Goose Hollow News
 

Stopped into Sienna Architects at the Commonwealth Building today. I found THIS in the entry:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v143/sparkythepenguin/construction/IMGP6883.jpg

As you can see, there's the Allegra on the right, and several really neat towers on the blocks adjacent.

I was told that this was the "updated" model. Freakin' Sweeet!:worship: Looks like the Oregonian bunker and a bunch of other minor stuff are finally going to go away. :banana:

great news! those are some crazy looking towers. shhh...don't tell the nimbys

:omg: :psycho: :drooling:

wow, true deconstructivist architecture in Stumptown? ... ... ... hopefully there will be some variety in those buildings or it might end up looking like the proposed Gehry globs in Brooklyn... anyway, great looking density.

I think this 18th corridor has great potential to be more dense. I"m not sure if most of these models are 'real' projects. The owner on the north half of the Allegro block was 'considering' joining and doing a tower adjacent to the Allegro. Not sure if this reflects that owner really going ahead or just Sienna dreaming about the potential.

In any event the tower on the north half of the Allegro block looks really cramped..I wouldn't want to live in either building and be looking into a 15 story light well that's 60' wide...If this is real it's a good example of the lack of planning...the two owners refusing to work together (either at all or until the last minute) and the final two towers therefore having little or no relationship to each other. Had the developers worked together they could have done a taller tower with the same density and much better light and views.

I would love to hear from someone at Sienna although I suspect the models of towers north of the Allegro block on the Oregonian site are just dream models...or reflect a vision....I"m not aware of any deals to get those blocks developed yet.

It looks like the towers are staggered, corner to corner, so residents aren't going to feel any more cramped than they would on the inside corner of an L-shaped tower. Actually, where the two corners come together could be quite dynamic if done right. I hope both towers get built.

"I think this 18th corridor has great potential to be more dense"

could not agree more. add to the fact that it is weighted with large-scale attractions like the MAC and PGE Park, plus the MAX stops, and the ingredients are all there for a great neighborhood street. It is located nicely between the uphill part of the neighborhood and the flatter blocks between 18th and 405.

i'm looking forward to the completion of the Civic project and the Jefferson Condos at the two 'bookends' of the street, and for the Allegro to start in the center. That area has long seemed underdeveloped and it seems ripe with potential to explode in the next decade.

as for the model, i hope we get some more larger towers, but a mixture of densities would be good as well. Down with the Oregonian bunker, up with the Manhattan

I got the impression that this model is their vision of what that area will look like. When they said "updated", I assume there were other plans afoot, and this is the latest refinement. I'm going out on a limb here, but I'd say that they are working on just the Allegra at this time, and whoever is developing this area will use it to push for the rest of the plan. The developer(s) may have commissioned Sienna to do the rest of the planned buildings there. After all, why the heck waste money and time designing models of something that has not even a remote chance of getting built?

Doesn't the Oregonian want to get rid of the bunker? There's been tons of talk, and an abortive attempt (leading to a massive empty lot off Yeon) to consolidate their printing ops up in NW Industrial. The Bunker really isn't situated perfectly for an industrial purpose, esp with the residential density increasing around it and not-so-good access to the freeway system, and lots of local streets and MAX on all sides. Watch what the Big O does. If they start construction on something big elsewhere, then this may well indeed happen. Who knows, maybe they've got a secret deal in the works: cash for a relocated bunker.

I agree that this 18th corridor will become more dense with new development.

I also agree with pdxskyline that this model is a vision and a marketing tool to help attract other clients. The owner of the north half of the block could be working with Sienna. They were talking to other architects recently and may have finally decided to join the Allegro group although it's unfortunate that this is happening so late. The opportunity was lost to do a whole block development which would have been much better than what's shown in the model.

I agree with 65max that the corner (northwest corner) could be good. My concern is that these towers are essentially two east west bars on the same block. The inside faces of the units appear to be essentially facing each other in a light well type space.

I think the northern blocks shown in the model could come into play eventually..it's just a matter of time.

Thanks PDXSkyline, this would be interesting to see in Portland. It seems like the building next to the Allegro is beyond just a hope, a lot of money must have been spent to create that model, the other blocks look to be speculative though.

I can't imagine that the Goose Hollow neighborhood association wouldn't object though.

Do you guys know who owns the North half of the block?

The north half of the block is owned by at least two owners although it's my understanding is that Dan Petrusich of Melvin Mark is or was coordinating the half block development. He was also considering joining the Allegro developers to co-develop the entire block.

Dan also may own property to the north or northeast of this block.

oh. my. god.

That is interesting, Mark is a real player. Thanks for the info PDXM2M.

Lincoln High Move Would Free Space For Developers
 

http://lincoln.pps.k12.or.us/files/LincolnCollage.jpg

Lincoln center of builders' dreams
High school - An unofficial plan would build a new school farther north, opening up its present site
Friday, November 09, 2007
RYAN FRANK
The Oregonian Staff
A small group of Portland politicians and business leaders have started private talks about building a new campus in Northwest Portland for Lincoln High School.

John von Schlegell, a Portland investor and Lincoln parent, and developers Homer Williams and Mark Edlen suggested moving the school to mostly vacant land owned by freight company Con-way.

The proposal is still in the back-of-the-envelope stage. Portland Public School leaders aren't part of the discussion so far, and no one knows what it would cost or who would pay.

But city Commissioner Erik Sten, who met with the group Thursday, says the idea could work if Lincoln's move is part of the school district's broader plan to renovate all of the city's aging schools.

"It is potentially a very good building block to that strategy," Sten said. "If it's a stand-alone play, it doesn't work."

If it does work, Lincoln's move would be a blockbuster public-private deal. It would provide a massive overhaul for two swaths of downtown.

The behind-the-scenes talks provide a window into how Portland's major real estate deals get started. It's not clear who would buy the Lincoln site or build on the Con-way land. Yet Edlen and Williams, two of the city's most prolific and politically connected developers, are already involved.

Williams, backed by investors, was the man behind the Pearl District, the South Waterfront and the tram. Edlen's firm, Gerding Edlen Development, renovated the former Blitz-Weinhard brewery on West Burnside Street.

Lincoln's current campus is prime for redevelopment. The 11-acre property is between the West Hills and Interstate 405 and could support new office or housing towers with sweeping views.

Farther north, a new Lincoln would have to fit into Con-way's existing redevelopment plans for its vast parking lots that border the tony Northwest 23rd Avenue shopping area.

Craig Boretz, Con-way's vice president of corporate development, says the company has made no commitments but is willing to listen to the group's proposals.

Drug vials and trailers

Von Schlegell's idea started with a drug vial.

This fall, von Schlegell and his wife helped out on parent clean-up day on Lincoln High's campus. He was on his hands and knees cleaning garbage out of the bushes when he came across needles and vials within earshot of Interstate 405's traffic. He looked up to see trailers serving as classrooms.

"I hate those trailers," he recalls his wife saying.

Lincoln is the city's most affluent school. But it's overcrowded and, like all the city's schools, outdated. The average age for Portland Public Schools is 60 years. The national average is 45, says Cathy Mincberg, the school's chief operating officer. Lincoln opened at its present location in 1952.

Von Schlegell, who's on the state Board of Higher Education, started thinking of places in Northwest where Lincoln could build a green, high-tech school. He isn't the first to talk about it. But when he picked up the phone, the idea took off.

"I called the two smartest real estate guys I know in town," said von Schlegell, managing director at Endeavour Capital.

He outlined the idea to Williams and Edlen. They immediately thought of Con-way's property. "It's the obvious place you would go," Williams said. Con-way's 20 acres is one of the largest undeveloped properties in the central city and still within a short drive of the West Hills neighborhoods that produce Lincoln's student body.

Plus, Williams thought the city might be willing to provide urban-renewal money to make the deal work. Portland has two urban renewal districts set to expire, which could free urban renewal money for the Con-way site's redevelopment.

This wouldn't be Williams first urban renewal deal. He helped convince city leaders to come up with more than $130 million in taxpayer money for the streetcar, parks, and roads. Those improvements helped make the Pearl and South Waterfront districts happen.

After he met with von Schlegell, Williams ran into Con-way's Boretz at a meeting of city business leaders. He grabbed a piece of scratch paper and sketched his plan. "What do you think of this idea?" Boretz says Williams asked.

Con-way, the former parent to Consolidated Freightways, has been planning to redevelop its land for about a year. It has now about 1,000 employees in two office buildings but most of its property remains empty, just blocks from the Pearl's towers. The company has a draft plan for offices, condos, affordable housing and maybe senior housing and a community center.

For now, the Lincoln move is just talk to Con-way. "Let's talk about it," Boretz said he told the group. "I'll listen. That's where it is."

While they've been talking with Boretz, Williams, Edlen and von Schlegell have another connection to Con-way. All three have done business with Peter W. Stott, a Con-way board member and real estate investor.

Williams and Edlen also joined von Schlegell in talking to Sten and Commissioner Sam Adams, the leading candidate in the 2008 mayor's race.

Sten says, and Williams and von Schlegell agree, Lincoln's future should be tied to the Portland Public School's work to renovate all its schools. The district is studying what work needs to be done across the city and may float a 2008 bond measure to pay for the improvements.

Sten knows the work can't focus on Lincoln while some poorer eastside schools go without.

But if Lincoln can sell off its existing property to pay for a new campus, some believe, money from a bond measure could be devoted to other schools.

For more on Portland real estate, visit The Oregonian's real estate blog at blog.oregonlive.com/frontporch. Ryan Frank: 503-221-8519; [email protected]

map: http://www.oregonlive.com/cgi-bin/prxy/a...i/base/pdf_captions/1194576906190290.pdf

I would like to see a new Lincoln built in the base of point towers. A real 21 century high school.

Blows my mind how much that property redeveloped would change that area. Wish someone could convince KGW to build a new tower, to 'compete' with KOIN Tower, on their property too. Anyone have any idea how much this property would go for? and who might have that kind of money?

The Duniway Park/YMCA site on Barbur makes a lot more sense to me than way up on 23rd. I think these people are largely forgetting that a large amount of Lincoln's student body uses transit to get to school. Not all 16 year olds have access to or want a car.

The YMCA could stay in business on the south side of the track. Lincoln could be build on the triangle made up of the three blocks lying between Broadway, Barbur and the road running next to the 405. This layout could also help smooth out the hopeless road configuration for traffic going towards the Ross Island bridge.

thats why there is a MAX stop right at Lincoln

Duniway Park is either in or on the border of the Wilson HS jurisditction. The conway sight is more proximal to where most of the Lincoln student body lives: Northwest Portland and the northern portion of the west hills.

Building a highschool on conway would be a good start at getting that area redeveloped and also insure that northwest Portland preserves some semblance of a real neighborhood and does not just become all yuppied out.

Due to Lincoln having the International Baccalaureate program 30% of the students are not from it's geographical catchment areas. Those 30% are among the brightest in the city and contribute to making a rarity, an elite public high school. I moved from Forest Grove to Portland for my senior year. There were probably 100 kids in my year alone at Lincoln who were as bright as the best at Forest Grove. Many of those were from the eastside. It would be a shame in my eyes if Lincoln were to lose those kids and its special environment and become just another neighbordhood school by moving out of the city center.

^I guess all of this means they probably won't be building lincoln High on a 405 freeway cap (Which is in the plans for capping 405). I still think 405would be the best place for a new Lincoln High.

I don't think the proximity to Wilson is such a big issue. Cleveland and Franklin are a lot closer to each other than Wilson and the YMCA.

I think whatever they build it obviously will have to be in a more urban typology which probably means they wont be able to have a large football field. A solution would be to have a gymnasium or use the roof like they do in New York and then have the football and sports teams share some facility with another school.

I think it is really important to build a new school. As a former PPS student I can attest to the fact that all the facilities are in preity bad shape and I assume that they have only deteriorated in the last decade since I went there.

With all of the criticisim of PPS people still have to realize that most families in Portland send their kids to public school, from the richest people living in the West Hills and Alameda to the poorest people. This is a preity remarkable fact considering most families in big cities with means would never send their kids to public school. However, if the city is going to stay like this it means building new, modern, facilities so people will continue to send their kids to public schools in the future and not to private schools.

The streetcar public house was held last night at Lincoln H.S. In speaking to the project manager, he mentioned that Conway had already requested streetcar access to their property. I would not be surprised if the streetcar and new H.S. efforts dovetail at some time in the future. What I WOULD be suprised by is if the athletic facilities get short shrift. My impression is that Lincoln H.S. parents mix a lot with Lake O. parents (e.g. at the MAC); have you SEEN L.O.'s facilities? The Lincoln parent group recently raised close to a $1 million for the new Lincoln artitifical turn surface. Their standards are high, and I don't think they would accept a high school without nice athletic facilities if the city is building anew. My kids won't be going to Lincoln for over 10 years, but when they do I expect there'll be a new high school.

It might make sense to extend the streetcar north in the pearl and run the east west part down Pettygrove into the new conway development. Right now lovejoy traffic going over the broadway bridge is slowing down the streetcar, the more northern route should help that problem.

I"m fairly confident that Conway will get streetcar service and thus Lincoln could also get it if it moves.

The north pearl planning group has discussed serveral street car options with PDOT

One is similar to the one mentioned above of running through the pearl in a more northern loop to connect with Conway. Raleigh is Conway's 'main street' although it could run on another street.

Another option discussed is to run the streetcar along Naito to pick up the new Cent. Mill redevelopment...potentially using the existing rail ROW and then crossing the tracks at Thurman and looping south to pick up Conway.

Either way I can't see the Conway development going forward without some kind of deal to get the street car.

Lincoln HS relocation
 

Lincoln High School plans for expansion

Ideas include move to new location

By Jennifer Anderson
The Portland Tribune, Jun 10, 2008


http://www.portlandtribune.com/news_graphics/121305300433319200.jpg


Courtesy of Group Mackenzie Architects


This rendering shows one of six proposals to rebuild Portland’s Lincoln High School.




Despite the Portland School Board’s decision to delay asking voters for a multi-million-dollar bond sale to upgrade and rebuild its facilities this fall, Lincoln High School is taking its future into its own hands.


A committee charged with studying the school’s long-term redevelopment options issued a report on Monday that presents six options for modernization and expansion.


The report comes after nearly two years of study; now it’s headed to the Portland School Board sometime after a public meeting set for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday, at the Lincoln High School cafeteria, 1600 S.W. Salmon St.
Located in the midst of prime real estate in Southwest Portland’s Goose Hollow neighborhood, the affluent and high-achieving school has been so overcrowded over the past decade that storage and cafeteria spaces have been converted into windowless classrooms and enrollment last year was limited to neighborhood students.


Next fall, due to a large graduating class, Lincoln will open 50 slots for transfer students. The 1952 building was originally designed to hold 1,200 students; this year there were 1,400 enrolled. Last year Lincoln was rated the district’s most dense school building, in terms of overcrowding.


Lincoln debate team coach Alison Brody, a 1991 alumnus and one of of two primary authors of the report, said that in her time, about a third of the school’s population was made up of transfer students.


“I see what it’s like, now versus then,” she said. “There’s a real richness missing, a diversity of all kinds. It was more of a Portland high school as opposed to being a West Hills high school.”


The report presents five options for redevelopment at the current school site:
• Modernizing or rebuilding the school.
• Remodeling it with development on its adjacent sites,
• Building a campus of four buildings around a central courtyard.
• Rebuilding the school on the west side of the site, with a new field and underground parking below as well as two blocks of partner development on the east side of the space.


A sixth option is to sell the current site and relocate elsewhere.


There’s been some talk by developers of relocating the school to the 11-acre undeveloped site owned by Con-way Inc. between Northwest 23rd and 19th avenues, north of Northrup Street. The report says that is not the only possible new location, however, although it does not name any other specific sites, noting that more research is needed.


All of the options would house about 1,800 students in 300,000 square feet of space, about a third larger than the school is currently.


The committee feels this expansion is ideal “so LHS can maintain its International Baccalaureate, International Studies Center and Spanish Immersion programs, participate in 6A athletics and sustain a full band and choir,” the report states.


The committee also said it wants to enroll more transfer students, expand program offerings and boost overall enrollment in the district.
“However,” the report cautions, “expanding LHS and increasing transfer opportunities could impact other schools in the district. This issue needs to be carefully considered through the district’s upcoming High School planning effort.”


District leaders are currently engaged in a separate process to reform and realign its high schools, since many, like Lincoln, are bursting, while others are hurting for students due to program cuts and past low achievement.
Brody said the committee is consulting with district leaders as well as other school communities – Jefferson High, Benson High and Hollyrood/Fernwood School – looking at ways to address their facility problems.
Money an issue

As far as funding strategies, the Lincoln committee hopes to use bond money from a potential PPS facilities levy in 2010. But it has also identified other sources that could supplement those funds.


The report estimates that a new Lincoln High School of the desired size would cost $90 million to $125 million in 2010 dollars. The report uses $110 million as a base number, and presents three scenarios that would use a combination of Portland Development Commission’s urban renewal funds and real estate development strategies.


Currently, the school doesn’t sit in any urban renewal area so it doesn’t qualify for those tax increment revenues. But the committee is hoping that if the PDC creates a new urban renewal area or expands the successful River District urban renewal area to include the Lincoln property in the next few years, some of those funds could be used to improve the school.


According to the report, real estate options include:
• Selling the land (to net $10 million).
• Leasing it to a private developer for about $1 million in revenue each year.
• Utilizing new market tax credits (a federal program to finance community development projects).
• Selling excess floor-area-ratio (essentially the air space above a building) to developers.


Brody said an optimistic goal is to have a new school open in eight to 10 years.


In the meantime, students and teachers will have to bear with the existing conditions – not only overcrowding, but an outdated facility that includes active mold spores in the classrooms, drinking water that’s unsafe to drink and regular overflows from bathrooms and sinks.


As is the case at many schools in the district, the list of problems goes on: the heating and cooling systems are faulty, the bleachers are condemned, and there’s no working cafeteria space due to the conversion to classrooms.


“The facility is rundown,” Brody said. “A lot of kids complain about the (poor ventilation in the) science lab. There’s tremendous stress on the athletes, who have to work out at 6:30 in the morning or 9 at night. It forces a number of unreasonable situations on the students and their families.”


To view the report, go to: http://lincoln.pps.k12.or.us/ltdc.
[email protected]

Sell the property to developers and build the new high school over the 405. Build an open community sports fields and parks on another couple caps over the 26 - 405 interchange. Jointly build the new sports fields with PSU, opening up land for PSU expansion on campus on their current sports fields.

I agree PSU and Lincoln HS should look at developing/sharing their athletic fields/facilities.

Sounds prohibitvly expensive.

They should consider building a couple of floors of parking and some school facilites under the athletic field in that proposal. A few hundred spots should be able to generate quite a bit of income long-term for the school district.

I don't think so. The cost of land in downtown, I would assume, is more expensive than creating new land. If you include Pavlov's idea of multi-purpose facilities, the cost is even less.

If they did it in Phoenix (see Phoenix Central Library) then we can do it in Portland. We just need to get creative.

I enthusiastically agree with Mark. I'm sure it would be insanely expensive (not to mention a huge challenge for engineers), but the benefits all around could justify it. In addition to Phoenix's library, the Margaret T. Hance Deck Park, a huge green space, sits on top of this section of the downtown freeway. If you don't know this project, check it out on one of the bird's eye mapsites. Of course, Phoenix had a lot of open space with which to work; Portland's freeway cap would be much more of a squeeze. And the disruption to traffic would be pretty interesting, don't you think?

Friday, February 12, 2010
Goose Hollow businesses support ambitious projects
Portland Business Journal - by Andy Giegerich Business Journal staff writer
Cathy Cheney | Portland Business Journal

Despite PGE Park and Multnomah Athletic Club, the Goose Hollow neighborhood has never attracted many businesses.

Neighbors and business owners want to change that. Goose Hollow residents believe the area can become a better transition point between downtown Portland and the West Hills.

As part of their efforts, they’re pushing the district as a candidate for Portland’s next hot “Main Street.” The corridor could fall either on Southwest Jefferson or Columbia street.

They also believe that two ambitious projects — fully renovating Lincoln High School and placing caps over parts of Interstate 405 — could drive business growth within the 165-acre neighborhood.

Such longshot projects depend on at least two factors. The neighbors want the city to include Goose Hollow in a proposed urban renewal area that would include four near-downtown quadrants. City officials could decide whether to add the new area at a Feb. 19 meeting.

The other issue: Portland Public Schools is completing a study that could shut down at least one district high school. As a result, school officials say even discussing Lincoln’s proposed makeover brings protests from other schools.

Goose Hollow neighbors have yet to study the costs of any I-405 work. The closest comparison comes from former Mayor Vera Katz’s 1998 proposal to put a cap spanning two blocks over the freeway. Planners estimated it would have cost between $1 million and $1.5 million, in 2000 dollars, to simply erect a two-block wide concrete foundation over I-405.

If nothing else, the early efforts to bring more businesses to Goose Hollow could spotlight issues that began in the 1960s when I-405 and Highway 25 were built. The moves prevented easy pedestrian access to downtown and points south.

“The population’s characteristics were markedly different here after the freeways were built,” said Jerry Powell, chairman of the Goose Hollow Foothills League’s land use and planning committee. “There was a lot of disinvestment. It’s our contention that we can bring Jefferson and Burnside back.”

The Goose Hollow neighborhood has 3,800 residents, 90 percent of whom are renters. Half the population lives at what the city considers “low-income” levels.

Area business operators even envision Goose Hollow becoming a destination neighborhood when there are no PGE Park or Lincoln High events.

“Having a ‘Main Street’ in the area, perhaps by bridging or capping the freeway, would help us rejoin downtown,” said Norm Rich, the Multnomah Athletic Club’s general manager. “There aren’t a ton of businesses here.”

Powell acknowledges that adding buildings, parks and more pedestrian crossings across the top of I-405 would require lots of planning and money. He nonetheless points to similar projects that have helped such cities as Phoenix and Cincinnati connect neighborhoods and business districts across freeways.

“It’s really expensive, but if we take the overpasses and put a parallel bridge structure on them, then build two-story commercial buildings on each of them, we can do it at a fraction of the cost,” he said. “It would be cheaper than building new structures” that span across the freeway.

Lincoln High School boosters have discussed ways to renovate the crumbling school for years. In 2008, a group introduced a long-term plan that included building the school vertically and adding mixed-use options to the lower floors.

To do so, the school district would almost certainly need to work with urban renewal funds. A new high school costs at least $100 million. Urban renewal areas are funded by tax revenue generated by incremental increases in value (“increments”) within the areas’ boundaries. The money can only be used to pay for improvements in the areas being renewed.

The committee exploring whether to create a new Portland urban renewal area includes Portland Mayor Sam Adams, Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler and several business representatives. Wheeler, who’s questioned whether urban renewal is worth the funds it extracts from schools and county coffers, said this week he’s not sure where the group stands on establishing a new renewal district.

If the district takes shape, a top Interstate urban renewal area developer likes Goose Hollow’s potential. Peter Wilcox, a principal with Mississippi Lofts LLC, believes the district could benefit from its proximity to downtown.

“I don’t know if it’s good for a major stand-alone business district, but certainly, there’s energy there,” he said. “There’s at least a need for a core that’s complimentary to local retail. There’s not even a food store there now.”

Jim Fisher, vice president of Jim Fisher Volvo, would rather see any local business growth happen organically.

“It would only help to have more businesses in the neighborhood because it would give us more visibility,” he said. “But I’d hope the city would leave us alone and not build high-density projects on top of our car dealership.”
GOOSE HOLLOW

• Boundaries: From north to south, roughly between West Burnside and Southwest Cardinell streets and, from east to west, between Interstate 405 and Washington Park.

• Income: 52 percent of residents living in the area under consideration for urban renewal earn less than $25,000. Another 43 percent earn between $25,000 and $100,000.

• Population: 3,800.

• Notable businesses: Multnomah Athletic Club, Hotel Deluxe, Goose Hollow Inn, PGE Park, KGW-TV.

[email protected] | 503-219-3419

http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2010/02/15/story5.html?t=printable

I am surprised this area hasnt already been an urban renewal district. I do support the ideas with the caps over 405, and this would definitely be the easiest way to make that happen...also, it surprises me that Goose Hollow really doesnt have any street that acts like a "main street" for it. I never thought about that before, but there really is nothing but housing in that neighborhood....besides PGE, the club, and a few random bars of course.

I agree, this could be an excellent area if done correctly =D

Does anyone know what project this is referencing?

From the Goose Hollow Foothills League October 2011 meeting minutes:

New Business:
Arbor Vista Condominiums:
Markus Simons, current chair of the Arbor Vista Condominiums, addressed the Board on behalf of himself and not as the voice of the Arbor Vista Board. It was noted that six of the 27 condo owners were present at the meeting. He related his concerns over the proposed new apartment development located along Jefferson between SW 20th and SW 21st which would be across the street on SW Howard’s Way. He felt that the proposed 9 story building was out of scale with the neighborhood. The proposed project has only provided 98 parking stalls yet the building will have 140 units which would exacerbate the already existing parking problems in this area. Other concerns voiced were the following: view corridor to Vista bridge, lack of street trees or trees on site, the removal of a heritage tree from the site, Lobby entry location along Howard’s way and its impact on Vista Arbors property, future dogs and their impact on the area. The point was brought up that the proposed site is compact and did not allow an area for staging for construction. Markus had concerns about what kind of disruption and impact this would impose on the residents of Vista Arbor. Markus indicated that the development as proposed would have a large financial impact on those owners at Vista Arbor based on concerns addressed above. He asked the board to consider what was appropriate for the neighborhood.

http://goosehollow.org/images/ghflminutes20111020.pdf

interesting... there is a parking lot there (see streetview). but none of the properties on that block show any permit applications or anything on portlandmaps.com...

A block from the MAX, easy walking distance to downtown, and yet providing parking for 70% of the units isn't enough...

I doubt parking is the real issue. He probably doesn't want anything built there. Just a guess, of course.

I wonder what percent of tenants in nearby apartment complexes are carless. With the growing popularity of options like Zipcar, it's becoming easier and easier to be a carless urbanite.

Oh, I'm quite sure you're right. But the "not enough parking" argument is just so common, and hardly ever seems to be challenged.

Well that settles it, they better squash this proposal. :rolleyes:

The project is simply in the proof of concept stage, and the design shown to neighbors is little more than a simple box that is likely to change throughout the process (if it ever gets off the ground). Part of the lot is owned by Tri-met, and the developer would need rights to that part before developing the project. Yes, there are bound to be NIMBYs who do not want anything blocking their view, taking up their on-street parking spaces, etc. But my impression of the Arbor Vista comments, and my discussions with its condo chair is that they just want the project to be a good one. Problem is, every one has a different idea of what is "good."

Goose Hollow News
 

140-unit apartment complex planned for Goose Hollow
POSTED: Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 10:35 AM PT
Daily Journal of Commerce
BY: Lee Fehrenbacher

The developers of the 179-unit apartment complex, Savier Flats, which began construction this month in Northwest Portland, is preparing to double down on their downtown building activities.

Mill Creek Residential Trust is in the early planning stages for a new 140-unit, 143,833-square-foot apartment complex at 2040 S.W. Jefferson St., in the Goose Hollow neighborhood. The building will have six stories above ground and three stories of basement parking.

Sam Rodriguez, vice president of development for Mill Creek, said it is a prime location for such a project.

“It’s in Goose Hollow and we’re looking for properties in markets that haven’t had much development of new apartments,” Rodriguez said. “It’s obviously a very old neighborhood with a tradition of apartment living, it’s close to the core and we believe that right now that’s the most advantageous market that we can be in.”

Rodriguez said Mill Creek plans to market the building to the young professional crowd between the ages of 25 and 35 and is planning the project from a transit-oriented perspective. Located directly across from the MAX light rail blue line, the property will offer residents easy access to the suburbs and downtown, he said.

“If it’s an Intel employee, they can be to work in 20 minutes on the train,” he said. “If it’s downtown, it’s a highly walk-able site.”

While Mill Creek has not yet drafted a firm design for the building, Rodriguez said the majority of it (roughly 92 percent) will be one-bedroom units averaging 700 square feet in size, with the remainder being two-bedroom suites. They plan to market the units for approximately $2 per square foot.

Rodriguez said they also plan to get the building a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating, but they have not yet decided to what extent.

One detail that could potentially delay the planning process is that a portion of the land to be developed is owned by transit agency TriMet.

Rodriguez said the developers are currently in negotiations to purchase this property but that because it is public land, it is subject to the public notification and hearing process. Rodriguez said, however, that initial responses from residents in the Goose Hollow neighborhood had been positive and that developers hope to have final approval from TriMet by February 2012.

If all goes as planned, Mill Creek hopes to begin full design of the building by January 2012 and to send the project out to bid for subcontractor trades by the spring or summer. Rodriguez said they are aiming to break ground by November and that construction will last 17 to 18 months.

The next immediate phase in the planning process will be a pre-application conference, which the project architect, Portland-based Vallaster & Corl Architects, has scheduled for Jan. 4.

http://djcoregon.com/news/2011/12/14/140-unit-apartment-complex-planned-for-goose-hollow/

http://djcoregon.com/files/2011/12/schematic-SE-copy.jpg

Awesome about the Goose Hollow apartments, I have always wanted to see that parking lot developed.

That really is good news for Goose Hollow! It's funny how their image shows they're already thinking ugly design even before actually designing anything... but then again, it's not exactly going to be next to a beauty, so it'll fit right in almost no matter how ugly it ends up being. And who knows... they could surprise us by turning that concept into something quite nice. One never knows! It'll be great to see that parking lot developed into housing.

Yeah, the design is fairly generic, plus being a sketchup rendering, it could look like anything for a final built building. Also, this is the side facing the small street which most people would never see, it is the side facing the MAX that I am really curious about.

Lincoln High School plans to develop housing with help from URA money
POSTED: Tuesday, May 8, 2012 at 02:34 PM PT
BY: Reed Jackson, Daily Journal of Commerce

http://djcoregon.com/news/2012/05/08/lincoln-high-school-plans-to-develop-housing-with-ura-money/

http://djcoregon.com/files/2012/05/0510_lincoln_high_school_ura_boma_psu_01-225x300.jpg
A long-term development plan for Lincoln High school calls for constructing 1,682 workforce housing units, a new football field and a two-story parking garage. (Rendering courtesy of Portland State University)

http://djcoregon.com/files/2012/05/0510_lincoln_high_school_ura_boma_psu_021-300x150.jpg
A two-story parking garage planned as part of Lincoln High School redevelopment would include a track and basketball facility. (Rendering courtesy of Portland State University)

In that same permit report there's something about a new 6-story building on the block south of the MAC parking garage (used to be full of victorian houses until the MAC tore them down about 10 years ago). SW 19th/Main.

The MAC owns that block and sought an RFP with a developer to develop additional parking for MAC members. The proposal is to give the block to a developer for new apartments in exchange for 225 parking spots (they better be buried!) and 15 overnight hotel spaces (many older athletic clubs have overnight accomodations for its members and guests -- the MAC does not have this). While current zoning allows parking for residents of the apartments, it does not yet allow additional parking dedicated for an adjacent corporate entity (e.g. the MAC) -- thus the needed zoning change. The NW Examiner story (page 21) is here:

MAC plans garage/apartment building

A long vacant block on the southern edge of the Multnomah Athletic Club campus will become a shared-use parking structure and 200-unit apartment building.

The club has signed an agreement with Sam Rodriguez of Mill Creek Residential Trust to develop Block 7, bounded by Southwest 19th, 20th, Madison and Main streets. MAC General Manager Norm Rich said the project is motivated largely by demand for more parking for club members.

“I just get pounded on a regular basis on parking,” said Rich, noting that the club’s board of directors has run out of patience with the ongoing problem.

The six-story building will have three parking levels, at least one of them underground. In addition to one level of parking for apartment residents, 225 stalls on two levels will be devoted to MAC users. There will also be about 15 hotel rooms for MAC visitors.

Due to what would be considered commercial parking, a zone change will be required, said Rich, a process that could take a year.

He said it would be good for the neighborhood because it will relieve on-street parking demand and traffic congestion.