Neighborhood Notes

May/June 2008 Pearl District Newsletter

2008-05-15T10:41:00.000-07:00

The May/June 2008 issue of the Neighborhood Notes Newsletter is now available for download. If you'd like a printed copy, you can pick one up at Little Urbanites, Physical Element, Umpqua Bank, Urban Grind, Sip & Kranz, Bridgeport Brewpub, Boyd's Coffee, Ecru Modern Stationer, Cupcake Jones, Daily Cafe, Powell's Books, or World Cup Coffee.

We'd also like to give a shout out to our generous advertising partners (see the list in the right column) that allow us to print and distribute 4,000 FREE (full color) copies to Pearl District condos, apartments and businesses. You guys rock!

Download your copy

Design Review - Meier and Frank Building

2008-05-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

Here is the land use review which contains the Landmarks Commission approval of the design. The proposal includes: the addition of a fifth floor penthouse; approximately 13,000 square feet of retail space located on the ground floor; and double-stacked, semi-automated mechanical parking on levels 1-2 (approximately 250 spaces) available to building tenants only.

The penthouse addition will be enclosed in a metal-framed window wall system, and set back approximately 15'-6" from the existing parapet. Te penthouse roof will be covered with a photovoltaic (PV) array and an eco-roof. The project will be certified under the US Green Building Council's LEED-NC certification and the applicants are targeting a "Platinum" rating. Stormwater will be treated onsite using bioswales, planters, and eco-roofs, All rooftop rainwater will be collected and stored in a basementlevel 165,000-gallon cistern and used for irrigation and toilet/urinal flushing.

Foes suggest Portland Development Commission plan is illegal

2008-05-15T07:25:00.000-07:00

This was bound to happen since the satellite district proposal was, at best, legally dubious and based on a false assumption. The other issue is the $35 million that Multnomah County is being given to fix its downtown offices, another illegal maneuver. Now it seems that time and money will be wasted on a court battle. Randy Leonard promises to lobby the 2009 Legislature if necessary to change the law to allow such satellite projects. Brilliant.

Not only are satellite districts not legal, but the idea is based on a false assumption created by Sten.

As stated at the end of the article, "Sten came up with the project to help David Douglas build more classrooms to serve its growing student population. The district has seen its enrollment rise as families in close-in Portland neighborhoods have been priced out by the city's successful urban renewal efforts." Emphasis is mine.

Sten completely ignored three major factors in the housing market over the last several years: historically low interest rates, sub-prime mortgages, and mortgage backed securities. Low interest rates increased demand which increased prices. Sub-prime loans made it easier for people to get loans, and mortgage backed securities made it more attractive for banks to sell sub-prime loans. Those three factors created an overheated market where prices rose sharply, all over the country.

Sten chose to ignore the facts and place the blame on URAs to justify taking money from them. There is no doubt that housing in the Pearl is expensive. Its also expensive in the Northwest District, West Hills, and Irvington and none of those areas are in a URA.

David Douglas School has issues and needs help, as do most Portland Public Schools. But urban renewal is not the mechanism to address those and it is wrong for the City Council to arbitrarily select one school over any other without even consulting Portland Public Schools.

As for Multnomah County's $35 million, the stated rationale is to compensate the county for "lost taxes" due to URAs. In the past counties have been given compensation for lost taxes to cover basic services such as police and fire. But when it was discovered that the money wasn't being used for basic services the law was changed to make these "gifts" illegal. Multnomah County is going to use the money to fix office buildings, not cover basic services or address its budget woes. I believe this is illegal.

The City Council should see the handwriting and drop both proposals. Unfortunately they appear ready to fight for what is illegal.

Read The Oregonian's story.

fine & friendly objects from faraway places

2008-05-14T15:03:00.000-07:00

FREE EVENT at The Monkey & The Rat

Christopher Yarrow has just returned from Thailand, and he wants to share his great new finds with Portland!

Be the first to see the handcrafted housewares, furniture, jewelry, children’s playthings, textiles and art that Christopher just brought back.

When: Wednesday, May 21st, 4 – 9 pm
Where: The Monkey & The Rat – Old Town/Chinatown location
131 NW 2nd Street, Portland, OR (at NW Davis St)
Phone: 503-224-3849 www.monkeyandrat.com
Fun Stuff: Live gamelan music 7-9 pm, Tibetan food, beer & wine

FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

New design rejuvenates dining in the Pearl (Leonardo's on Lovejoy)

2008-05-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

From the Daily Journal of Commerce:

Location can be a key ingredient in a restaurant’s recipe for success.

But even in the Pearl District, a great location can’t compensate for poor design.

That was the lesson for two restaurants that opened and closed in the last few years at the southwest corner of Northwest Lovejoy Street and 10th Avenue – a site adjacent to a Portland Streetcar stop that guarantees an ample supply of potential diners.

Paolo Design Group’s re-design of Leonardo’s Restaurant – a 1,700-square-foot space at 939 N.W. 10th Ave. – presented a challenge: turn a cold “fishbowl” environment into an intimate dining experience.

“We looked at it as a special challenge to see if we could still embrace the glass front and recreate and reinvent the interior dining experiences,” said designer Paul “Paolo” Scardina. “The two previous restaurants that occupied the space (Nina’s Place and Graze) didn’t do anything to soften the fishbowl feeling. There was no architecture inside. It was like a cafeteria.”

Paolo Design Group formed “rooms within rooms” in the restaurant, creating a more intimate space that makes guests feel less exposed to the outside, Scardina said. And yet, “A passerby can still look in and see the whole restaurant in action.”

Read the full story.

Portland developer brings chaos theory to Pearl District

2008-05-14T09:49:00.000-07:00

From the Daily Journal of Commerce:

Patrick Kessi has taken an asymmetrical route to development. His first major project, the fast-developing 937 Condominiums in the heart of Portland’s Pearl District, represents an asymmetrical development for the assiduously planned neighborhood.

The design of the 16-story, 114-unit condo tower that’s squeezed on two sides by the Brewery Blocks and the north Pearl District takes its cues from the naturally occurring fractals and organic chaos of the world, according to Kessi

“Everything we’re doing, from a development perspective, is a little unconventional,” he said.

It’s an ambitious project says Kessi, and not just for the fact that it’s slated for completion in September.

At 30, the developer looks barely older than the 20-year-old who started buying properties near his college, the University of Portland, so his friends wouldn’t get evicted.

He learned the business of developing a property by doing different aspects of it, even jobs he wasn’t especially good at, like fixing plumbing.

In the decade since his first building purchase, he’s added to his real estate portfolio, buying land and properties and then building or converting them into condominium projects. His first “large project” was the modern-looking Thurman Street Lofts, on which he first teamed with his current development partner Geoff Wenker.

Read the full story.

Portland's architecture of the future

2008-05-14T07:56:00.000-07:00

Here's an event at DWR's Portland Studio next week. One of the Portland city planners will be there, and it may provide another opportunity to engage in the upcoming Portland Plan.

What will Portland look like as it continues to grow in population? How do we maintain our reputation as a model for sustainable development? Join us in examining these questions and more, during a discussion of Portland land use - the third installment of our ongoing bi-monthly architecture and design events. Arun Jain, Portland city planner, will be on hand as we open the discussion of how to stay ahead of the game, how to successfully increase population density without negatively impacting our well-renowned quality of life. Refreshments will be served.

Designs on Portland: The ever-growing city.
Wednesday, May 21, 6–8pm
DWR Portland Studio
1200 N.W. Everett
Portland, OR 97209
Phone: 503.220.0200

Adios D.F.

2008-05-13T21:16:00.000-07:00

We're sad to report that D.F. has closed. Food Dude reported the closure earlier this evening and it was also announced at the Bridgeport Condominium board meeting tonight. A quick walk to D.F. and the note in the window confirmed it all.

Taqueria Nueve, the east side eatery under the same ownership has also closed.

Adios. We'll miss you.

Urban Hiking and Aerial Views

2008-05-13T17:02:00.000-07:00

When the Tram first opened we couldn't get enough of it. It was a multi-modal day trip that involved packing a lunch and bringing binoculars. We'd catch the streetcar out into the wilds of South Waterfront, take the tram up to OHSU, explore the gardens and atriums and decks that seem to hang off the edge of the hill. And then head to the river on our way back. Trust me, we had the t-shirt.

This Saturday the Ten Toe Express folks have Tram Fever as well, and they're combining a free tram ride with a hike up to Council Crest via the Marquam Nature Park. Meet at 9:00 AM at the South Waterfront tram stop. And bring snacks and water (and binoculars) for the kiddos since the hike is 4 miles total, or about 8,000 steps. The round trip is estimated to take 2.5 hours.

Tails & Ales on Saturday

2008-05-13T09:28:00.000-07:00

THIS SATURDAY, MAY 17:
Celebrate the sunny weather with your dog, a beer and live music!
Tails & Ales at the Lucky Lab in NW Portland:
11:00AM – 5:00PM

A new twist to this year’s event: sign up to save a life or two! The American Red Cross will have its Bloodmobile onsite. Call 503.528.5608 and make an appointment to donate blood during the event.

Event Details:
When: Saturday, May 17, 11:00AM – 5:00PM
(Want a Rose Festival Ambassador to wash your dog? Show up between 3:00PM – 5:00PM!)
Where: Lucky Lab Beer Hall, 1945 NW Quimby
What: Dog wash & live music to benefit DoveLewis, blood donation to benefit the Red Cross & the DoveLewis Animal Blood Bank

Family Bike Commuting Workshop

2008-05-13T09:05:00.000-07:00

Jake and I bought a bike last week. It's actually my bike, but you wouldn't know that from the sense of ownership he feels due to having his own seat over the rear tire. The bike is like an SUV, actually, with a basket up front and a kid in back and about 60 pounds of steel connecting the two. It may take a second or two for me to get started from an intersection, but once we get going we're unstoppable.

We found this beauty at Clever Cycles. The folks there know a lot about commuting with kids, and the gear to keep everyone safe and comfy. They also offer incredible customer service and support. And, they may have the coolest collection of bikes in the city.

We've been biking to school, to get groceries and run errands, and taking joy rides on the esplanade. Having not ridden a bike since about 2000, there's been a lot of learning going on. Where are the bike lanes? What routes help me avoid streetcar tracks? And what is the safest way to cross 405? Hmmmm.

So, imagine how relieved I was to learn that Bicycle Transportation Alliance is hosting a workshop on Family Bike Commuting on May 15th from 5:30 - 7:00 at 233 NW 5th Ave. Here's an excerpt from the workshop description, and a link to more information.

The BTA's Family Biking Commute Workshops discuss the common challenges that families face when considering bike commuting. They are also a place for seasoned bicyclists to learn more about commuting with kids and share what they know about commuting with new riders. Read more here.

Polish the Pearl a Big Success!

2008-05-13T08:54:00.000-07:00

Saturday's Polish the Pearl was a big success. We had a good turn out of 50-60 volunteers from buildings all over the Pearl.Members of the business community participated for the first time and Neighbors West-Northwest had a representative, Alison Wallisch, participate for the first time as well. Everyone had a great time and early estimates indicate that we picked up a record amount of trash.

Participants met at Peet's Coffee at 8:30 AM for sign in and organization. The crews hit the streets around 9 AM and worked hard until about noon when we met at BridgePort Brewpub for a delicious lunch and prizes supplied by local businesses.

While everyone worked hard we want to give a special shout out to Ryan Scheel and his friend (sorry we don't remember your name!). The two of them tackled NW Pettygrove, and as you can see it has needed it for a while. We won't begin to list what they found!

And now for the thank yous...

We want to thank the many sponsors of Polish the Pearl. They include the Pearl District Neighborhood Association, Neighbors West-Northwest, Legacy Health Systems, Peet's Coffee and Tea, the Pearl District Business Association, BridgePort Brewpub, Roger Langeliers Construction Company, SOLV, Office of Sustainable Development, and Metro. Neighborhood Notes is also a proud sponsor of Polish the Pearl.

We also want to thank the following local businesses for supplying prizes for our volunteers. Cupcake Jones, Lizard Lounge, Wilfs, Willamette Travel, Powell's Books, Starbucks, The Golden Girls, Symmetry Salon, OfficeMax, Rogue Ales, Olive or Twist, the Daily Cafe, Signal Sports, and Dogstar.

Thank you to Multi Services Inc. and Community Management Inc. for sending so many volunteers to help out. You guys did a great job and we appreciate the help!

Paper Puppet Palooza

2008-05-13T07:20:00.000-07:00

Here's a message from the great folks at Mudeye Puppet Company. This workshop will be even more kid friendly than usual.

This weekend we're having one of our big puppet-making workshops at Backspace and you don't want to miss it. Usually we have lots of plastic containers, toy parts and hot glue guns, but this time it's all paper! In the interest of making the workshops more kid-friendly we're giving the glue guns a heave ho and using tape and white glue instead, as well as cardboard, stickers, tubes, boxes, and lots of surprises. Get there early and get first dibs on puppet parts. What's this fun filled event called?

Paper Puppet Palooza!
Make your own puppet from reused cardboard, paper, stickers and more!

When? Saturday May 17th 10:30 am
Where? Backspace 115 Nw 5th street
How much? 5$ per person $7 per family
Questions? Ask Bruce 503 805 0291

Bye for now. Spread the word. Save the boxes.

Iberdrola to buy wind turbines from GE

2008-05-12T15:38:00.000-07:00

Why am I posting about a wind turbine purchase? The purchaser, Iberdrola Renewables, has their US headquarters located in the Pearl District, where they employ 375 people. Iberdrola recently changed its name from PPM Energy. PPM was previously owned by Scottish Power, Iberdrola purchased Scottish Power in 2006.

Iperdrola operates wind farms in Sherman County, east of the Cascades along the Columbia River, along with sites around the country and world. Its always surprising to learn what businesses are located in your neighborhood.

Read the wind turbine story and the about the name change from the Portland Business Journal.

Reader photos

2008-05-12T08:40:00.001-07:00

These two photos were shot in Tanner Springs Park by Sitka resident, Ron Jennings.

Thanks for sharing!

Making the Case for Blinds

2008-05-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

We've heard rumblings about a certain "peep show" at the Wyatt Apartments. At first, when the building was converted from condos to apartments, there were no blinds in the windows. This caused more than a little visual distress, as you can imagine.

The Wyatt purchased the blinds, but now we're hearing that some tenants just don't see the necessity of using them. I think this photo demonstrates a really good reason, don't you? (as you can imagine, the view gets much, much worse.)

Every time a new building goes up, we have a period of "bad nekked" (thank you, Seinfeld) that ensues as neighbors adjust to life in an urban environment. I call it the ugly side of density.

So please, it's time to adjust. Use your blinds or wear a robe.

ballet barre meets yoga and pilates

2008-05-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

Here's a nifty idea. Get a taste of Barre 3 exercise studio before it opens (in the Metropolitan Condominiums) on July 15. Discover how the fusion of ballet, yoga and pilates will get you longer, leaner, energized and ready for summer.

Barre 3 classes
Whole Foods Wellness Studio (second floor)
3535 NE 15th Avenue
More info

Mass transit sees growth in ridership due to gas prices

2008-05-11T09:18:00.000-07:00

Public transit is a big part of our neighborhood with both the streetcar and buses operating here. If you live here, my guess is its likely you are in favor of mass transit. You understand the benefits, use it at sometime or another, and believe that more mass transit is a good thing.

It seems that gas prices are driving more people to public transit.

Two recent articles, one in The Oregonian the other in The New York Times, highlight sharp increases in riders since gas prices reached $3.50 per gallon. It appears that money is a big motive for people to turn to public transit.

Many argue that cars are still the most economical means of transportation. On Portland Transport you can read all kinds of arguments showing cost per passenger mile and other measures to prove that cars are more economical than streetcars or buses. What these people never address is how to reduce congestion and where to put all the cars. They also base their calculations on a relatively low price of fuel.

It seems that more people find public transit a viable alternative, given the current high price of gas. Ridership is up on Trimet, gas sales have dropped, and miles driven have dropped. All this while the population and number of jobs has increased.

If gas prices drop we will see people move back to driving. This is a cycle that has occurred in the past. The numbers, however, show a definite trend in Portland to use cars less and public transit more. Lets hope this continues even if gas prices decline significantly (I’m not holding my breath that they will).

Public transit is about more than cost per passenger mile. It is about livability. We already know that more cars means more congestion, more time spent stuck in traffic, more pollution, and more sprawl. Public transit can relieve the pressure from all of those.

Read The Oregonian article.

Read The New York Times article.

Notice of Pre-Application Conference

2008-05-09T08:37:00.000-07:00

It appears The Lovejoy (1220 NW Marshall at NW 12th) is looking to convert up to 150 parking spaces from Residential to Visitor Parking. This would seem to be good news for businesses in the area given that parking is always a challenge in the Pearl.

A pre-application conference is a meeting that the Bureau of Development Services has with a person who is interested in doing a development project. City Bureaus send representatives to give information to this person about each bureau requirements. The purpose is to provide information to the applicant.

Details:
May 20, 2008, 10:30 AM
1900 SW 4th Avenue, 4th Floor, Room 4a

Download the Notice.

Polish the Pearl Tomorrow!

2008-05-09T08:25:00.000-07:00

The Pearl District neighborhood clean up is this Saturday, May 10. Registration is at 8:30 a.m. at Peet's Coffee (1114 NW Couch). Enjoy coffee and pastries while everyone gets signed up. Then, we'll distribute trashing supplies (gloves, grabbers, brooms, etc), have the "safety talk" and then get you started on your street assignments. Typically, teams of 4 or more will tackle one street from Burnside to Overton.

After the cleaning is done, volunteers will enjoy a barbecue lunch at BridgePort Brewpub. Bring a little money if you'd like a beer!

If you'd like to participate, please download the registration form, complete and bring with you to the event. Then you simply need to check in at registration and you'll have a little more time to mix and mingle before we get started.

Questions? Email lynnette@neighborhoodnotes.com

We hope to see you there!

Reader Photos

2008-05-08T13:59:00.000-07:00

A reader sent in these fun pics...

a certain deposed dictator--in the pearl!

"Yesterday's Meals On Wheels" (so says the fine print on the truck at the bottom right of the photo)

Do you have photos you'd like to share? Please send them to ken@neighborhoodnotes.com and we'll post them here and/or the PDNA web gallery.

Food: Deschutes creates big buzz in Pearl

2008-05-08T09:27:00.000-07:00

From the Portland Tribune:

There are some restaurants that find overnight success. A recent meander through the Pearl District indicated that the new Deschutes Brewery (210 N.W. 11th Ave., 503-296-4906,www.deschutesbrewery.com) has a good shot at being one of those places.

May 2 was the grand opening and by 4 p.m. customers were packing the sidewalks like spectators waiting for the floats in the Rose Parade (albeit these people were waiting with pints in hand).

The staff was understandably harried but seemed somewhat stunned by the crush. Who knew Portlanders like their micros so much? (That’s a joke).

Read the full story.

MORE-THAN-GREEN House Planning Workshop

2008-05-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

Award winning designer Paolo identifies how to get the high-performance house out of your head and into your life on Saturday, May 31, 2008 from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm. The workshop is held on the Northwest Children’s Theater stage with the "Sleeping Beauty" set. You never know, Briar Rose may make an appearance! Fun entertainment will be provided by the children’s theater followed by an optional tour of the facility. Complimentary brunch is included.

You will discover:

How to build a budget and form a balanced team

How to choose the best sustainable features

How to increase your market value

How to maximize space

How to recycle and embrace old spaces in new ways using the Cultural Center as an example

Reservations: Call 503-222-1757 x 11 or email ryan@paolodesigngroup.com

Admission: The workshop is free; however donations for the children’s theater are gladly accepted

Location: Workshop will be held at the historic Cultural Center for the Northwest Children's Theater & School at 1819 NW Everett, Portland, Oregon 97209.

Parking: Free parking for the workshop will be located in the lot on Flanders St.

Today's press about killing the Sauvie Island Bridge proposal

2008-05-08T07:59:00.000-07:00

Here are several links to today's press about Sam Adams killing the Sauvie Island Bridge proposal. Most of it seems to suggest that it wasn't just money, mounting political pressure was another reason for killing the project. Anyone following this story knows it was a controversial proposal. However, for Sho Dozono to take credit for changing Adams' mind seems to be a stretch at best.

From The Oregonian:
Sauvie Island bike bridge hits dead end

From Willamette Week:
Dozono Takes Credit for Killing Adams' Bike Bridge—And He's Probably Right

From The Mercury Blogtown (scroll down to find them):
Sho Dozono Takes Credit for the “Scrapped” Sauvie Island Bridge Project

Commission Adams: Sauvie Island Bridge Project is “Scrapped,” Transporation Budget Has a $2 Million Hole

From the Daily Journal of Commerce:
Adams announces PDOT $2.7M budget shortfall

BikePortland Reports Sauvie Island Bridge Project is Dead

2008-05-07T07:12:00.000-07:00

BikePortland is reporting Sam Adams will announce today that the Sauvie Island Bridge proposal is dead. Apparently PDOT is an additional $2 million in the hole due to increased gas prices causing reduced driving and therefore reduced gas tax revenues. In addition, project costs are coming in higher than expected due to the same increase in fuel costs. The combination, according to Adams, means he cannot provide reasonable assurance that the project will come in under the $5.5 million maximum.

Cost increases aside, one can't help but wonder if political pressure wasn't a factor in this decision. The proposal was very controversial. Those opposed to it were crying foul and claiming the east side was being ignored at the expense of the west side. Many turned it into an "us against them" or "rich versus poor" argument rather than argue about it as the unique transportation opportunity that it was.

A bridge is still planned for the location in "2 to 4 years" but it will be narrower and generic. Part of the appeal of this project was the reuse of an old bridge that has character and would have become a landmark. Many of those opposed to this project also cry out against the "gentrification" of the northwest district, more specifically the Pearl with its "boring" or "ugly" development. They don't like gentrification but they don't want to add character. The bridge project did cost more than the proposed generic bridge, but it cost less than a new bike bridge of the same size. It was a unique opportunity and its unfortunate we weren't able to take advantage of it.

If it was killed for purely fiscal reasons, so be it, many argued they believed it was too expensive. But I don't agree with those who moved the discussion away from the project and turned it into an "us against them" battle. There was a very limited time to take advantage of this because the bridge is scheduled for demolition. That was the reason for the urgency in the project, not favoritism for one part of the city over the others.

Does anyone else see the irony in increasing fuel costs as the reason for the death of this project? Increased fuel costs make it impossible to fund a project that would aid in reducing dependence on fuel. Brilliant.

Read Jonathan's post at PortlandBike.

Update:
Read BikePortland's coverage of Sam Adams news conference.