Weekly Roundup: The Woodlark, 1127 SW Morrison, 5 MLK, and more

Posted on September 18, 2016 by nextportland

Image of The Woodlark hotel, after renovation

Architect magazine released its top 50 firms of the year, with Portland-based ZGF Architects in the #1 place. Also on the list from Portland was Hacker, at #13. In the design rankings of nationwide firms Works Partnership came in at #5, ZGF at #7 and Hacker at #17.

A single story commercial building at SW 12th & Morrison is about to be demolished, reports the Portland Business Journal. The building will make way for the 1127 SW Morrison office building.

The DJC reported on how “Sellwood growth stirs residents“*. Projects planned or under construction in the neighborhood include Spokane.13, 7119 SE Milwaukie, Galaxie Lofts and Sellwood Bridgehead.

Knot Springs Spa & Fitness has opened in the Burnside Bridgehead tower Yard, according to the Portland Business Journal. The 11,500 sq ft facility “offers monthly memberships as well as services by appointment”.

The Oregonian reported that ‘Top Chef’ finalist Doug Adams will be opening a restaurant named Bullard in The Woodlark, the Downtown hotel that be created in the Hotel Cornelius and Woodlark building. Existing business Johnny Sole, currently located at the site, will close according to the Portland Business Journal.

City Observatory asked if inclusionary zoning in Portland is “a good way to provide more affordable housing, or will it actually worsen the constrained housing supply that’s a big cause of higher rents?”

The Portland Business Journal wrote that the Portland Development Commission has agreed to spend a further $1 million to demolish the feed mill building at Centennial Mills. Current plans still envision the retention of the iconic flour mill.

An investigation by The Oregonian covered how Commissioner Saltzman withdrew the award of city owned land and funding for Meta Housing’s Creators Collective project, and instead gave it to Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives Inc, for their King Parks project.

The Abigail, the latest affordable housing development in the Pearl, had a grand opening on Friday. The 155-unit apartment building includes 128 units for families making between 30 and 60 % of area median family income.

Places over Time wrote about the latest iteration of 5 MLK in “How I Learned to Stop Being and Architect and Design by Committee.”

The Foster Powell blog wrote about the 131 Units of Housing Coming to Foster at 5811 SE Boise, with more on the way at other sites.

The Portland Business Alliance endorsed the city’s affordable housing bond as an “important part of the equation to address housing affordability in Portland,” reports the Portland Business Journal.

*This article will be unlocked for the rest of this week. After this week it will only be viewable by DJC subscribers.

Weekly Roundup: Press Blocks, The Woodlark, Hyatt House, and more

Posted on September 12, 2016 by nextportland

Concept for the full block building at the Press Blocks, by Mithun

The Business Tribune wrote about the Press Blocks, the redevelopment of the former Oregonian Publishing Buildings in Goose Hollow. The project would include two buildings. One building would occupy a full city block and another a half block, and are being designed by Mithun and GBD Architects respectively.

The DJC published photos of the under construction Rivage Apartments, formerly known as Riverscape Lot 8.

The Oregonian wrote about a Chinese group protesting the decision to hang banners in Chinatown with the name “New Chinatown/Japan Town”. Though listed on the National Register of Historic Places under that name, it is otherwise rarely used.

The Oregonian reported that “outrage surges” as the deadline to put the $750 million Portland Public Schools bond on the November ballot has passed. If passed on the May ballot, which is much likely, the measure would pay for the rebuilds of Lincoln High School, Madison High School and Benson High School. Students at Lincoln High left class to protest the decision not to place the measure on the November ballot.

Portland Architecture interviewed Bora’s Brad Demby about the Cosmopolitan on the Park, the now complete high rise at the north end of the Pearl District.

The Portland Business Journal took a look at The Woodlark, the new Downtown hotel that will open in 2017. The hotel will combine two buildings: the Woodlark Building, most recently used as an office; the Hotel Cornelius, which has long been vacant.

The Hyatt House at Riverplace is now open, reports the Portland Business Journal. The hotel includes 203 extended-stay rooms.

Weekly Roundup: Hotels booming, Multifamily cooling, Schools bond and more

Posted on July 10, 2016 by nextportland

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.

Landmarks Commission presents State of the City Preservation Report

Posted on November 19, 2015 by nextportland

The Block 8L building in Skidmore Old Town, which is now under construction. The design was cited as an example of the positive contribution made by the Historic Resource Review process.

The Historic Landmarks Commission has presented its 2015 State of City Preservation Report to the Portland City Council. The report gave an update to the Council on the work of the Commission, made suggestions for priorities to be addressed in the coming year and identified potential threats to historic resources in the city. Presenting the report was outgoing Chair Brian Emerick, joined by Commission member Kirk Ranzetta. A similar report was delivered earlier in the year by the Design Commission.

Focus: 20 new hotels proposed for Portland

Posted on September 23, 2015 by nextportland

When construction activity first started to return to Portland around 2012 it seemed like all that was being built was apartments. While residential still dominates the construction industry, other sectors of the market have started to return. In the last year there has been been a noticeable increase in the number of hotels proposed in Portland. Next Portland counts at least 20 hotels either proposed, going through Design Advice / Design Review, being reviewed for building permits or under construction. Together these represent over 3000 new rooms, a substantial number for a city that had 25,924 rooms in its metro area as of 2014.

It is unlikely that every single hotel on this list will be built; some of the Early Assistance application may represent property owners performing a feasibility study, and there is always the possibility of a downturn in the economy. Even still, it’s clear that Portland is going to have a substantially larger number of hotels in just a couple years. Click through to see the full list, arranged by number of rooms.

1 – Hyatt Regency at the Convention Center

Number of rooms: 600+
Architect: Ankrom Moisan Architects, ESG Architects
Status: Design Advice

Hyatt Hotel at the Oregon Convention Center

Metro Reports: Hotel Cornelius, PSU Viking Pavilion, 2100 SE Belmont St and more

Posted on April 20, 2015 by nextportland

Conceptual image of PSU Viking Pavilion

Every week, the Bureau of Development Services publishes lists of early assistance applications, land use reviews and building permits. We publish the highlights.

Merryman Barnes Architects and Encore Architects have requested Design Advice for a project at 1400 NW Raleigh St:

Six story multi plex- 145 units, residential, with below grade parking

Early Assistance has been requested by Woofter Architecture for the PSU Viking Pavilion:

Modernization & upgrade of existing Peter Scott [sic] Center. Additional classrooms & the addition of a multi purpose arena (viking pavillion)

Early Assistance has been requested by Siteworks Design | Build for a project at 3610 SE 29th Ave:

Phase 1 of new multi family dwelling structures. 62 dwelling units total. 1 3-story structure on R1 parcel, 2 4-story structures on CG parcel. Ground floor residential with parking and landscaping. Phase 2 will be new 4-story hostel with 25 dwelling units.

MCA Architects have applied for a Type III Historic Resource Review for the renovation of the Woodlark Building and Hotel Cornelius:

Renovate and restore the two historic buildings for reuse

A building permit is under review for a new building at 2100 SE Belmont St by Urban Development Group:

Construct new 4 story 55 unit apartment building with underground parking; associated site work

A buiding permit has been issued for a new building at 7617 NE Sandy Blvd:

Construct new one story building with associated site work

Weekly Roundup: Hotel Cornelius, The Redd, Ankeny Lofts and more

Posted on February 8, 2015 by nextportland

Hotel Cornelius Lobby (image via Portland Preservation). The interior no longer remains.

The Portland City Council held a public hearing on the proposed West Quadrant Plan, a component of the Central City 2035 Plan. The Oregonian had “10 takeaways from the 20-year plan for the westside.”
The Portland Design Commission this week reviewed Hazelwood Plaza and offered Design Advice on Modera Belmont.
Portland Monthly wrote about The Redd on Salmon St, an empty warehouse in the Central Eastside which the Ecotrust intends to convert into an “incubator for artisan food businesses.”
The Oregon confirmed that the adjacent Woodlark Building and Hotel Cornelius will be converted into a hotel operated by Provenance Hotels. A Pre-Application Conference for the project was held in December.
The Zipper, Guerrilla Development’s latest project, is taking shape on NE Sandy. The collection of micro-restaurants will open in March.
Major construction on the Lloyd Center Remodel begins in March. A story in the Oregonian said that brokers are shying away from traditional tenants, and are looking instead at “boutiques, restaurants, brewpubs, exercise studios and possibly a grocery store or a farmers market.”
Portland Architecture published photos of Colab’s recently completed Ankeny Lofts 2/3.
The 657-unit, three-building Hassalo on Eighth project will have a topping off ceremony on Monday, with Mayor Charlie Hales and Congressmen Earl Blumenauer present.
The Portland Chronicle published construction photos of Urban Development Group’s 27th & Ankeny project.
Randy Gragg asked whether the PNCA 511 Building will spark a renaissance in Old Town. The first students moved into the building this week.
The Portland Business Journal had a look at the under construction Erickson Saloon & Fritz Hotel project.
New Seasons has pre-leased 15,000 sq ft retail space in the Cook Street Apartments, to address a parking shortage at their North Williams store.
Hacienda CDC has a number of community projects in progress on the east side, including the Portland Mercado.

Hotel Cornelius, back from the dead

Posted on November 27, 2014 by nextportland

cornelius

As recently as mid-2013, Downtown Portland’s historic—and long vacant—Hotel Cornelius was under threat of demolition by its then owners, TMT. Fortunately the building was sold to Arthur Mutal, a developer with a growing portfolio of adaptive reuse projects. At the time of the sale they were still considering their options for the property, which included “multifamily housing and creative offices”, as reported in the Oregonian.