Hyatt Centric (619 SW 11th Ave) | 150' feet | 15 floors | Complete

[65MAX]

Originally Posted by downtownpdx

So this block is where United Way is, correct?

Yes, correct.

[maccoinnich]

This article is mostly about a different site, but has some information about the 12th & Alder building near the bottom.

Exclusive: United Way sells prime downtown Portland property for a pretty penny



Keith Thomajan is a happy man, as would be expected of any nonprofit leader whose organization just landed a multimillion dollar windfall.

The president and CEO of United Way of the Columbia-Willamette confirmed this morning that the nonprofit has closed on the sale of a 10,000-square-foot parking lot that it owned at the corner of Southwest 13th Avenue and Washington Street. The final price tag: just north of $4 million.

....

In addition to the parking lot, United Way also owns a 60,000-square-foot office complex at 619 S.W. 11th Ave. that it is hoping to sell. The two-building property is currently UWCW's headquarters. It occupies 20,000 square feet — the entire third floor — and it occasionally uses some of the ground-floor meeting facilities.

A mix of 10 other tenants, many in the nonprofit sector, occupy the remaining two floors and basement space. The complex, along with the parking lot, are both in a Central Residential Zone, which is a high-density, multi-dwelling zone.
Back in March, Peter Andrews and Nick Ehlen of Melvin Mark Brokerage Company, the firm representing United Way, told the Business Journal that a wide mix of prospects had already expressed interest in the properties, from neighboring property owners and local developers to national developers, institutional investors and hotel groups.

According to marketing materials from Melvin Mark, United Way has three preferred options for the office buildings. Its first choice would be to sell the north building but remain the owner and tenant of the south building. The second option would be to sell both buildings and lease back space. The third would be to sell both buildings and relocate its headquarters.

Thomajan said there have been numerous bids on the buildings and that the nonprofit is "in active discussions" that will likely lead to a sale.

...continues at the Portland Business Journal.

[maccoinnich]

SERA Architects have applied for a Conditional Use Review and Design Review for a hotel at 619 SW 11th Ave:

Conditional Use Review for 15 story, 221 room hotel. See EA 15-210283 for information.

New construction of 15 floor hotel.

[maccoinnich]

Staff Report And Recommendation To The Hearings Officer [PDF] which recommends approval for the Conditional Use Review. A separate Design Review is still pending.

[maccoinnich]

Decision of the Hearings Officer [PDF] to approve the Conditional Use Review. I imagine they'll move pretty quickly to Design Review now.

[maccoinnich]

Total speculation, but I wonder if this will be a Tru by Hilton? Hilton announced the new brand last month, with a press release that indicated they are planning a hotel in Portland:

Demonstrating owners’ desire for a forward-thinking and innovative midscale brand with a strong value proposition, Hilton Worldwide already has 102 hotels signed and an additional 30 hotels in various stages of approval in cities including Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Denver, Portland and Nashville.

The only hotels I can think of that are in development and aren't already committed to a brand are this and the Broadway Tower. I imagine the Broadway Tower will be going for a much higher end brand (or might even be run independently). So that leaves 619 SW 11th.

If your eyes can take it you can browse through the Tru by Hilton website to get a sense for the Snake People centric brand. Mashable has more analysis.

[2oh1]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

If your eyes can take it you can browse through the Tru by Hilton website to get a sense for the Snake People centric brand. Mashable has more analysis.

YAY. WOW. OOH.

That website is horrific. While I'm glad to see the terrible United Way office building replaced by a hotel, I sure hope it isn't this one.

[babs]

Originally Posted by 2oh1

YAY. WOW. OOH.

That website is horrific. While I'm glad to see the terrible United Way office building replaced by a hotel, I sure hope it isn't this one.

The hotel industry is really odd with the crazy proliferation of brands. And once you are in your room, can you really tell the difference among most brands? The age of the hotel and how long it has been since the last remodel has more of an impact on how nice the room is rather than the brand name.

Having said that, I'm a little surprised that no one is building a W downtown. That seems to be a brand that could command a higher price and offset the higher price of construction downtown.

[2oh1]

Originally Posted by babs

I'm a little surprised that no one is building a W downtown. That seems to be a brand that could command a higher price and offset the higher price of construction downtown.

SW Broadway & Columbia? ...time will tell.

[eric cantona]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

If your eyes can take it you can browse through the Tru by Hilton website to get a sense for the Snake People centric brand. Mashable has more analysis.

eesh. I get the notion of attracting a younger, less affluent crowd to your brand, makes perfect economic sense. but looking at the images on their website it appears they're aiming at pre-teens. looks like a set from a Disney channel show.

[maccoinnich]

Originally Posted by eric cantona

eesh. I get the notion of attracting a younger, less affluent crowd to your brand, makes perfect economic sense. but looking at the images on their website it appears they're aiming at pre-teens. looks like a set from a Disney channel show.

I couldn't agree more.

In terms of a chain that actually does a good job of designing the interiors for a younger demographic, while keeping the costs low, I don't think anyone does it better than CitizenM. I've stayed at their hotels in Glasgow, London and Amsterdam and they're really fantastic. I know people in Glasgow who go there just to get a coffee or drink, much like people go the Ace Hotel. I suspect that the hotel market here is going to reach saturation soon with all the new rooms coming online, but I would love to see CitizenM open here.

[eric cantona]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

I couldn't agree more.

In terms of a chain that actually does a good job of designing the interiors for a younger demographic, while keeping the costs low, I don't think anyone does it better than CitizenM. I've stayed at their hotels in Glasgow, London and Amsterdam and they're really fantastic. I know people in Glasgow who go there just to get a coffee or drink, much like people go the Ace Hotel. I suspect that the hotel market here is going to reach saturation soon with all the new rooms coming online, but I would love to see CitizenM open here.

nice. perfect for the Herman Miller fetishist, as well.

[maccoinnich]

Originally Posted by eric cantona

nice. perfect for the Herman Miller fetishist, as well.

6 years of architecture school gave me a taste for furniture that I can't afford.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

6 years of architecture school gave me a taste for furniture that I can't afford.

I know that feeling.

[maccoinnich]

This is now on the Design Commission agenda for July 21st.

[ORNative]

Great! Its been so long that I forgot what it was and had to look it up on the map. Great location for a new hotel, IMO

[maccoinnich]

Notice of a Public Hearing

[maccoinnich]

[RED_PDXer]

It's so interesting to see the hotel industry expanding so much at the same time as alternative lodging taking off such as airbnb. Are all of these projects actually getting built?

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by RED_PDXer

It's so interesting to see the hotel industry expanding so much at the same time as alternative lodging taking off such as airbnb. Are all of these projects actually getting built?

I think so, Airbnb hasn't hurt occupation numbers at all, and Portland as a whole is well under the needed number of hotel rooms it should have for being a destination city. Airbnb fills the gap for those that can't afford the high price of a hotel room.