Quote:
Originally Posted by 65MAX
I think it's more pragmatic to treat I-5 as a constraint that can't be moved, and then work around it. Every city (even every building) has constraints that they have to work with.... hills, waterways, major thoroughfares. The trick is to turn the constraints into opportunities.
I think the Central Eastside could be an extremely dynamic, mixed-use neighborhood without having to move I-5.
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Eventually I-5 will reach the end of its useful age, and WILL have to be torn down. Elevated structures have a lifespan... at the end of which they get replaced due to structural wear and tear, damage, or whatever shortcomings ODOT decides they have.
That being said, I do not want the CEID to become another Pearl. Hell, the Pearl itself is only half built out! And the area offers a great business incubation environment. It does need density, however, especially workshop and cheap loft-type shared office environments for people to rent out for starter businesses (there are some already down there, such as
em-space and the the
Olympic Mills Commerce Center).
As far as housing? Well, I'd actually hate to turn the waterfront into a condo park like SoWa. I'm not really sure what I'd like to see, but I don't think that Vancouver CA is a very good model for that area as it would clash far too much with its blue-collar industrial-warehouse/transportation corridor reality. Although it would likely sell a lot of units with those great downtown/Mt. Hood views!
Then... there's the train. I doubt it can be buried, as the river is actually very deep there (40 feet). The approaches for the trains to go underwater would be many miles long.