The proposed Hyatt Regency at the Oregon Convention Center
The Business Tribune wrote about “Portland’s new international front porch“—the Convention Center Hotel. The Hyatt Regency branded hotel recently went in front of the Design Commission for its first Design Review hearing.
A change in policy at the Bureau of Development Services means that ranked properties on the city’s Historic Resources Inventory will now be subject to a 120 day demolition delay, even if the property owner requests that it be removed from the Inventory.
The Business Tribune wrote about how advocacy organization Restore Oregon wants to ensure that “we don’t want to lose those things that make Portland Portland” as the city grows.
As thousands of units per year get built in Portland, the DJC looked at how much parking developers are choosing to build. While investors once demanded a 1:1 parking to units ratio, 0.6:1—or less—has become common.
The Business Tribune reported that despite ongoing building boom, “Oregon’s construction industry ranked 47th overall in contribution to state GDP.”
Construction has finished on the International School Expansion, reports the Portland Business Journal. According to the paper the school “kicked off the school year this week with a ribbon cutting ceremony for its new Learners’ Hall, a 10-classroom building for fourth- and fifth-grade students”.
The Willamette Week reported that parents are warning that delays to Portland Public Schools’ $750 million bond could doom it to failure. If passed, the bond would pay for the rebuilds of Lincoln High School, Madison High School and Benson High School.
The Convention Center Hotel piece was difficult to read. IMO, the City/Metro.County made a series of horrible decisions to mask poor planning. Now they are greenwashing and urban-design-washing the hell out of it! In short, they should not be building a free-standing parking garage on a buildable lot adjacent to all of the MAX lines, well connected to popular bus and bike routes, and a couple of blocks from streetcar. That block should be housing or office. Any parking should be beneath the hotel, and its use should be discouraged and charged at premium rates). From the article:
“32,000 sf ballroom” -should use the Convention Center for this
“site forms new urban edge” -except 1 is a parking garage adjacent to public transit
“filling a major gap in the city fabric” -except for 1 block (out of 3) that is used to store cars
“architectural and landscape elements oriented to the river” -they literally filled the block between the hotel and the river with a parking garage!
If this project doesn’t highlight the uselessness of Design Review, I don’t know what could