Goose Hollow News

[maccoinnich]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Drawings [156 MB] and Staff Report, which recommends approval, for 1715 SW Salmon St.

Approved today.

[maccoinnich]

Notice of a Pre-Application Conference for 1634 SW Alder St

[geohiker]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Notice of a Pre-Application Conference for 1634 SW Alder St

I don't like the choice to have residential on the first-floor. Those units will feel like a fish bowl with people walking by at street level. The space would be better served as more retail or commercial space.

[subterranean]

Flex space on the first floor is becoming a best practice as certain retail continues to soften and morph into something else.

[Rob Nob]

Originally Posted by geohiker

I don't like the choice to have residential on the first-floor. Those units will feel like a fish bowl with people walking by at street level. The space would be better served as more retail or commercial space.

There is a significant drop in elevation from Morrison to Alder, hence the break line at the sidewalk. You are probably looking at units that are 15 of more feet above the Alder street sidewalk. (edit*The adjacent ART tower's drawings show Morrison up at 109.5' elevation and Alder down at 91' at SE 16th on the east side of this block.)

I would not be surprised if there is retail or a parking entry that occurs below those "ground floor" units on the Morrison street floor plan. Also appears that is where the residential lobby will be, at the much lower Alder street elevation.

[Rob Nob]

Originally Posted by subterranean

Flex space on the first floor is becoming a best practice as certain retail continues to soften and morph into something else.

For sure. I have seen a handful of ground floor resident amenities like fitness rooms or business centers that could be converted to Retail if there is increased demand in the market. Some of the ground floor bike rooms I have seen would take more modification because they have to make up the minimum bike spaces somewhere else. Maybe by eliminating car parking in the garage?

[RED_PDXer]

Originally Posted by geohiker

I don't like the choice to have residential on the first-floor. Those units will feel like a fish bowl with people walking by at street level. The space would be better served as more retail or commercial space.

The application states that the project includes "ground floor retail".

[DMH]

Originally Posted by RED_PDXer

The application states that the project includes "ground floor retail".

It seems surprising that this early submission does not include the SW Alder ground floor plan which would show the garage entrance, the loading dock, and presumably some street-level retail along Alder. How this building meets the street on both Alder and Morrison is an important consideration for the neighborhood association and the City.

[DMH]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Notice of a Pre-Application Conference for 1634 SW Alder St

Regarding this proposal, once again a plethora of studio apartments is being planned. Is there not yet a glut of studio apartments on the market? I should think architects and developers would be planning for easy conversion of small apartments into larger units because there is a segment of the market that would welcome them. For instance, imagine adjacent one-bedroom units planned with small kitchens back to back. As demand calls for it, the dividing wall would be knocked out and a larger kitchen and living area created with two bedrooms and two bathrooms at opposite sides of the larger apartment. Couples who want a guest bedroom & bath, pairs of roommates, single parents with a child, or persons with an elderly parent could then finally be provided with an central city apartment that accommodates them.

[RED_PDXer]

Originally Posted by DMH

Regarding this proposal, once again a plethora of studio apartments is being planned. Is there not yet a glut of studio apartments on the market? I should think architects and developers would be planning for easy conversion of small apartments into larger units because there is a segment of the market that would welcome them. For instance, imagine adjacent one-bedroom units planned with small kitchens back to back. As demand calls for it, the dividing wall would be knocked out and a larger kitchen and living area created with two bedrooms and two bathrooms at opposite sides of the larger apartment. Couples who want a guest bedroom & bath, pairs of roommates, single parents with a child, or persons with an elderly parent could then finally be provided with an central city apartment that accommodates them.

I doubt the market is saturated with studios yet because they are often the most affordable options for singles and the most profitable for developers (I imagine this is the case given how much studios can command per square foot). Does someone know this for sure?

I think that would be a pretty big leap for a developer to be so forward thinking beyond what makes sense now for marketability. Also, I'm not sure the city's policy towards SDC credits is established on the point of combining and then restoring individual units. That would be a big loss to spend on combining units and foregoing $15k+ on SDCs for each lost unit.

[johnliu]

Originally Posted by RED_PDXer

I doubt the market is saturated with studios yet because they are often the most affordable options for singles and the most profitable for developers (I imagine this is the case given how much studios can command per square foot). Does someone know this for sure?

I think that would be a pretty big leap for a developer to be so forward thinking beyond what makes sense now for marketability. Also, I'm not sure the city's policy towards SDC credits is established on the point of combining and then restoring individual units. That would be a big loss to spend on combining units and foregoing $15k+ on SDCs for each lost unit.

From $1,308/mo for 399 SF studio. $3.28/SF.

From $1,439/mo for 569 SF one bedroom. $2.53/SF.

The pro forma can handle a much lower occupancy rate for the studio than for the one bedroom.

(That's from "Lower Burnside Lofts" website.)

Exactly what demographic all this new build is for, I dunno.

[DMH]

Originally Posted by RED_PDXer

I doubt the market is saturated with studios yet because they are often the most affordable options for singles and the most profitable for developers (I imagine this is the case given how much studios can command per square foot). Does someone know this for sure?

I think that would be a pretty big leap for a developer to be so forward thinking beyond what makes sense now for marketability. Also, I'm not sure the city's policy towards SDC credits is established on the point of combining and then restoring individual units. That would be a big loss to spend on combining units and foregoing $15k+ on SDCs for each lost unit.

Maybe the market is there for singles renting a studio apartment. I tried that in the 1970's when I arrived fresh from college. But my basement studio in Sullivan's Gulch was not as affordable as the 2-bedroom apt in NW Portland that I later found and shared with a roommate (and sometimes his girlfriend). The 2-bedroom apt with roommate was a far more desirable option then. Not so now?

[maccoinnich]

Lincoln High School DAR #3 drawings and memo.

[maccoinnich]

Posting Notice for 1500 SW Taylor

[zilfondel]

Originally Posted by DMH

Regarding this proposal, once again a plethora of studio apartments is being planned. Is there not yet a glut of studio apartments on the market? I should think architects and developers would be planning for easy conversion of small apartments into larger units because there is a segment of the market that would welcome them. For instance, imagine adjacent one-bedroom units planned with small kitchens back to back. As demand calls for it, the dividing wall would be knocked out and a larger kitchen and living area created with two bedrooms and two bathrooms at opposite sides of the larger apartment. Couples who want a guest bedroom & bath, pairs of roommates, single parents with a child, or persons with an elderly parent could then finally be provided with an central city apartment that accommodates them.

Couples can barely rent a studio let alone a multi bedroom apartment. Prices here are so outlandish that I doubt developers ever will build another multi bedroom apartment in this city that lets for less than $50k/year.

Originally Posted by johnliu

Exactly what demographic all this new build is for, I dunno.

Desperate people who just landed here and can't find anywhere else to live. I should know, my firm has hired about 150 out-of-staters over the past 18 months. They all end up renting close to downtown or the Lloyd District for way too much, then most find a shared house somewhere to live with roommates.

[subterranean]

I moved to the west end from the Midwest in 2015 and was paying like $1300/mo for a 400 sq ft studio.. A year later I bought a house (short sale) in the western suburbs because it was one of the few places I could afford on my own (before I got married) within walking distance to the MAX and wasn’t a complete gut rehab. Some folks sort of turned their nose up at me for moving out here, but hey - my mortgage is only $100/mo more than my rent was, I have a 3/2 with a big yard, 2-car garage, fireplace, and a 5 minute walk to the Blue Line - 20 minutes to downtown. Portland is still affordable with a little patience, if you get out of the renting racket and you don’t need a hipster bar and a salt & straw within stumbling distance.

[cityscapes]

Originally Posted by subterranean

I moved to the west end from the Midwest in 2015 and was paying like $1300/mo for a 400 sq ft studio.. A year later I bought a house (short sale) in the western suburbs because it was one of the few places I could afford on my own (before I got married) within walking distance to the MAX and wasn’t a complete gut rehab. Some folks sort of turned their nose up at me for moving out here, but hey - my mortgage is only $100/mo more than my rent was, I have a 3/2 with a big yard, 2-car garage, fireplace, and a 5 minute walk to the Blue Line - 20 minutes to downtown. Portland is still affordable with a little patience, if you get out of the renting racket and you don’t need a hipster bar and a salt & straw within stumbling distance.

I agree, I keep looking at apartments in Portland out of curiosity and there are still some $900 a month places in good location to be had. Granted they were like $650 a month when I first moved to Portland but still by todays standards that's decent. If you want to own there are good options in the suburbs that are reasonable and near transit. Not everything is a $9,000 a month two bedroom in the Pearl. I moved from Portland to Columbus this past year and new apartments here are all around $1,300 - 1,500 for a one bedroom which isn't that much cheaper than Portland. These ridiculous prices seem to be the going rate for urban living these now.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by cityscapes

I agree, I keep looking at apartments in Portland out of curiosity and there are still some $900 a month places in good location to be had. Granted they were like $650 a month when I first moved to Portland but still by todays standards that's decent. If you want to own there are good options in the suburbs that are reasonable and near transit. Not everything is a $9,000 a month two bedroom in the Pearl. I moved from Portland to Columbus this past year and new apartments here are all around $1,300 - 1,500 for a one bedroom which isn't that much cheaper than Portland. These ridiculous prices seem to be the going rate for urban living these now.

That is what a lot of people don't get, new construction is expensive regardless where the building is being built. Portland is definitely getting expensive, but there are still deals to be found depending on where you want to live and what you want to work with.

[maccoinnich]

Design Advice Drawings [16 MB] and Staff Memo for 1500 SW Taylor.

[tworivers]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Design Advice Drawings [16 MB] and Staff Memo for 1500 SW Taylor.

I just coined a new acronym looking at these drawings. GMEO (Gouge My Eyes Out).

Perfect that the neighborhood association is practically beside themselves with ecstasy.