Architecture and Development in PDX
This week Next Portland had its fifth birthday. Since November 2014 we have published over a thousand posts, many of which are about projects that are now complete or under construction. Today, we wanted to look back at some of the unbuilt projects we’ve written about over the years.
129 SE Alder is the latest creative office development in the Central Eastside
The Oregonian reported that Portland’s hotel boom—which includes the Cornelius-Woodlark, Canopy Hotel, Porter Hotel, AC Hotel, and the Convention Center Hotel—will by 2020 result in 40% more hotel rooms than there are now.
The Willamette Week opined that “Portland City Hall seems to have learned its lesson about parking minimums raising rents” as the City Council struck down a proposal to add parking minimums for new residential development in the Northwest Plan District.
The DJC reported* that the Metro area multifamily market is beginning to cool as “after years of apartment development, supply appears to be starting to make a dent in demand”.
Harsch Investment Properties revealed a new creative office projected planned for 129 SE Alder St (previously 110 SE Washington St) to the Portland Business Journal. The design of the 9 story building is by Works Partnership.
According to The Oregonian, Portland Public Schools will seek voter approval for a $750 million construction bond in November. If passed, the bond would pay for the rebuilds of Lincoln High School, Madison High School and Benson High School.
The Portland Business Journal reported that Mill Creek Residential Trust paid Meriwether Partners $13.2 million for the former Premier Press building in the Pearl, a significant increase over the $6.05 million paid for the property in 2014. The transaction will allow the mixed use project at 505 NW 14th Ave to grow larger, at the expense of the now cancelled 1440 Hoyt office development.
*This article will be unlocked for the rest of this week. After this week it will only be viewable by DJC subscribers.
Pearl West by Hacker / GBD Architects, the first new office building to break ground in the Central City after the recession
While Portland has long been considered a desirable place to live, it has traditionally lagged its suburbs—Washington County particulary—in income and job growth. Following the recession this appears to have changed. Employers increasingly desire a location in central Portland. As commercial vacancy rates have dropped and rental rates gone up there has been a sudden influx of new office proposals.
The vast majority of these are speculative projects, where the developer starts work on the project without a specific tenant in mind. Only three of the buildings—the Daimler Trucks North America HQ, the Multnomah County Health Department HQ and the Seven Corners Community Collaborative—are planned for a specific end user.
Click through to see our roundup of the major projects going on right now, arranged in no specific order. Where a significant portion of the building will be used for functions other than office, the area of the office floors alone has been given. Note that the area of any building may not be directly comparable to another due to differences in methods for how floor area is calculated.
The Design Commission has approved 1440 Hoyt, a major expansion and remodel of the former Premier Press building in the Pearl District. The project by Holst Architecture for Meriwether Partners will add four floors of heavy timber framed office space to an existing two story warehouse building, and convert an existing single story building to an office or retail use. The adaptive reuse project will create 75,000 sq ft of Class A office space and offer 125 bike parking spaces. Roof decks at the 2nd and 6th levels will be provided for the use of office tenants.
The proposed 12 story wood building by Beneficial State Bank at 430 NW 10th
The Oregonian reported that a planned 12 story tall wood building at 430 NW 10th in the Pearl has been awarded a $1.5 million grant by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The building by Lever Architecture for Beneficial State Bank will utilize Cross Laminated Timber, a structural system that has been proven elsewhere but has been little used in the USA. The USDA grant will help in covering the cost of getting the system approved under the building codes in place in Oregon.
Eater PDX reported that Northwest Portland institution Besaw’s will reopen in time for the holidays, at the LL Hawkins apartment building on Conway Block 296.
At Portland Architecture Brian Libby looked into the fate of Centennial Mills, and asked whether it will be the next historic landmark in Portland to be demolished.
The Portland Business Journal published the first renderings of Zidell Blocks 4 and 6. The two office buildings by Lever Architecture / GBD Architects are scheduled to go before the Design Commission for Design Advice this coming Thursday.
A major renovation and seismic upgrade is planned for the Towne Storage Building. The Portland Business Journal reported that the project will create over 100,000 sq ft of creative office space. A story in the Portland Mercury noted that 52 existing business and 180 renters with mini storage units will be evicted from the building.
A redevelopment of the former Premier Press building at 1440 Hoyt will add 4 new floors to the building, reported the Portland Business Journal. When complete the project will include 75,000 sq ft of Class A office space. A Design Review hearing for the project is scheduled for October 1st.
Mayor Hales is “bullish” on plans to buy the Post Office site in the Pearl, reported KOIN. Conceptual ideas for how the site might be developed were recently released as part of the Broadway Corridor Framework Plan.
Construction is underway on the remodel of the building formerly home to The Oregonian, originally designed by noted architect Pietro Belluschi. When reopened 1320 Broadway will include areas with ceilings up to 28′ high, reported The Portland Business Journal.
The Daily Journal of Commerce published construction photos of Riverscape Lot 8.
The Portland Habilitation Center recently completed work on an apartment complex at 17199 SE Division St, reports the Portland Tribune. By keeping costs low, the buildings were built for $65,000 a unit; far below the $200,000 a unit cost typically associated with publicly funded affordable housing. In the article Rob Justus of the PHC asks why the Portland Housing Bureau hasn’t gotten behind their alternative method for delivering affordable housing.
11th & Ankeny apartments
Every week, the Bureau of Development Services publishes lists of early assistance applications, land use reviews and building permits. We publish the highlights.
Urban Development Group have requested Design Advice for their project at 11th & Ankeny:
Design Advice Request for a new mixed-use building – 2191 sq ft retail; 84 residential units; 6081 sq ft of below ground parking (23 parking spaces total).
Early Assistance has been requested for a project at 7246 N Mohawk Ave:
17-18 unit multi family building with on-site storm handling. Transfer of density from neighboring site at 7922 N Ivanhoe. One house to remain on 7922 N Ivanhoe.
A Pre-Application Conference has been scheduled by Vallaster Corl Architects to discuss a project at 514 SE Belmont St:
Pre-App. Conference to discuss a Type III Historic Resource Review for a new 15-story mixed-use building with ground level retail, parking (approx. 90 spaces) on the 2nd and 3rd floors and 193 residential units on the upper floors.
A Pre-Permit Zoning Plan Check has been requested for a building at 3423 SE Hawthorne Blvd:
New four story 24 unit apartment building
Holst Architecture have submitted 510 NW 15th Ave for Design Review:
Renovation of 2 existing buildings to include seismic upgrades, 4 levels on the west building for creative office space
A demolition permit was issued to Works Partnership, which will enable a townhome development at 5711 E Burnside St to move ahead:
Demolish existing one story commercial building, 896 sf, requirement of final plat permit 15-108229FP, remove all debris
A pair of building permits were issued to FFA Architecture for the Tess O’ Brien apartments:
6 story 5/1, 74 apts
6 story 5/1, 52 apts
A building permit was issued for an apartment building at 4937 SE Division St by SERA Architects:
New 134 unit apartment building with retail at ground level and tuck under parking.
A building permit was issued to TVA Architects for the Hawthorne 31 Apartments at 1515 SE 31st Ave:
New 4-story mixed use building with ground floor retail and 30 apartment units in floors 2-4.
A building permit was issued for a new building at 6030 SE 52nd Ave:
New 2 story commercial building; shell only; with associated site work. No occupancy under this permit, separate ti permits required for occupancy. Sprinkler/alarm required.