Architecture and Development in PDX
The adaptive reuse of the old Multnomah County Courthouse, by GBD Architects, has been approved by the Historic Landmarks Commission. The proposal for developer NBP Capital involves the conversion of the courthouse into an office building, with an event space, a cafe, and a restaurant and bar at the ground floor.
Design Advice has been offered for the redevelopment of Riverplace, at the south end of downtown. The 8 acre site is being master planned by GBD Architects with Kengo Kuma and Associates, for site owner NBP Capital. At full build-out the site could accommodate 250,000 sq ft of office space, 2,500 apartments, 300 hotel rooms, 100,000 sq ft of retail space and 1500 vehicular parking stalls.
Design Advice has been requested for the Toyoko Inn, a proposed 610 room hotel tower. The building would rise to a height of 356′-10″, giving it the highest up hotel rooms in Portland. Design of the project is by the Japanese company’s internal architecture team.
A private/public partnership, led by the Friends of the Green Loop, is moving forward with the ‘Culinary Corridor’, a concept for how to accommodate food carts in the right-of-way. An initial trial will see carts from the 10th & Alder pod placed in the North Park Blocks this summer.
The 10th & Alder pod is one of Portland’s oldest, largest and most popular food cart pods. The pod will close at the end of the month to make way for the Block 216 development. The pod has 40 vendors that employ between 200 and 300 people. A significant number of the owners and employees are people of color, and many of them are immigrants.
As surface parking lots redevelop an alternative model is needed for siting food carts in downtown. In the long term Friends of the Green Loop hope to establish a Culinary Corridor along the Midtown Park Blocks, between Director Park and Ankeny Square on SW 9th Ave.
Planning for this concept is proceeding, however there are enough details left to be resolved that carts will not be able to move to SW 9th by the end-of-month deadline.
The Culinary Corridor team studied placing carts on O’Bryant Square, however the structural condition of the underground parking garage prevents this from happening in the needed timeframe.
In the immediate term the City of Portland has agreed to allow around 37 carts to relocate to the North Parks Blocks, between W Burnside and NW Davis. Three layouts have been developed by Hennebery Eddy Architects, with Option 1 currently favored. The carts would remain on the North Park Blocks until the end of their season, in October. Work on the Culinary Corridor concept will proceed in parallel, so that at the end of the season there will be a more permanent place for the carts to go.
The Friends of the Green Loop are currently accepting donations at GoFundMe, to help cover the costs of towing and providing electrical service to the North Park Blocks.
The Portland Art Museum Rothko Pavilion has been approved by the Historic Landmarks Commission. The project will add a new above grade structure to link the museum’s main building to the Mark Building. The project is being designed by Portland-based Hennebery Eddy Architects and Chicago-based Vinci Hamp Architects, with landscape design by Walker Macy.
A proposed penthouse addition to the Galleria Building has gone in front of the Historic Landmarks Commission to receive Design Advice. The project is being designed by SERA Architects for Unico Properties.
The Portland Art Museum Rothko Pavilion has gone in front of the Historic Landmarks Commission to receive Design Advice. The project would add a new above grade structure to link the museum’s main building to the Mark Building. The project is being designed by Portland-based Hennebery Eddy Architects and Chicago-based Vinci Hamp Architects.
The Design Commission approved Block 216, a 35-story mixed use building designed by GBD Architects and PLACE landscape architects. The project will include retail, office, hotel, and residential condominium uses, with a 342 stall underground parking garage. The project is being developed by BPM Real Estate Group.
The Design Commission has approved the Fourth and Montgomery Building, a seven story building in downtown designed by SRG Partnership, with landscape design by Mayer/Reed. The 174,000 sq ft office and classroom building will provide space for the PSU Graduate School of Education, the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, the PCC Dental Sciences program and clinic, and the City of Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, as well as retail space at the ground floor. 82 long term bicycle parking spaces will be required. No vehicular parking is proposed.
The Design Commission has approved alterations to the Wells Fargo Center, which will include a remodeled entrance on SW 5th Ave, and significant alterations to the Data Processing building on 4th Ave. The project is being designed by West of West, in collaboration with SERA Architects, for building manager Lincoln Property Company.
