Portland Open Thread

[Norelco]

Originally Posted by PacificNW

I have always liked the look of the building...and what a great spot sitting across the street from the fountain and performance hall. Years ago I was visiting a friend who lived in the building...I liked the space. I had heard they decided to rent when the condo market was soft....are they now on the condo market? Congrats, btw.

The majority are still condos. There are probably a dozen rentals and a fair number that are second homes. It should be a quiet building - well, until we move in!

The views are dynamic. Our unit overlooks Keller fountain with views of the river and Mt. Hood (and my future office, the Green/Wyatt building).

Originally Posted by bvpcvm

Didn't the developer build an identical building in Honolulu?

I read just the opposite, Portland's was a duplicate, but yes. I've looked at Honolulu skyline pics, but can't spot it.

Thanks!

[pdxtraveler]

Yes, I have heard that it had financial hard times when it first was built. I don't think it was about the building per say, it was about that time in this country. Everyone wanted a house in the suburbs, urban condos were not the thing. I bit ahead of its time. I love the look of the building as well.

[MarkDaMan]

Very interesting, I searched the Portland Plaza Building in the Google News archive section and there are all sorts of articles about this building going back to the late 60s, including a group of NIMBYs that tried to stop the construction of the building for casting shadows onto what is now the Keller Fountain.

[Norelco]

Originally Posted by pdxtraveler

Yes, I have heard that it had financial hard times when it first was built. I don't think it was about the building per say, it was about that time in this country. Everyone wanted a house in the suburbs, urban condos were not the thing. I bit ahead of its time. I love the look of the building as well.

I think the concept of no balconies and the odd "pie-shaped" living area made the units a hard sell. We dig it.

Originally Posted by MarkDaMan

Very interesting, I searched the Portland Plaza Building in the Google News archive section and there are all sorts of articles about this building going back to the late 60s, including a group of NIMBYs that tried to stop the construction of the building for casting shadows onto what is now the Keller Fountain.

I've not seen those articles -the building does cast a shadow on the park, so that makes sense. The building was completed in the early 70s, so the timing is right. I'll have to check them out. I also read that it was featured in Time Magazine shortly after construction, but I can't access their archives.

[tworivers]

I really like this building. And it is still looking great after 40 years -- not bad.

I wish that we had many more examples of building outside the "box".

[Norelco]

I may have found the Honolulu counterpart, the Plaza Hawaii Kai. It's quite different, but you can see the similarities. The architect designed this on with a larger footprint and windows that open.

http://www.thehawaiistatecondoguide....HAWAIIKAI.html

[Shilo Rune 96]

Originally Posted by Norelco

I'm new to the forum (have been lurking for a long time). I don't see a thread on the "Norelco" building, and since we are in the process of buying a unit there, I thought I'd get your take on it.

Just curious, did you consider living in the Pearl District at all? If not, please explain a little about your decision in picking this area. I always like to learn about people's decision making process in buying real estate.

[Norelco]

Originally Posted by Shilo Rune 96

Just curious, did you consider living in the Pearl District at all? If not, please explain a little about your decision in picking this area. I always like to learn about people's decision making process in buying real estate.

We looked at all areas in and around downtown. We did want to get something over 1200 sq. ft., so many of the Pearl units didn't fit into our budget. Those that did were townhome-style units and we prefer our living spaces to all be on one floor.

We love the energy in the Pearl and NW Districts a lot, but even if it were in our price range, that same energy level brings a fair amount of congestion. I'm not sure the infrastructure in those neighborhoods adequately support the population increase. We enjoy living near PSU as it has easy access from the south, where most of our family lives. And the Pearl is a short hop on the MAX or streetcar.

[Derek]

What congestion?

[Norelco]

Originally Posted by Derek

What congestion?

Usually the people on the sidewalks move faster than the cars. Of course, I mainly hang out at Powell's, so that's typically congested.

The PSU area is great around happy hour. You've got the typical PDX blue jeans guy (me), the students, and then the "suits" all hanging around together.

[Derek]

Hmmm yeah I live in the Pearl and I don't really notice any congestion. It doesn't matter though, we all call this fine city home.

[Norelco]

Well said. After living in the downtown area for two years, I appreciate every district and the unique qualities. I've lived in a lot of smaller cities and I would never have imagined loving the urban life so much.

After my 2009 trip to NYC, I became a true lover of buildings.

[Norelco]

My first (and not-so-successful) attempt at a panoramic. This is the view from the SE units of the Portland Plaza.

[zilfondel]

Check out autostitch - its a free panoramic stiching software you can use if you don't have photoshop.

http://www.cs.bath.ac.uk/brown/autos...utostitch.html

[maccoinnich]

Also, if your camera supports it, set it to manual, and make sure each image has the same exposure.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by pdxtraveler

Yes, I have heard that it had financial hard times when it first was built. I don't think it was about the building per say, it was about that time in this country. Everyone wanted a house in the suburbs, urban condos were not the thing. I bit ahead of its time. I love the look of the building as well.

Actually it was mostly about the design of the building for it being a failure. When it was first built it was designed by an LA architect who acted like he was designing a building in LA and not in Oregon. The architect designed the building with windows that didn't open. Trying to sell a building with windows that don't open in Oregon is like trying to sell an Oregonian on building a new highway system....it's just not gonna happen.

No units in the building sold when it opened and they had to go back and renovate the building to put in a number of working windows.

[MarkDaMan]

Art DeMuro, historic preservation enthusiast, dies

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/...l?ana=e_ptl_bn

Art DeMuro, the personable developer behind some of Portland’s’ most successful renovations, died over the weekend.

DeMuro, president of Venerable Group Inc., reportedly had cancer.

DeMuro’s accomplishments include renovating the White Stag block in Old Town/Chinatown for the University of Oregon and the recent effort that turned the former MacForce space in Portland’s Central Eastside Industrial District into a home for Stumptown Coffee.

The Portland Business Journal honored DeMuro as Small Business Executive of the Year in July at its BizGrowth Expo.

His business served as both development firm and brokerage. In the past year, its team of four brokers leased or sold 200,000 square feet, transactions valued at $15 million.

DeMuro brought a passion for historic preservation to his work. He chaired the Portland Historic Landmarks Commission and served on boards of the Historic Preservation League of Oregon and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, as well as the Board of Visitors for the UO School of Architecture and Allied Arts.

In 2007, as workers removed a false exterior from the White Stag building, they uncovered intricate iron grillwork, broken during an ill-advised 1950s makeover. DeMuro footed the bill to replicate damaged pieces and restore the facade facing Northwest Naito Parkway.

At the time, he explained the decision to foot the bill as the sort of thing you do when you specialize in historic properties.

“Expect the worst, hope for the best and budget accordingly,” he said.

DeMuro would later cite White Stag as one of his favorite projects.

Some of DeMuro’s favorite projects were those such as the White Stag block work that involved preservation of older architecture. He even served on the board of the Historic Preservation League of Oregon.

[maccoinnich]

I guess this overlaps with the Portland Infill thread, but I thought it would be worth discussion on its own, seeing as how it's the hot topic in Portland development right now.

So what's everyone's view? I'd imagine it would be more favorable here than it is over at Oregonlive....

[NJD]

I have many reasons for wanting new infill to have less or no parking, but the main reason is to promote a car-free society for health and social gains. I have a feeling that some argue that (direct) pollution from autos will continue to go down, and that driving will be automated soon meaning less accidents and that there will still be a need for parking. Those factors still do not out way the personal health, space and land conservation, and social tendencies of walking, biking, skating, and public transportation (including taxis). Portland was originally built without autos in mind, and has the capacity to increase population without the space needs of parking. If I had my way, all public parking (public right of way was never intended for long term parking until new laws introduced in the 1930-70's made it free and legal) would be meter taxed for non-delivery autos.

There is far more to my rant, but I'm sure going on and on about parking issues and auto dependency is 'preaching to the choir' here.

[2oh1]

Too many people are stuck in a suburb mentality and cannot fathom the idea of a human being without a car.