Washington County (Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Forest Grove, etc.)

[zilfondel]

^ Beaverton needs a plan first. I've seen their planning site... kind of needs some love. They need to get the community involved, hire some planners, get some charettes going...

They don't even know what they want to be. At least they have a farmer's market but... yeah.

[CouvScott]

[zaphod]

I read that that The Round development flopped, or what?

Is the market in the right place for a tower at that location?

[WonderlandPark]

Originally Posted by ForAteOh

They're not off to a great start if this goes through as planned... 7 stories of parking for 10 floors of offices, all less than 500' from a MAX stop.

Be realistic, this is office space serving Washington County. First, there is not a centralized transportation system serving this central Beaverton, a few busses and MAX of course are great, but the vast, vast majority of likely workers live in areas that would require multiple bus changes, or in areas with almost no bus service. At all. It is a gradual process, you can't have a viable office tower without that much parking at this phase. If and when this area gains traction, then you start laying out busses to better serve Beaverton as a center, as opposed as a stop on the way into downtown Portland. It is a start, and anything that can be done to fix the clusterfuck that lies west of 217 is needed and welcome.

[dkealoha]

Didn't they just build some huge parking structure at the round already? Couldn't that also serve this office tower instead of having additional parking?

[joeplayer1989]

so this is a new tallest for beaverton, hoorrayy!

[pdxf]

Originally Posted by alexjon

Giving it an anchor and foundation will allow it to become a proper suburb, and not just a springboard to more sprawl.

The sprawl factor is why I am a little scared of these high rise suburbs. I would argue that they contibute more to sprawl. It would seem that this type of development would drive up land values within these smaller cores, creating secondary sprawl around it and push the overall sprawl for the entire metro further into the country side. This is unproven and perhaps there are issues with my assumptions, but it seems like there could be uninetended consequences. My knee-jerk reaction to these high rise suburbs is "cool, we need more of that...", but those knee-jerk, obvious reactions generally signal a red flag to look into it more and make sure it's the right action.

[alexjon]

Originally Posted by pdxf

The sprawl factor is why I am a little scared of these high rise suburbs. I would argue that they contibute more to sprawl. It would seem that this type of development would drive up land values within these smaller cores, creating secondary sprawl around it and push the overall sprawl for the entire metro further into the country side. This is unproven and perhaps there are issues with my assumptions, but it seems like there could be uninetended consequences. My knee-jerk reaction to these high rise suburbs is "cool, we need more of that...", but those knee-jerk, obvious reactions generally signal a red flag to look into it more and make sure it's the right action.

I think if we keeped it hemmed in by limiting expansion of MAX to Forest Grove and no further, it shouldn't be difficult to keep things calm. Heck, look at the areas north of Beaverton-- go about a mile north and it's pretty blank.

[JoshYent]

this will be wonderful for beaverton

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by alexjon

I love Beaverton, but... wow.

They should give up on the north end and the town center and work from Broadway south into the prettier part by the library.

I couldnt agree more, makes no sense to not use a city grid that is already in place.

But the present day, regardless of the location of the Round and the MAX line was a mistake, they can still use this all to their benefit. First and foremost is good planning and a masterplan for downtown. A simple idea of what they wish to see the city become in 100 years would be nice, no matter how far stretched it is.

Using the Round and the Westgate site for the staging ground for a renewal in their downtown is a good start (granted I would of used the library to be that staging ground, but whatever). From the hopeful success from this, the city would need to have in motion a plan to connect this area to its old part of downtown to help spread renewal through there. This would require striking a deal with the car companies to move out of downtown, which would free up a tremendous amount of land for redevelopment.

For redevelopment near the library, it would be wise for the city to stake out a site to become a community center and new city hall. This type of action would make it much easier to turn its southern end of downtown into a mixture of learning, government, and recreation center. Then between the two points, a retail and restaurant and possibly hotel idea could be developed between those two points to create a desire to park and walk. With all this in motion, then it would make sense to begin talking about a streetcar line that would run north to south to help create a solid form of transportation through the downtown as a whole. Plus if the city focused on dense residential development in this area, it would begin to create an urban neighborhood outside of downtown that could sustain itself as well as aid downtown by giving an urban alternative to downtown living without giving up the urban.

All in all, this is would all be a great move forward to design the metro as a whole rather than a collection of separate cities.





oh and for a side not, if this would of been posted at the beginning of this month, no one would of believed it.


Also, what the hell is that in the image?? It looks like a parking garage with a office building dropped on top of it. Seriously, only a moron designs like that. Someone should take away their architecture license and send them back to a better school.

[Sekkle]

Originally Posted by urbanlife

if this would of been posted at the beginning of this month, no one would of believed it.

It was only a day late for April Fools Day!

[zilfondel]

Also, what the hell is that in the image?? It looks like a parking garage with a office building dropped on top of it. Seriously, only a moron designs like that. Someone should take away their architecture license and send them back to a better school.

They would fail...

[zilfondel]

From the Urban Renaissance Group, LLCs website

[Sekkle]

From the Oregonian...

Beaverton councilors get first look at Westgate proposal
Posted by Kathleen Gorman, The Oregonian April 22, 2008 18:00PM

BEAVERTON -- City councilors warmly, but cautiously, welcomed a Seattle-based developer's proposal for a $121 million mixed-used development at the former Westgate Theatre site.

Urban Renaissance Group officials said Monday the Westgate project would help make Beaverton an "urban village" -- an important center of activity outside of Portland. The proposal includes a 17-story office building/parking garage -- far taller than anything in the city -- and two apartment buildings with ground-floor retail.

"We've taken a big vision. We've gone vertical with it," said Patrick Callahan, chief executive of Urban Renaissance Group.

Councilors were pleased with the idea of increased density downtown and a plan to achieve a critical mass of office workers, urbane apartment dwellers and others whom Urban Renaissance Group officials say would be naturally drawn to the finished project.

"I'm really excited about what I'm seeing," Councilor Catherine Arnold said.

She and others, though, acknowledged that plenty of hurdles lie ahead.

So far, Urban Renaissance needs a promise of investor financing for the project. The developer also says it needs public subsidies, including $2 million off the $4.3 million price of the property and construction of three traffic signals and eight road projects.

That could be troublesome for the city of Beaverton and Metro, the regional government, which have seen developers of the adjacent Round at Beaverton Central struggle to complete the project. City officials have insisted on a strong financing package for the Westgate project.

The city and Metro purchased the 4.6-acre property in 2005 for $4.9 million. The city has used some of the land for roadways and improvements, reducing the value of the vacant land to $4.3 million.

To improve access, Urban Renaissance is asking the city to extend some streets, including Southwest Crescent Way and Rose Biggi Avenue, through the site. The developer also wants a new intersection at Southwest Cedar Hills Boulevard at Dawson Way and Westgate Drive.

With the council's unofficial blessing Monday, city staff will begin a detailed review expected to last about 60 days, said Lonnie Dicus, senior project manager. (To read the developer's proposal, go to here, then, click on "Proposal from Urban Renaissance Group and Group Mackenzie." )

City staff then will bring the proposal back to the council with a recommendation, he said.

If the council wants to move forward, the city, the developer and Metro will come up with what Dicus described as a limited agreement with general understandings about timing, priorities, road projects and other issues. However, the developer will want to know that it is the official choice so it can move forward, he said.

As proposed, the centerpiece of the Urban Renaissance project would be a 222,255-square-foot office building with 10 stories of offices above seven stories of parking. The building would include 738 parking spaces -- the developer insists that meets market demands -- and 33,000 square feet of street-level retail space.

In addition, two other buildings would house a total of 144 residential units above 24,000 square feet of retail space.

Urban Renaissance Group is the only developer that has met the city's qualifications -- although, it qualified when it still had financial backing -- and submitted a proposal for consideration.

Councilor Bruce Dalrymple said he liked what he saw Monday, but he would have preferred more than one option.

"One isn't a choice, and we have one," he said.

-- Kathleen Gorman;
kathleengorman@news.oregonian.com

http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingn...get_first.html

[zilfondel]

http://www.westgatesale.com/docs/Pro...kenzie_opt.pdf

[JoshYent]

Originally Posted by zilfondel

http://www.westgatesale.com/docs/Pro...kenzie_opt.pdf

nice~!
i work across the street from this!

i cannot wait for it to get started

[zilfondel]

Check this out!


Developer of the Round in Beaverton defaults on loan
The California firm also hasn't paid property taxes on undeveloped land
Saturday, May 31, 2008
DAVID R. ANDERSON
The Oregonian

BEAVERTON -- The developer of the Round at Beaverton Central is in default on a $2.9 million loan and didn't pay property taxes last year on its undeveloped properties, according to legal documents.

The latest legal twist could mean the end for the second developer at the urban-style development along the MAX light rail, which remains little more than half-built after 11 years.

The setback also raises more questions about the city's attempts to extend the Round to the adjacent Westgate Theatre site. The only developer interested in purchasing that vacant property from the city and Metro, the regional government, is still looking for financing.

The creditor of the Round, Drawbridge Special Opportunities Fund, has filed a notice of foreclosure in Washington County against DPP Beaverton Commercial Investments, a subsidiary of Dorn-Platz Properties of California.

This is the second time in less than a year that a lender has foreclosed on the property. In July 2007, another lender associated with Fortress Investment Group, a New York hedge fund, claimed that Dorn-Platz had defaulted on a $31.5 million loan.

Dorn-Platz settled that in September by transferring ownership of completed buildings to Fortress.

However, Dorn-Platz retained ownership of four vacant parcels and told city officials it was attempting to get new financing to complete the three remaining buildings.

That continues to be the latest message from Dorn-Platz officials, City Attorney Alan Rappleyea said Friday.

"But we've heard that before," Rappleyea said.

In the latest foreclosure, the lender claims that Dorn-Platz has not paid on the second loan since November 2006 and owes $23,300 in delinquent property taxes.

Representatives of Dorn-Platz did not return telephone calls Friday. Douglas Cushing, the Portland lawyer representing Fortress, also could not be reached for comment.

The city of Beaverton had no legal interest in the completed buildings during the foreclosure last year, Rappleyea said. But a development agreement between the city and Dorn-Platz covers the unfinished properties. That agreement calls for the project to be completed by the beginning of 2009.

Rappleyea said city officials would let the foreclosure proceedings play out and deal with whichever company ends up owning the vacant land.

The city land-use and building permits for the remaining buildings have lapsed, and Dorn-Platz has done nothing to renew them, Rappleyea said.

The Round has struggled since 1997, when the city sold the former site of a sewage treatment plant to a developer and called for multistory buildings with ground-floor retail and restaurants and housing and offices above.

The first developer declared bankruptcy, and the city resumed control of the site in 2001. Later that year, Dorn-Platz took over the project.

However, the city later declared Dorn-Platz in default of its development agreement, penalized the developer and signed a new agreement in June 2005.

Four buildings are complete. Three or four more buildings are scheduled to be built.

David R. Anderson: 503-294-5199; davidanderson@ news.oregonian.com

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/orego...080.xml&coll=7

[westsider]

This was a disaster before it started, its just a terrible concept and design. I would like to hear if even one of you would want to live there.

[Sekkle]

What a shame that the Round has been so unsuccessful. MAX's connection to dowtown Beaverton and this is the result. I don't know all the history behind it, but it seems like a HUGE missed opportunity for viable TOD. Here's hoping the Westgate project happens and helps turn things around.

[alexjon]

I want it built, but there's still tons of room in central Portland at pretty reasonable prices, so I don't know if the suburbs will really get as much development in upcoming years