madrid than any city in Europe. I certainly believe it. Low interest rates have created a somewhat artificial demand on this side of the Atlantic as well.

In 2006 tworivers suggested New Seasons for the Montgomery Blocks. That project never really went anywhere, but New Seasons is (probably) now going in to the adjacent 4th & Harrison development:

Originally Posted by tworivers

I have a feeling that we might see a New Seasons in the Burnside Bridgehead.
They would do great anywhere near PSU, too. Maybe the Montgomery Blocks? On the streetcar line... they'd draw people from accross downtown and the west hills, and down to Sowa...
I guarantee you they are looking at the inner city.
.

In 2008 MarkDaMan suggested that the Post Office should leave its PSU location and locate in a mixed use tower… which it did:

Originally Posted by MarkDaMan

The Pioneer Square branch is now in the Gus Solomon Courthouse. Quite the branch IMHO. I do agree that PSU station needs to go. There is a lot of land being wasted there. A small branch in a mixed use tower would be sufficient.

This wasn’t so much a prediction as a question… but the answer turned out to be within a decade:

Originally Posted by zilfondel

As far as being like Amsterdam - our streetcar isn't aggressive enough in comparison. By the way, when are we going to legalize weed for recreational use? We've got a looooong way to go.

[2oh1]

Urbanlife really nailed it with City Target. How many decades have passed since the Galleria building was as busy as it is now? That's such a gorgeous building. It's so good to see it bustling. And the foot traffic is definitely benefitting nearby streets, which is fantastic.

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Delaney was talking about the Weave, but had comments that seem equally applicable to another project that shall not be named

Well, if that ain't LOLworthy, nothing is. I'm glad The Weave wasn't built. The concept looked amazing, but they'd have bungled that one too. Apparently, it takes more than a great looking rendering to create a great looking building.

[babs]

Originally Posted by 2oh1

Urbanlife really nailed it with City Target. How many decades have passed since the Galleria building was as busy as it is now? That's such a gorgeous building. It's so good to see it bustling. And the foot traffic is definitely benefitting nearby streets, which is fantastic.

I hope you guys actually start shopping at Target rather than just admiring it. A birdie within the Target organization has told me that store ranks near the bottom in sales volume within the chain. They have every intention of honoring their lease while they try to figure out a way to increase business.

Bottom line, if you want stores like Target to stick around, you need to shop there.

[2oh1]

Our City Target is doing poorly? Wow, I'd have never guessed. It's always busy when I shop there. The Microsoft store is always dead, and Pieology in Fox Tower is always deader than dead. I can't imagine how Pieology survives. But Target had a constant stream of shoppers coming and going regardless of what time I've been there.

I wonder if Target is paying more to lease the Galleria space than they typically do to lease a sprawling suburban space. Maybe they're finding out that downtown shoppers buy what their arms can cary whereas suburban shoppers buy what their cars can haul away. You don't see people with massive cartfuls of stuff at the registers the way you do at a Target in the burbs.

[babs]

Originally Posted by 2oh1

Our City Target is doing poorly? Wow, I'd have never guessed. It's always busy when I shop there. The Microsoft store is always dead, and Pieology in Fox Tower is always deader than dead. I can't imagine how Pieology survives. But Target had a constant stream of shoppers coming and going regardless of what time I've been there.

I wonder if Target is paying more to lease the Galleria space than they typically do to lease a sprawling suburban space. Maybe they're finding out that downtown shoppers buy what their arms can cary whereas suburban shoppers buy what their cars can haul away. You don't see people with massive cartfuls of stuff at the registers the way you do at a Target in the burbs.

The average basket size is probably a huge issue for them in that location. Also, the suburban stores are packed on the weekends but downtown stores are usually busier during the week. I do hope they keep working on the product mix. I'm not sure it's totally optimized for downtown shopping, especially in the food area. It's really hard for a big box suburban retailer to get used to a downtown environment. That's why you have seen so many big box stores fail when then try to go small.

[zilfondel]

Man, I can't believe I get recognition for a comment about weed. Figures! Lol

[urbanlife]

I would like to thank Kanye West for not interrupting this post. I would also like to thank my time living downtown wishing I didn't have to drive all the way to the suburbs just to buy underwear and socks at Target when I could have easily walked to the Galleria. Today, when I am in the Galleria, I am the one shaking my fist at the damn kids telling them "back in my day...."

[subterranean]

I would like to state for the record, and for future awards, that a Portlander, somewhere, will be outraged about something.

[RainDog]

Originally Posted by subterranean

I would like to state for the record, and for future awards, that a Portlander, somewhere, will be outraged about something.

They say that any time a bell rings a Portlander somewhere is getting outraged.

[dubu]

I would like to say Portland won't be the only city in Oregon with light rail, within 20 years and be right. It would probably be earlier if there was a earthquake, then bend becomes the Portland. Then Boise will get light rail and there will be a train connecting those cities. I'd rather there be s new city in the nw though