Car lifts reflect elevation of local real estate prices
Portland Business Journal - June 29, 2007
by Wendy Culverwell
Business Journal staff writer
Phyllis and Ron Maynard retired a few years ago from a home in the Sylvan area to a condo in Portland's Riverplace district.
There was plenty of downsizing, but the couple balked at cutting back to a single car.
Phyllis, who retired from the Portland Public Schools, and Ron, who retired from the city, felt they each needed a vehicle -- a BMW wagon for her and a Porsche roadster for him.
Parking was a sticky proposition until earlier this year, when they moved to The Strand, a new riverfront project by developer Jack Onder.
The Maynards moved to The Strand because they wanted steel and concrete construction instead of the wood frame variety of their former home. But it turned out the building offered something more: Portland's first mechanical parking lifts.
Onder Development installed German-made car lifts in about 30 parking spots that had enough headroom to accommodate vehicles parked double-decker style. The high-density parking arrangement complements the high-density living arrangements above and is yet another sign of the value of pressing every square inch of space into service.
Beth DuPont, a broker specializing in multifamily investment properties at Colliers International, said it's natural to start looking for ways to maximize space when real estate and parking are at a premium. Car lifts have been successful in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., she said.
"It's a natural to come to Portland."
Klaus Parking Systems has installed its system in 88 West Coast locations, according to its regional representative, Norm Brudigan. Most are in and around the Bay Area, but there are a few noteworthy exceptions. In addition to The Strand, Klaus has put its lifts in condominium projects in Kansas City, Mo., and Seattle.
Brudigan said he's gotten lots of inquiries from the Northwest.
The technology is nothing new, which makes permitting relatively easy. Jeff Joslin, a land use manager for the city's Bureau of Development Services, said car lifts have a place in Portland and could be a meaningful addition to high-density projects if they are widely adopted.
Noting that parking garages are among the most costly and permanent structures built, he said it's surprising they didn't arrive earlier.
The Maynards said they initially balked at paying $28,000 to put a car lift in their one-car parking spot. They decided to go for it, treating it as both a convenience and an investment that could pay off handsomely if or when they sell their unit and can boast that it comes with parking for two vehicles.
Most of the time, the Porsche is parked on the lift and elevated over head, while the wagon is at the ready on ground level. The Maynards say they love having two parking spots and the convenience of parking both their cars a short elevator ride away from their home outweighs the inconvenience of having to coordinate who parks and when.
Ron Maynard said the elevated parking comes with another bonus. It puts his Porsche out of reach of other cars, protecting it from door dings and accidental bumps. The idea has clearly caught on, with sports cars and collector vehicles making up the majority of the population of elevated vehicles in The Strand's garage.
Onder, who has built luxurious condos all over Portland, said he first saw the Klaus parking lift system while visiting Chicago. He weighed bringing it home to Portland but didn't know if real estate was pricey enough to warrant the cost.
The Strand offered the perfect opportunity to find out if it was, he said.
The project consists of 189 condominiums and 27 townhouses in three towers. Most important, it occupies a sloping site bordering the Willamette River waterfront.
That sloping terrain means the floor of the underground parking garage rises and falls, creating areas inside where the ceiling is high enough to accommodate two vehicles stacked one over the other.
About 30 spots (out of 250) had sufficient clearance to allow cars to be stacked two high by way of an electric-powered hydraulic lift.
Had the garage been specially designed to accommodate the lifts, the cost would have been prohibitive, which is one reason they aren't part of Onder's other ongoing high-rise condominium project at the Uptown Shopping Center.
Lift-equipped parking spots have been a hit with Strand buyers, said Kathleen MacNaughton, principal broker for the project. The lifts are offered as an upgrade and as with condos, released for sale in batches.
Every one that has been offered has sold, she said.
wculverwell@bizjournals.com | 503-219-3415
http://portland.bizjournals.com/port...ml?t=printable
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