Hyatt at the Oregon Convention Center | 180'-6" | 14 floors | Complete - Page 22

65MAX · #**421** Posted **Aug 22, 2014, 9:05 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by robocop

Any speculation on how tall this tower may be in terms of feet? At 19-21 stories I would have to assume no less than 150'

150'? That would be less than 8 feet floor-to-floor. Are you sure you didn't mean 250'?

maccoinnich · #**422** Posted **Aug 27, 2014, 5:46 AM**

Posting Notice [PDF] for Design Advice Request. No drawings yet.

maccoinnich · #**423** Posted **Aug 28, 2014, 7:41 AM**

Quote:

Metro asks court to shut down HQ hotel opponents' legal challenge

Alli Pyrah

Metro has filed a motion for summary judgement, asking to shut down a legal challenge by opponents of plans for a publicly subsidized hotel just north of the Oregon Convention Center.

The motion, filed Wednesday in Multnomah County Circuit Court, argues that it has the authority to authorize the issuance of $60 million in bonds for the project without putting the matter to the ballot. It says Metro's charter explicitly authorizes it to issue revenue bonds without a public vote. Other sources of funding for the project include $10 million in Oregon Lottery bond revenues, a $4 million loan from the Portland Development Commission and a $4 million grant from Metro.

...continues at Portland Business Journal.

AcmeGreg · #**424** Posted **Aug 29, 2014, 8:50 PM**

Well, this is the SKYSCRAPER forum after all so our primary interest is in seeing more sky (er, stump) scrapers rise in Stumptown, am I right? Let's brush aside these naysayers and get on with it!

There are no doubt many valid reasons for the hospitality industry here to be concerned/upset/jealous whatever of the financing arrangement for this hotel. It would no doubt be preferable if a major player such as Hyatt, currently without a presence in the central city, would realize the opportunity at hand and do this deal on their own, but apparently that's not in the cards. That being the case, I think that the city has an obligation to the taxpayers who paid the bill for the original convention center – and its subsequent expansion – to make sure the facility is as successful as possible at realizing its full potential. I mean, I love going to the local arts & crafts show there every year, but seriously is that the type of event we built (and expanded!) this thing for?

That being said I'm not sure how a 600-room hotel is going to help bring major conventions to Portland, but even if it lures more modest-sized gatherings of 2.5 to 5k seems like it would be a plus for everyone including the hotels that are griping about the deal. There just aren't that many total rooms in this city.

Seems to me that perhaps ZGF should have been in on the design of this thing. Like to see it resonate/harmonize better with the architecture of the convention center.

NJD · #**425** Posted **Aug 31, 2014, 2:52 AM**

I just noticed that the 385 stall above-ground parking garage for this project is located on that block that was proposed to be an office tower a few years back... guess that one is officially dead, along with any energy that double MAX station accessible corner could ever have...

ankrom moisan

MarkDaMan · #**426** Posted **Aug 31, 2014, 2:44 PM**

^The hotel parking garage is at the western edge of the hotel's 'superblock' (where the two small building are to the left of the building in that rendering) not the block of the proposed office building. If you look at the Hyatt rendering, it actually shows the building.

maccoinnich · #**427** Posted **Aug 31, 2014, 4:17 PM**

The design advice request states that they'll be using the entirety of block 49, for a 385 space parking structure. The render is ancient. I wouldn't put any faith in it.

NJD · #**428** Posted **Aug 31, 2014, 5:04 PM**

Exactly, the new DAR shows it

MarkDaMan · #**429** Posted **Sep 1, 2014, 1:29 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

The design advice request states that they'll be using the entirety of block 49, for a 385 space parking structure. The render is ancient. I wouldn't put any faith in it.

Well that sucks. Last thing we need in the Lloyd is a full block, above ground, parking garage.

2oh1 · #**430** Posted **Sep 1, 2014, 8:01 PM**

It especially sucks because it separates Lloyd from the terribly designed Rose Quarter, which is basically a dead zone when there isn't something going on at the Ro... er... Moda Center.

maccoinnich · #**431** Posted **Sep 3, 2014, 8:49 PM**

Design Advice Request drawings. [PDF - 95MB]. At present, these are mostly site analysis, adjacency diagrams, massing studies etc (ie not even schematic designs). I'll try to post some images tonight. Some good news: the parking structure is going to have ground floor active uses along NE Multnomah and NE Holladay.

bvpcvm · #**432** Posted **Sep 3, 2014, 11:18 PM**

I know these are just massing studies, but, wow, I thought it would be a little more prominent on the skyline over there.

maccoinnich · #**433** Posted **Sep 4, 2014, 5:02 AM**

Unfortunately, I'm not encouraged by what I'm seeing so far. I realize that superblock plazas are a requirement of the zoning code. I also realize what the intention behind the code requirement is: the addition of plaza at Hassalo on 8th will make it a much better project that it would be without it. In this case however, I think the city would be better served by the architects requesting an adjustment as part of the Design Review process, to reduce the requirement to zero. This area is swimming in leftover space, and the last thing it needs is more. The Convention Center is stepped back from the street by a considerable amount, and Metro just built a nice new full block park a couple blocks away. What the area needs are better defined street edges, to make Martin Luther King Blvd into a great urban street. Instead we have the hotel stepping back from the street. It reminds of the leftover space in front of the US Bancorp Tower at SW 6th & Oak, which GBD & Walker Macy are going to great efforts to fix.

Sioux612 · #**434** Posted **Sep 4, 2014, 5:14 AM**

120'? This is weak considering the size of the city. Is this Portland or Omaha?

innovativethinking · #**435** Posted **Sep 4, 2014, 5:28 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sioux612

120'? This is weak considering the size of the city. Is this Portland or Omaha?

This area isn't downtown anyways. It has it's own style it doesn't need a downtown type tower..

We'll have some major towers being proposed in the next few years downtown. Portland has no office space right now. It'll meet those demands somehow

Sioux612 · #**436** Posted **Sep 4, 2014, 5:36 AM**

Well, maybe the Curio will impress.

maccoinnich · #**437** Posted **Sep 4, 2014, 5:38 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sioux612

120'? This is weak considering the size of the city. Is this Portland or Omaha?

Where did you see a 120' height? Unless they're expecting all the guests to be LesterCorp employees, a 19-21 story hotel will need to make more use of the 250' height limit.

davehogan · #**438** Posted **Sep 4, 2014, 5:53 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Design Advice Request drawings. [PDF - 95MB]. At present, these are mostly site analysis, adjacency diagrams, massing studies etc (ie not even schematic designs). I'll try to post some images tonight. Some good news: the parking structure is going to have ground floor active uses along NE Multnomah and NE Holladay.

I know I heard somewhere that there was going to be ground flood retail built into the parking garage. Hopefully that actually happens, but it would seem like being in an event heavy area, with great transit access, right next to a new large hotel, right across the street from a fairly large convention center, and being right across the river from Downtown could sustain a few fast service restaurants. Not necessarily fast food, maybe a burgers and beers or pizza or something place, but it seems like a pretty solid location for a place that could quickly turn lots of people at lunch/in the evening.

Another benefit of a parking garage there is it will help deflect some of the noise from I-5 the hotel would otherwise have to deal with. That won't matter in rooms with great window seals, but at the street level if the hotel builds in any patios to connect to the public spaces (technically allowed with the right permits) and the hotel might help to active the street level as well.

The way the application looks I'd think a smart hotel developer would want to design the lobby bar and restaurant into something that could expand onto the public space outside in good weather. For the right price I doubt the city would say no.

davehogan · #**439** Posted **Sep 4, 2014, 6:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Where did you see a 120' height? Unless they're expecting all the guests to be LesterCorp employees, a 19-21 story hotel will need to make more use of the 250' height limit.

For perspective: the DoubleTree across from Lloyd Center is 15 floors (190 feet) with two towers and ~450 rooms. This is going to have more rooms on a smaller footprint.

I love the LesterCorp reference, also.

philopdx · #**440** Posted **Sep 4, 2014, 7:35 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Where did you see a 120' height? Unless they're expecting all the guests to be LesterCorp employees, a 19-21 story hotel will need to make more use of the 250' height limit.

He must have been looking at the elevation number on page 7.