In an article titled “Wooden Buildings as Strong as Steel” Newsweek wrote about how Portland is leading the nation in the adoption of Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT). The article includes quotes from Ben Kaiser of PATH, architect and developer of Carbon12, and Thomas Robinson of Lever who is the architect for Framework in the Pearl and Albina Yard.
An article and photo gallery in the Portland Business Journal showed how CLT is made. Riddle-based D.R. Johnson Lumber Co is currently the only domestic lumber mill certified as capable of producing the wood panels.
The Portland Business Journal covered Block 75 Phase II, the next high-rise building planned for the Burnside Bridgehead. The Works Partnership designed building is the latest partnership between Beam Development and Urban Development + Partners.
The Oregonian noted that a Travel Portland found that hotel prices have soared since 2010. The rising rates have led to a hotel construction boom, as Next Portland covered last year.
Construction is underway on the expansion of the SERA designed NW Portland International Hostel. In a story about the project KGW wrote that the hostel is trying “to keep up with the booming tourism in the Rose City”.
The Portland City Council approved a realignment to the route of the proposed extension of SW Bond between the Tilikum Crossing and SW River Parkway. The extension, which will begin construction this year, allows OHSU projects including the Knight Cancer Research Building to move head.
The first residential tenants are moving into Park Avenue West, reported the Portland Business Journal. The TVA Architects designed building is now the fourth tallest building in Portland.
The Portland Development Commission is increasing its contribution to projects in Lents by $6.3 million, according to the Portland Business Journal. The projects include the Asian Health and Services Center by Holst Architecture, Oliver Station by Ankrom Moisan Architects and 9101 SE Foster Rd by Hacker Architects. The developers behind Oliver Station have gained control of the Chevron station at SE 92nd and Foster, enabling the project to occupy the full block.
Commissioner Steve Novick wrote about an idea that is rapidly gaining traction as a way to bring affordability back to Portland’s neighborhoods. “Missing middle housing” is new term for old styles of development, currently prohibited in most of Portland, at a density between that of single family detached houses and large mid-rise apartment buildings. These include housing types such as rowhomes, courtyard apartments, triplexes, built to the same height and scale as single-family homes.
A post at Portland Shoupistas asked if the PDC’s $26 million garage at the Convention Center Hotel will be a money maker or a money loser. Though planned as revenue generator, the post points out that “just to break even, this garage will need to generate more than $12 per space every day of every year for 20 years, starting in 2020.”
KOIN reported that “Ivy Island may not be ‘gateway’ to St. Johns for long“. A street vacation in the St Johns neighborhood was approved this week. The vacation will allow the mixed use Union at St Johns building by Jones Architecture to move ahead, while creating a safer road layout.