Downtown Portland News

[maccoinnich]

I'm going to temporarily lock this thread. As I said very recently, this isn't a politics forum and I don't want to be the moderator of a politics forum. If people want to debate politics, there's reddit Portland for that.

EDIT 3/23: this is now unlocked again, however this is not an invitation for discussion about politics.

[MarkDaMan]

also...

https://www.oregonlive.com/dining/20...lace-mall.html

First Din Tai Fung in Portland proper appears headed for downtown’s Pioneer Place mall
Updated: Mar. 24, 2022, 11:45 a.m. | Published: Mar. 23, 2022, 1:37 p.m.
By Michael Russell | The Oregonian/OregonLive
UPDATE: Din Tai Fung confirms location, timeline for first Portland restaurant

Four years ago, we predicted that Din Tai Fung, the Taiwanese soup dumplings destination on the brink of opening its first Oregon location in Tigard, would look to downtown Portland’s Pioneer Place mall for its second.

Well, we hate to say we told you so...

According to city records first tweeted by architect Iain Mackenzie of the Next Portland blog, Din Tai Fung registered a Pioneer Place-specific LLC last October, while more than $2.3 million in permits are currently under review for a restaurant tenant at the mall. Spokespeople for the mall and restaurant chain did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

...(continues)

[pdxsg34]

Noticed a permit was issued for a renovation/addition at the Mekka Building/1003-1017 SW Washington St/West End Building/Fliedner Building/10 West. DJC had an article on this 12 years ago about a possible reno, so apparently a long time coming: https://djcoregon.com/news/2010/03/24/10w-building-2/

Approval here: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bds/article/744947
Possible renderings: https://www.jonesarc.com/portfolio-i...nd-building-2/

Permits: https://www.portlandmaps.com/detail/...did/?p=R246591

SEISMIC UPGRADE TO 5 STORY BUILDING WITH CORE AND SHELL IMPROVEMENTS OF ENTIRE BUILDING. INFILL LIGHT WELL ON 3RD 4TH AND 5TH LEVEL WITH NEW FLOOR AND ROOF AREA WITH DECK, RELOCATE EXISTING ELEVATOR; ADD NEW STAIRS IN CENTER OF BUILDING; NEW ADA RESTROOMS; NEW FOOTINGS; ADD NEW BIKE STORAGE ROOM ON MAIN FLOOR; ADD NEW EXIT DOOR TO EAST SIDE OF BUILDING; RE-ROOF AND ADD ROOF DECKING WITH NEW LANDSCAPING; EXTERIOR WORK TO INCLUDE REPLACE SIDEWALKS, CURBS AND ADA RAMPS***MECHANICAL PERMIT 19-219819-MT****

That area has ALOT going on, with Block 216, 11W, Galleria reno, Joyce/Georgia hotel reno, Shake Shack, the completed Moxy, Hyatt Centric and Woodlark, and (hopefully) soon to be renovated O'Bryant Park... should be a great central city core of activity.

[maccoinnich]

Downtown Portland Apple store floats plan to remove metal fence, add window protection this summer



The imposing steel fence surrounding the Pioneer Place Apple Store in downtown Portland may soon be replaced by a new transparent security enclosure made of polycarbonate, according to plans Apple discussed with a community group.

The retailer installed the tall metal barrier in February 2021 as it was preparing to reopen from a pandemic closure for the first time since the previous spring. The storefront had been fully boarded up since a May 2020 protest over the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd escalated into a destructive riot, during which a group smashed the store’s windows and took products from inside.

More than a year later, the tech giant is floating a plan for a more finessed security barrier.

Walt Weyler, the chair of the Downtown Neighborhood Association, said Apple representatives discussed the plans with the group’s land use transportation committee during a virtual meeting Tuesday morning. A representative of an architectural firm that Apple hired also attended the meeting, Weyler said, and Apple asked attendees not to take screenshots of the presentation slides.

...continues at the Oregonian.

[MarkDaMan]

^Snipped from the article in case it disappears:

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by MarkDaMan

^Snipped from the article in case it disappears:

That is a smart idea, I always thought the giant panels of glass design that Apple would always go with when designing their stores was kind of stupid.

[MarkDaMan]

NOTE: I copied PacificStates post from the Welby development thread and then moved 2oh1's post to this thread to continue the discussion without derailing the Welby thread.

[maccoinnich]

Notice of a Type II Proposal for the security enclosure at the Apple Store.

[Derek]

Anybody got any updates regarding the Shake Shack location across from Powell’s on W Burnside? That lot was has always been a massive amount eyesore, and it’s only getting worse as the entire building is now covered in graffiti. Not a very welcoming sight for Powell’s visitors.

[Tykendo]

Maybe this is in the works, but it would really be nice if the city would commission artists to paint murals on empty walls around downtown. They add a lot of flavor, and beauty, and seem to be the only thing that graffiti meatheads respect.

[Derek]

Murals aren’t even safe any more, I’ve seen numerous murals all over town absolutely destroyed by taggers.

[maccoinnich]

'The Judy': Northwest Children's Theater signs three-decade lease downtown for new home



A stretch of Southwest Broadway in Portland will welcome yet more space for entertainment and the arts with the addition of the Judy Kafoury Center for Youth Arts.

Call it "The Judy" for short.

Planned for 1000 S.W. Broadway, across from Newmark Theater and the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall ("The Schnitz"), the center is actually the new home of the Northwest Children's Theater, whose lease at the Northwest Neighborhood Cultural Center at 1819 N.W. Everett St. expires Oct. 1. The move downtown happens January next year.

Renovation plans represent something of a return to form for the 24-story office building. A Regal movie theater there closed in 2011, according to the Oregonian/OregonLive. Regal now operates down the street at Fox Tower.

...continues at the Portland Business Journal ($)

[DMH]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

...continues at the Portland Business Journal ($)

This is wonderful news for the children's theater and fantastic news for Downtown, clustered near the performing arts center.

[maccoinnich]

Yes, this is really great news. That space has been vacant for a long time, and it's not easy to think of what other uses could go in there, even in the best times. Having a new theater on Broadway is wonderful.

[2oh1]

Originally Posted by DMH

This is wonderful news for the children's theater and fantastic news for Downtown, clustered near the performing arts center.

Wow. That's fantastic. How many years has that space been vacant? It's been over a decade for sure.

[2oh1]

Downtown Central Library news:

Multnomah County Library is hard at work to build, expand and renovate library spaces for the public as a result of the voter-approved 2020 Library building bond. In the coming years, Central Library will receive a number of updates and improvements that will make the library a more accessible space for all library patrons. Beginning in June 2022, some of that work will begin with multiple construction projects funded by the bond and other sources.

Central Library will be closed to the public August 1 - November 1, 2022. The library will be closed during construction to decrease longer disruptions of service by completing multiple projects, speeding the construction work, and to lower overall costs for Multnomah County residents.

...continues on multcolib.org/centralconstruction

[AdamNorthwest]

Shake Shack is officially under construction.

[pdxsg34]

Originally Posted by AdamNorthwest

Shake Shack is officially under construction.

Sad that the CitizenM 13-story didn't work out for this lot, but at least it's an improvement over the defunct V shoppe.

I hope the lot across the street might be become a reality. Big opportunity for a significant tower there. EAO and TVA made concepts a few years years back...

https://www.evidentoffice.com/portfo...ve-tower-study

[tdawg]

Hey everyone in the Portland thread. I just got back from my first ever visit to the city (and Oregon/the PNW in general). We spent two days in Ashland for the Shakespeare Festival (love Ashland) and then did Newberg and the Willamette Valley for wine tasting (same, loved). Portland is a city that I've wanted to go to for decades. I always imagined it as a place I could see myself living based on its reputation but I was pretty shocked at how depressed it feels compared to New York. We stayed downtown at The Porter near the Justice Center, which I had no idea was still boarded up. The area was pretty desolate on a Friday afternoon and we had a hard time finding a decent place to have a late lunch that wasn't closing before opening back up for dinner. Here are some general observations from someone visiting for the first time with the understanding that we're coming out of a pandemic.

• The city geography is gorgeous. The rivers were spectacular and the parks along the riverfront were a great place for me to run to get oriented.
• I was impressed with the amount of transit and frequency downtown. MAX trains were everywhere and seemed to be well utilized. We took it to the airport the night of our redeye and it was very easy and convenient
• The Pearl District lived up to my expectations. It was definitely the most vibrant part of the city and we had a great afternoon exploring, grabbing brunch and doing some shopping
• I also really liked the area around the campus of Portland State University. There's some interesting architecture and the farmers market along Park Street on Saturday had live music and was filled with people shopping and out enjoying a beautiful late summer day
• The amount of closed or boarded up buildings downtown was surprising and depressing. Maybe we should have stayed somewhere other than where we did. We found it very hard to find services nearby. There were a lot of people wandering around clearly transient and/or smacked out. We wanted to do laundry before boarding our red eye home and there was nothing. I had to hop on a Bike Town bike share to ride out to near Sullivan's Gulch (Spin Laundry) for the nearest coin laundry. That did give me a chance to ride around the area while my clothes washed and then dried. I checked out Sullivan's Gulch, Irvington, and the Hollywood Quarter. I saw great potential in all three but, again, a lot of boarded up buildings and tent encampments like we just don't see here in New York (I've heard similar stories about tent cities in San Francisco and LA so maybe it's more a West Coast phenomenon?).

Anyway, I was happy to finally see the city and maybe it's just struggling more than the rest of the country in coming back from the pandemic and George Floyd/racial justice protests but I would really like to come back in a few years and see how the city has changed. It has amazing potential and maybe I should have reached out to the Portland forumers before our trip for suggestions. There's definitely tons we didn't see given our short timeframe.

[CorbinWarrick]

Glad you semi enjoyed Portland. Unfortunately we are nowhere near what we use to be prior to 2020. Downtown hasn’t been the same since.