Category Archives: News Roundup

Weekly Roundup: 12th & Morrison office, Grant High Modernization, the Truman Apartments and more

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1139 SW Morrison by Design Department and LRS Architects

1139 SW Morrison by Design Department and LRS Architects

The Portland Business Journal took a first look at the 6 story office building planned by Menashie Properties for a site at 1139 SW Morrison. The building is being designed by Design Department and LRS Architects.

Construction is underway on the PSU School of Business Administration.  The Daily Journal of Commerce published photos of the work underway.

The Oregonian published 5 takeaways from Portland’s plan for next 20 years of growth.

Portland Architecture interviewed the architects and developer behind the development at 3rd and Taylor, which threatens the Ancient Order of United Workmen Temple and the Hotel Albion.

The Oregonian reported on the new 20 story condo tower planned for Block 20 of the Hoyt Street Yards in the Pearl. The building would have 150 residential units and 190 parking spaces.

The James Beard Public Market is set to close on the deal to acquire the land at the west end of the Morrison Bridge, according to The Oregonian. The current schedule envisions the market opening to the public in 2020.

Design work has begun on the Grant High School Modernization, one of the projects funded as part of the $482 million bond passed in 2012. Grant Magazine published the first conceptual drawings of what the rebuilt school will look like.

The Portland Chronicle published images of The Truman apartments at SE 44th and Hawthorne. Construction on the 30 unit building is due to begin in early 2016.

Weekly Roundup: 3rd and Taylor, Clay Creative, Centennial Mills and more

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3rd and Taylor

The proposed developed at SW 3rd and Taylor by Ankrom Moisan Architects

Restore Oregon announced that they filed concurrent appeals to the City and to LUBA, arguing that the City erred in removing the Albion Hotel and Ancient Order of United Workmen Temple from the Historic Resource Inventory. The buildings are threatened by the development at 3rd and Taylor.

Online bank Simple will be the anchor tenant for Clay Creative, according to a story in the Portland Business Journal. The new space will be “nearly double the size of Simple’s current home and will be able to accommodate 500 people.”

Writing about Framework, the proposed 12 story building in the Pearl, the Portland Mercury looked at how the use of wood in high rise construction could “help solve the city’s affordability problem, create living-wage jobs in rural communities, and help save the planet”

The Portland Business Journal reported that the concrete slab for the AC Hotel by Marriott was poured last weekend. The pour included 1,100 cubic yards of concrete, enough “to cover a football field with a six-inch slab.”

The Daily Journal of Commerce published construction photos of the Burnside Bridgehead Block 75, which has now reached its maximum height. The project is scheduled for completion in mid-2016.

The Portland Development Commission has walked away from a deal with Harsch Investment Properties for development on the site of Centennial Mills, determining that it wasn’t financially viable. Partial demolition is currently underway on the long vacant site. The current demolition work will leave the feed and flour mills in place, but with no plan in place for what to do with them a decision will need to be made in the new year whether to also demolish those buildings.

In a piece on Division Street, KGW looked at how it “got so popular and why the growth is causing problems for people who live, work and dine at Portland’s new restaurant row”.

The Portland Chronicle reported that demolition is likely imminent on two single family homes at 1515 SE 44th, which will be replaced by a four-story mixed-use development with 30 residential units facing SE Hawthorne Blvd.

Weekly Roundup: Holladay Park Plaza, One North, Convention Center Hotel and more

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Holladay Park Plaza

The Holladay Park Plaza East Building

In ‘Respecting History‘ Places over Time looked at Historic Landmarks Commission, which “will far more influence on Portland’s built fabric than previous commissions due to both the sheer number of new projects being built at this time and the fact that this commission is rewriting the guidelines for most of the city’s historic districts.”

A $177 million loan will help finance the $50 million Lloyd Center Remodel, according to the Portland Business Journal.

The proposed office building at Station Place Lot 5 is gearing up for its first Design Review hearing, according to a story in the Portland Business Journal.

BikePortland revealed that the City may require developers to offer residents, employees $600 for biking or transit.

The Oregonian published photos of the completed One North office development on N Williams, which is set to open this week.

Salt & Straw is the latest business to announce a presence in the Pine Street Market.

The Portland Tribune reported that one of sites being looked at for the proposed USPS relocation is in Troutdale. The move will be required for the Post Office Redevelopment.

The Daily Journal of Commerce published photos of the recently completed Society Hotel.

The fight over the Convention Center Hotel will go to the state Supreme Court, according to The Oregonian.

A Portland renter has been offered her home for free, if she can relocate it to a new site. The house will otherwise be demolished to make way for a 10 unit expansion of Holladay Park Plaza.

The Portland Chronicle reported that a single-family home at 7420 SE Milwaukie Blvd has been demolished to make way for a 76 unit apartment project.

Weekly Roundup: United Workmen Temple Building, Post Office Redevelopment, Porter Hotel and more

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930 SW 3rd

The mixed use development at 930 SW 3rd Ave, which originally proposed to incorporate the Ancient Order of United Workmen Temple

Restore Oregon noted that two downtown buildings have been removed from the City’s Historic Resources Inventory. The buildings are on the site of a proposed mixed use development at 930 SW 3rd Ave, which will include a 20-story hotel and 10-story office building. As part of the development the Hotel Albion (which includes the Lotus Café and Cardroom) will be demolished. The Ancient Order of United Workmen Temple Building will be incorporated into the development will also be demolished.

In a 5-0 vote, the Portland City Council adopted the Broadway Corridor Framework Plan, which will form the vision for how the 14 acre Post Office site in the Pearl will be developed. The acquisition of the site, worth between $135 and $177 million according to developer Mark Edlen, will cost the City up to $80 million.

Construction will begin by the end of the year on the 299 room Porter Hotel at SW 2nd and Jefferson. The 16 story building will be included in Hilton’s “Curio” collection of hotels.

The Society Hotel opened this week in Old Town / Chinatown. The Portland Mercury published photos of the low cost hotel meets hostel, and described the “gorgeous rooftop deck” as the project’s “crowning jewel”.

Shortly after acquiring trucking company Conway, XPO Logisitics laid off 101 Portland based workers. Though headquartered in Ann Arbor until its acquisition, Conway was a large landowner in Northwest Portland. What effect, if any, the acquisition will have on the redevelopment of the Conway Masterplan area is currently unclear.

Kaiser is planning a 700 space parking garage at 500 NE Multnomah in the Lloyd District. According to BikePortland the structure “aims in part to free up space on Kaiser’s other parking lots, which could then be developed or sold in order to continue the surge of big developments [in] the Lloyd District”.

The Portland Chapter of the AIA held its annual design awards last weekend. Portland Architecture wrote about the winning projects, which included Lever Architecture’s Treehouse and Allied Works’ PNCA 511 Building.

In a post titled ‘The City of Fabric Buildings‘ Places over Time noted how curious it is that “Portland has developed such an international reputation as a city without the assistance of any real place-specific visual aides”.

Design work is about to start on the Multnomah County Health Dept HQ, which will be located on a site near Union Station. The new building will be “nine stories and run between $85 million to $95 million” according to a report in The Oregonian.

Portland Monthly reported that health food “haven” Prasad opened a second location at the Portland Rock Gym, which recently completed a major expansion.

NOTE: This post has been revised to reflect that the Temple building will be demolished, as shown on drawings published on the City Auditor’s website Monday.

Weekly Roundup: Broadway Tower, FrameWork, New Season Woodstock and more

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Broadway Tower

The Broadway Tower by GBD Architects

The 98 year old Oregonians Credit Union at 1431 SW Broadway will be razed to make for the 19 story Broadway Tower, reported the Portland Chronicle. The office and hotel building by GBD Architects is going in front of the Design Commission for Design Advice on November 5th.

The Oregonian covered a report by Jones Lang LaSalle that found Portland now has the third lowest office vacancy rate in the nation. In a contrast to previous decades, almost all the new office development “is taking place in the central business district and close-in submarkets” and “‘virtually none’ [is] happening outside the central city.”

Portland plans $67 million more in funding for affordable housing over the next decade, according to The Oregonian. The funding will come from existing Urban Renewal Areas, at the expense of other commitments such as streets and parks.

The blog Wood Skyscrapers published images of Works Partnership’s recently completed FrameWork building at NE 6th and Davis.

The Portland Mercury looked at what Portland will look like in 2025.

As Portland experiences a building boom, BikePortland covered the fact that pedestrians and cyclists are often forced into mixed traffic when passing construction sites.

The New Season Woodstock branch opened this week with a rooftop bar.

The AIA Northwest & Pacific Region recently handed out its annual design awards, with Waechter Architecture, Works Partnership Architecture, and Hacker all winning awards. Among the winning projects was the Langano Apartments by Works Partnership.

Pastaworks will close its SE Hawthorne space, reported Eater PDX, and move into Providore Fine Foods Market on NE Sandy Blvd. According to the article other tenants will include “Flying Fish Co., florist Emerald Petals and Arrosto, Pastaworks’ upcoming rotisserie chicken spot”.

In other food market news, Eater PDX also wrote about Pollo Bravo, the “chicken-centric tapas joint” by John Gorham, set to open in the Pine Street Market. The market is now expected to open late this year or early next year.

Urban Development Group is a planning a 30 unit apartment building at 3701 SE Caruthers St, across the street from what the Portland Chronicle described as a “controversial” building by the same developer.

Three houses owned by Concordia University will be demolished to make way for the Faubion Elementary School Rebuild, according to the Portland Chronicle.

Weekly Roundup: Water Avenue Yards, Pearl affordable housing, protest on Hawthorne and more

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Concept for the Water Avenue Yards by Boora

Concept for the Water Avenue Yards by Boora

Boora Architects have developed a speculative concept for the ODOT Blocks, which they have dubbed the Water Avenue Yards. Their vision would see the currently vacant site redeveloped with flexible spaces that could be used various kinds of production.

Demolition began on a fourplex house at 3423 SE Hawthorne Blvd, which will be replaced by a five story 30 unit apartment building. As a squatter tied himself to the roof to protest the demolition, a crowd of fifty people and one goat gathered to watch.

Pretentious PDX interviewed Jonathan Cohen and Matt Seigel of the Society Hotel, the Old Town hotel which is getting ready to open on November 5th.

Eater PDX covered the possible closure of the Lotus Cardroom, which would be replaced by a new hotel and office building at 930 SW 3rd Ave.

Innovative Housing has been chosen as the developer for an affordable housing project on Pearl Block 26, according to The Oregonian. The quarter block building will include at least 40 units, and could include as many as 64.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the PSU School of Business Administration by Behnisch Architekten and SRG Partnership. The 143,000 sq ft facility is expected to open in 2017.

Amid an apartment building boom, The Oregonian reported that the City’s property tax exemption program for affordable housing had done zero deals in 2015.

Weekly Roundup: PDX Concourse E Extension, Grant High Modernization, Redd on Salmon Street and more

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Portland International Airport Concourse E Extension

Portland International Airport Concourse E Extension

The Oregonian published images of the Portland International Airport Concourse E Extension, which will be used by Horizon Air. As part of a large project, Alaska Airlines will move from the south side of the airport to the north, while United will relocate from the north to the south.

Portland Architecture made the case for the preservation of Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum, as new study has come out with multiple options for the building.

The Portland Business Journal reported that the office space in Park Avenue West is now entirely leased, with Morgan Stanley taking the final two available floors. Leasing has also begun on the apartment units.

Mahlum have been selected as the architects for the Grant High School Modernization, according to the Hollywood Star News. Construction on the project is scheduled to begin in 2017.

The latest retail tenant at the LL Hawkins and Slabtown Marketplace is the Consolidated Community Credit Union, reported the Portland Business Journal.

A four story, 30 unit mixed use building is proposed for 1515 SE 44th Ave. The Portland Chronicle looked at the existing house on the site, which may or may not be demolished as part of the project.

Thomas Robinson of Lever Architecture was interviewed on OPB’s ‘Think Out Loud’ about Framework, the planned 12 story wood building set to go up in the Pearl.

The Redd on Salmon Street has won a design award for resilience, according to the Portland Business Journal.

The Portland Chronicle covered the history of an industrial building in Sellwood at 8222 SE 6th Ave, set to be replaced by a mixed use development.

Construction on The Ella in South Waterfront is moving into its final phases, according to the Portland Business Journal. The 6 story building utilized a pre-fabricated wood framing system, which minimized construction waste on site.

Weekly Roundup: The Woods, MAC Block 7, Post Office Redevelopment and more

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The Woods by SolTerra

The Woods by SolTerra

The Design Commission has approved The Woods by developer SolTerra, reported the Portland Business Journal. The N Williams Ave project will include 50 residential units and almost 5,000 sq ft of retail space.

The James Beard Public Market has a new executive director. Fred Granum will replace Ron Paul, who has stepped down due to health reasons.

BikePortland wrote about the potential for protected bike lanes on NW Lovejoy and Broadway, which could form a part of the Post Office Redevelopment.

The Portland Chronicle wrote about a 1923 house in Sellwood at 5624 SE 22nd Ave that was recently torn down to make way for a 3 story apartment building with 15 units.

KGW covered a protest by neighbors of a planned apartment building at 2605 NE 7th Ave. The project has received a building permit, and construction will start soon.

The NW Examiner reported [PDF – page 11] that activity on MAC Block 7 is starting up again. The apartment building will require a change to the zoning on the site, because it will include commercial parking for members of the Multnomah Athletic Club.

Portland is falling behind its goals for affordable housing in North and Northeast Portland, according to a City report covered by The Oregonian.

Weekly Roundup: Block 75 phase II, Hayashi Rowhomes, Chamberlain Hotel and more

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Hayashi Rowhomes

The Hayashi Rowhomes by Hacker

Beam Development announced that they have bought the Chamberlain Hotel building, home to Shleifer Furniture for the last 80 years. They intend to return the building to its original use as a hotel.

The SE Portland gay bar and restaurant Starky’s has closed due to the retirement of its owners, reported the Portland Mercury. The building at 2913 SE Stark is due to be demolished and replaced with a 46 unit multifamily building.

The DJC published photos of the Hayashi Rowhomes, currently under construction on N Vancouver Avenue. The homes were designed by Hacker for developer Project^.

A buddhist center is rising on an old landfill, reported KGW. The Dharma Rain Center will be a “community of mixed housing, meditation hall and public green space”.

An expansion of the Portland Rock Gym makes it the city’s second largest climbing, according to the Portland Business Journal. Work on the expansion began in January and was recently completed.

At Portland Architecture Jeff Kovel of Skylab Architecture discussed Yard, currently rising at the Burnside Bridgehead.

Also at the Burnside Bridgehead, Beam Development revealed to the Portland Business Journal that Block 75 Phase II could be a 20 story wood tower.

The Portland Chronicle reported on three building in Beaumont-Wilshire that will be demolished to make way for a mixed use building at 4525 NE Fremont St.

Hollywood residents are concerned about the parking situation in the neighborhood as the Footprint Hollywood micro apartment building near completion, reported KATU.

Weekly Roundup: 12 story wood building, Towne Storage, Zidell Blocks 4 & 6, and more

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The proposed 12 story wood building by Beneficial State Bank at 430 NW 10th

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.