Centennial Mills Redevelopment | Proposed

[PDXDENSITY]

"So therefore I think we have an obligation here to preserve those things we have, because we have so few of them."

I'm excited about the redevelopment. However, I really hope it adds a big tower in the mix on the waterfront. That is another landmark that we are lacking in Portland. Also, he is focusing too much on the preservation of things by comparing Portland to Rome and other such cities. We aren't an archaeological site. Neither is London nor Rome. They must build for their people densely to preserve the open spaces outside of the city.

Screw the character, save the people/environment.

Despite my spiel, it's cool that it's being redeveloped. Facades can be made into something cool, but the structure itself is not really that much history, per se. The majority of its life will now be in other uses. And most importantly, its present which involves the living.

Frank Gehry is cool, but I hope it's not too wavy and metallic, whatever he does. And, again, I wish we could get more height here.

[maccoinnich]

From the PDC website:

PDC selects contractor for Centennial Mills selective demolition

March 20, 2015

The Portland Development Commission today announced the official selection of Tigard, OR-based Northwest Demolition & Dismantling as the Construction Manager/General Contractor (CMGC) for the selective demolition and salvage contract on the Centennial Mills project in northwest Portland. Northwest

Demolition was one of six firms that submitted a response to the Dec. 29, 2014 Request for Proposals.

Based on rapid deterioration of the facility and substantial risk of loss or damage should the buildings collapse, PDC solicited proposals under an emergency declaration that enabled the evaluation committee to determine the winning team by using a number of factors rather than the traditional low-bid selection process.

"We were very pleased with the quality of the responses we received," said PDC Executive Director Patrick Quinton. "We believe the combination of qualifications, cost, and previous experience with complex projects made Northwest Demolition the clear choice."

Over the next three months the CMGC will develop a guaranteed maximum price and a project timeline proposal for the selective demolition work.

At the conclusion of the three month phase, PDC will have an estimate of the cost and approximate timeline for the construction phase, including the selective demolition and salvage of materials from the site. Concurrently, PDC staff will prepare a solicitation seeking a design and construction team to help move forward the design and costing of potential public improvements on the site.

PDC staff and representatives from Northwest Demolition & Dismantling will provide periodic updates on the guaranteed maximum price process and project timeline to the Pearl District Neighborhood Association and other stakeholders. Additional information about the project is posted online.

"This is a challenging project and I am confident our team can complete the selective demolition in a safe, efficient and cost effective manner," said Northwest Demolition & Dismantling Vice President Richard Wayper. "We’re very eager to get to work."

PDC continues to negotiate with Harsch Investment Properties on the development and disposition agreement for the Centennial Mills property.

[maccoinnich]

The Portland Development Commission has applied for a demolition permit for a number of buildings at Centennial Mills:

Emergency demo to slab foundations and salvage of all structures, excluding the feed and mill structures. Site to be secured following demo. See 14-251340-DB

[Eco_jt]

Urgent! PDC has decided to demolish the ENTIRE Centennial Mills site (instead of select buildings). There is a PDC meeting today where this is being discussed. This item is on the agenda at 3:30 pm. The meeting is happening at 222 NW 5th avenue in their commission room.

Anyone and everyone who is available this afternoon needs to go and share their thoughts about the wholesale demolition of this piece of history and the waste of over a decade of public process.

Like this post and share it to make sure everyone gets the word.

Oh no!!!

[maccoinnich]

Here is the report and resolution presented to the PDC board today. I don't read it to indicate that they're planning complete demolition (emphasis mine):

The pre-construction phase scope of work called for the Contractor to propose a GMP for selective demolition of all buildings on the site except the Mounted Police Unit (MPU) headquarters and paddock, the Flour Mill, and the Feed Mill. A preliminary estimate from the Contractor to demolish these structures would be an additional $1,450,000. PDC staff excluded the demolition of these buildings from the scope of work because: i) the costs of finding and relocating the MPU facilities is greater than available resources, and ii) the Feed and Flour Mills are contemplated for potential future reuse.

[Eco_jt]

more replies from that initial post on Facebook:

Ted Zava What are you basing this on?
Like · Reply · 2 hrs

Pearl District Neighborhood Association On the fact that the mayor's office called Patty early this afternoon to let her know.
Like · 51 mins

Pearl District Neighborhood Association Clarification: The mayor's office wants PDC to look into demolishing all the buildings. We definitely should ask "why?"

PDNA facebook link

While who knows what will actually happen, I PM'd Patricia Gardner (PDNA chair / planning committee) to ask her about it, she confirms that the mayors office has asked PDC to look into complete demo because they think it will be too expensive for what they want to spend.

[maccoinnich]

• Video Link

Video of today's board meeting. I haven't watched the whole thing yet, but if you skip forward to 35 minutes in you can see that at least currently they're proposing keeping the feed mill, flour mill and mounted patrol warehouse.

[maccoinnich]

OK, I listened to the relevant section of the board meeting. The board approved a contract for the selective demolition of Centennial Mills, for all above water portions of the complex, excluding the feed mill, flour mill and mounted patrol unit warehouse. It's a really complicated demo job due to the amount of hazardous materials and the fact that the structure is unlikely to be strong enough to support the heavy equipment needed to perform the work. Some of the work will be done from a barge on the river, which should make for some good photos.

The contract includes an option to demo the feed mill and flour mill buildngs, but that requires the PDC to decide to execute the option. Jillian Detweiler from Mayor Hales' office spoke at the meeting to pass on the Mayor's concerns. These are that in approving a contract that excludes portions of the complex the PDC is creating the expectation that these buildings will be saved. The feed and flours mills are in really bad condition, and deteriorating rapidly. Right now there is no financially viable plan to save them, either with public money or with private money. The PDC only has $20 million allocated to Centennial Mills, and $8 million of that was just swallowed up by the above water demolition. The below water demolition and riverbank restoration will be required at some point, and that won't come cheap. So the Mayor's office asked that in the next 6 months the PDC come up with some plan for what will be done with these buildings. If they can't come up with a viable plan, Hales thinks these buildings should be demolished with the rest of the complex, so that the City is not just kicking the can down the road.

[2oh1]

I hate to say it, but I've always believed that Centennial Mills will be demolished entirely. I simply cannot imagine costs for keeping and redeveloping any large portions of the site not spiraling out of control. I hope I'm wrong, of course... but then again, I feel no emotional attachment to the site. It's historic, yeah yeah, I know... but it's historic in a place and in a way that most Portlanders have no connection to. Due to its isolated location, Centennial Mills was something people drove by or spotted from a distance. I'm sure this won't be a popular thing to say, but, I won't be sorry to see Centennial Mills demolished.

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

the Mayor's office asked that in the next 6 months the PDC come up with some plan for what will be done with these buildings. If they can't come up with a viable plan, Hales thinks these buildings should be demolished with the rest of the complex, so that the City is not just kicking the can down the road.

I think that's wise. Look at how much time, money and effort has already been put into trying to repurpose Memorial Coliseum. They've probably been working on that, on again and off again, for over 20 years, since the Rose Garden/Moda Center building was first proposed. If another decade passes on Centennial Mills without redevelopment - or even another five years - it'll surely lead to the entire site being demolished.

[maccoinnich]

Memorial Coliseum is a completely different situation. It is neither under imminent danger of collapsing nor is sitting vacant without a use.

[2oh1]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Memorial Coliseum is a completely different situation. It is neither under imminent danger of collapsing nor is sitting vacant without a use.

Oh, definitely. I only mentioned it as an example of a site that lingers in terms of figuring out what to do with it... but unlike Centennial Mills, Memorial Coliseum does have some use, whereas Centennial Mills is just decaying.

[BlazerBeav]

Originally Posted by 2oh1

Oh, definitely. I only mentioned it as an example of a site that lingers in terms of figuring out what to do with it... but unlike Centennial Mills, Memorial Coliseum does have some use, whereas Centennial Mills is just decaying.

Having been to a number of hockey games in the Coliseum the past few years, I can confirm it IS decaying while having some use.

[maccoinnich]

Well, all buildings are decaying to some degree. The difference in degrees between Memorial Coliseum and Centennial Mills is a couple orders of magnitude. Memorial Coliseum certainly needs some heavy maintenance, but it is not about to fall down.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by 2oh1

I hate to say it, but I've always believed that Centennial Mills will be demolished entirely. I simply cannot imagine costs for keeping and redeveloping any large portions of the site not spiraling out of control. I hope I'm wrong, of course... but then again, I feel no emotional attachment to the site. It's historic, yeah yeah, I know... but it's historic in a place and in a way that most Portlanders have no connection to. Due to its isolated location, Centennial Mills was something people drove by or spotted from a distance. I'm sure this won't be a popular thing to say, but, I won't be sorry to see Centennial Mills demolished.



I think that's wise. Look at how much time, money and effort has already been put into trying to repurpose Memorial Coliseum. They've probably been working on that, on again and off again, for over 20 years, since the Rose Garden/Moda Center building was first proposed. If another decade passes on Centennial Mills without redevelopment - or even another five years - it'll surely lead to the entire site being demolished.

Same here, I have accepted the fact that we would eventually demolish the Centennial Mills when that plan years ago to renovate it into a museum of sorts fell through. After that, I figured it would be a matter of time before it became victim to the bulldozer.

As for the Memorial Coliseum, that I expect to be torn down the day Paul Allen threatens to move the Blazers if they don't get a new arena.

[tworivers]

Well, I'm in favor of re-purposing at least the feed and flour mill buildings. Ever seen those old postcards of the wharves that used to sit on the river from the Hawthorne north? Centennial Mills is the last standing example of an important part of our history as a river city. We've done a too-good job of demolishing our history and I feel that a full demo right now would be shortsighted. Of course I recognize that right now it's on the outer edge of where people flow -- that might not be the case at all in 10 or 20 years, though.

This city council seems to have no grit and determination, little in the way of any sort of coherent vision, and no political will to push anything that isn't low-hanging fruit forward. So I wouldn't be at all surprised if Hales kicks the can in his own way by simply demo-ing the entire site and leaving it vacant (because of course there's no money to fund and maintain a new park there).

[maccoinnich]

Mayor favors demolishing waterfront landmark



Mayor Charlie Hales has run out of patience with the proposed redevelopment of Centennial Mills and wants to level the amalgam of flour mills acquired by the city 15 years ago.

That’s the message Hales’ aide, Jillian Detweiler, delivered last month to the Pearl District Neighborhood Association, the group that persuaded City Council to preserve the structures.

Detweiler said there is only $20 million in the River District Urban Renewal Area budget, far short of the $36 million requested by Jordan Schnitzer of Harsch Investment Properties, the firm chosen by the Portland Development Commission two years ago to redevelop the site.

In March, PDC hired a firm to remove all but the two main buildings, but the mayor now thinks even those two should go.

Asked whether it would be prudent retain the flour and seed mills, Detweiler said no, that would only ring up additional costs before reaching the inevitable conclusion. She said past mayors had “kicked the can down the road” and Hales did not want to dodge the responsibility.

“It would just waste money to decide later. That’s where his head is,” she said. “The mayor is in support of turning it into a park.”

PDNA President Patricia Gardner, the person most responsible for quashing PDC plans to replace the mills with a park in 2005, did not take the news calmly.

...continues at the NW Examiner.

[MarkDaMan]

Mayor favors demolishing waterfront landmark

Mayor Charlie Hales has run out of patience with the proposed redevelopment of Centennial Mills and wants to level the amalgam of flour mills acquired by the city 15 years ago....continues at the NW Examiner.

The Willamette through Portland used to be lined with these warehouses on piers over the river. I wish this last little example of our historical past could be restored.

[BlazerBeav]

Sounds like the prudent move to me - I can't see how the city could justify sinking another $16 million into this site when there is so much basic work needing done elsewhere in the city.

[maccoinnich]

Will Centennial Mills be the next historic landmark demolished?



Centennial Mills, 2013 (photo by Brian Libby)

BY BRIAN LIBBY

As demolition begins this month on the Portland GasCo building, earning ire from preservationists, another century-old structure along the Willamette may be facing the wrecking ball: Centennial Mills.

In the August issue of the NW Examiner, Allan Classen reported that Mayor Charlie Hales now favors demolishing the entire structure. Hales’ aide, Jillian Detweiler, delivered that message last month to the Pearl District Neighborhood Association, which has long advocated that at least some of the structures from what was initially an 11-building development be preserved. Detweiler cited a $16 million shortfall between the $20 million in River District Urban Renewal Area funds and the $36 million requested to restore the site by Harsch Investment Properties, the firm chosen by the Portland Development Commission as developer two years ago.

Past mayors, in trying to preserve Centennial Mills, had simply “kicked the can down the road” Detweiler was quoted as saying in Classen's article. By calling for demolition of these historic early 20th century industrial buildings to be leveled, she added, Hales was showing responsibility.

Demolition crews have already been busy since March tearing down much of the multi-building complex, leaving all but two of the larger structures. Since 2000, the Portland Development Commission has controlled Centennial Mills, and some have criticized how little the agency did over the past 15 years to limit deterioration. When I toured the property late last year for a CityLab article on efforts to save the major buildings there, large portions of water-damaged upstairs floors were marked with spray paint to warn of potential cave-ins. Raccoon tracks abounded, and visitors had to wear face masks.

...continues at Portland Architecture.

[cailes]

There is a fence around the site and saw an excavator tearing into it today