South Waterfront News - Page 9

MarkDaMan · #**161** Posted **Aug 15, 2007, 11:50 PM**

I think that project will be fine in the South Waterfront, however, what a waste of a super block!

zilfondel · #**162** Posted **Aug 16, 2007, 12:49 AM**

Hmm, apparently Ankrom has hired some actual designers now...?

Dougall5505 · #**163** Posted **Aug 16, 2007, 1:42 AM**

looks like they tried to incorporate as many materials as possible on one project, they have wood, metal, brick, I'm not sure if thats nesicarilly a good thing though...

WESTSEATTLEGUY · #**164** Posted **Aug 16, 2007, 1:55 AM**

Cool buildings. Nice architecture too.

PDX City-State · #**165** Posted **Aug 16, 2007, 5:18 AM**

Feels a little sterile. I don't like it at all.

bvpcvm · #**166** Posted **Aug 16, 2007, 6:03 AM**

yeah, it looks a little like something from kruse way.

nwroots · #**167** Posted **Aug 16, 2007, 6:22 AM**

[QUOTE=Dougall5505;3012361] I wish they had not built anything on a quarter of the block and when the market gets better build a tower there later so that whole block is not all lowrise.

You took the words right out of my mouth! All this lowrise crap taking up a whole block. The developers SHOULD wait awhile on at least part of it to build a tower. There are only so many blocks to develop in SOWA. Use the 325' limit to develop that block to it's potential. SOWA is billed as a "high rise" neighborhood. City planners and developers should keep that in mind and not rush to build. It's all about the $ though....

Sioux612 · #**168** Posted **Aug 16, 2007, 6:33 AM**

Ouch. That is one ugly building. It looks like a cheap office building.

sopdx · #**169** Posted **Aug 16, 2007, 4:31 PM**

It looks like a medical building, all it needs is a heliport on top.

cab · #**170** Posted **Aug 16, 2007, 4:51 PM**

This looks like a similar mistake made when they built the stadium apartments next to the MAX stop in Goose Hollow. It has that same "cheap" lowrise look. I guess this is the only way to get low rent joint built in SWF.

MarkDaMan · #**171** Posted **Aug 16, 2007, 8:01 PM**

^this project isn't the affordable housing block. That's block 49. From my understanding these wont be priced at the same level as the Alexan, but will be comparable to the rents at 10th and Hoyt, which is not cheap. I looked at a second floor, one bedroom place overlooking the Post Office parking lot in back, and all their noisy trucks 24 hours a day. It went for just over a grand a month. For a terrible location, I was appalled.

BrG · #**172** Posted **Aug 16, 2007, 10:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cab

This looks like a similar mistake made when they built the stadium apartments next to the MAX stop in Goose Hollow. It has that same "cheap" lowrise look. I guess this is the only way to get low rent joint built in SWF.

It is a "cheap" lowrise. Same as 10th at Hoyt.

There's only so much you can do with an unsubsidized, stick frame and punched window apartment building, on a very expensive plot of land....all on very tight budget.

Particularly with the design commision all but designing it for you these days.

I don't think an aerial view rendering does much justice to any low rise.

PDX City-State · #**173** Posted **Aug 16, 2007, 10:56 PM**

It looks sterile...

westsider · #**174** Posted **Aug 17, 2007, 6:20 AM**

[QUOTE=nwroots;3012991]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dougall5505

Its a little odd how the rendering shows all the neighboring blocks as empty park land.... And yeah, if you are going to build a six story apartment building in SOWA, thats perfectly fine, but please build it on one of the blocks next to Macadam or something, not on one zoned for up to 325'.

pdxtraveler · #**175** Posted **Aug 17, 2007, 4:16 PM**

I don't think it is that that bad. I just miss the original condo design for this block. The 20 story and the 2 six story buildings. I thought that design was GREAT! If I hadn't seen that, I would probably be much more okay with this.

zilfondel · #**176** Posted **Aug 17, 2007, 10:15 PM**

I think the material selection is fine, particularly considering the nature of the design.

I think the low-rise nature of the development is going to be used to farm out the extra FAR to enable towers in the surrounding blocks. It looks maybe 3-4 FAR, and there are still pretty low FAR limits in SoWa, even if the height limits are 325'. We won't get ANY towers if they don't transfer those FAR rights.

Anyways, I'm not going to complain if the shortest building in SoWa is 6 stories. Half the blocks in downtown are shorter than this...

rsbear · #**177** Posted **Aug 17, 2007, 10:33 PM**

^ Agreed, and it would look odd for every building to be about the same height in SoWa. I'll bet most will disagree, but I'll bet once the district is built out people will appreciate the open air space this low-rise building affords.

Sioux612 · #**178** Posted **Aug 19, 2007, 12:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirsimon

^ I don't believe it has been raised. I think it is still 325'.

If I remember correctly the first height limits for SoWa was 225' but was eventually raised 100'. Is this even in the realm of possibility?

I know this is just a rendering but that building looks to be pushing 400'+

*edit* I just realized this was the first rendering for block 46. And now this has turned into the cheap looking medical building. What a big let down.

NJD · #**179** Posted **Aug 19, 2007, 1:34 AM**

^ if you follow the renderings perspective lines from the other two 325' towers to the "400' " tower you will notice it is in perfect alignment to be only 325'. This is a common illusion in renderings today.

CouvScott · #**180** Posted **Aug 22, 2007, 2:09 PM**

Applicant: Tim Dacey, ANKROM MOISON ASSOCIATED ARCHITECTS
Site address: Block 45
The applicant seeks Design Advice for an apartment building on Block 45A in South Waterfront.