Weekly Roundup: the return of South Waterfront, Multnomah County Courthouse, Garlington Center and more

Garlington Center

The Garlington Center by Scott Edwards Architecture for Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare

An article in The Oregonian noted that South Waterfront “is booming again”. Projects mentioned include Zidell Blocks 4 and 6Riverplace Parcel 3, OHSU Center for Health and Healing South and the OHSU Knight Cancer Research Building.

The Portland Mercury reported that the City Council will vote this week on an ordinance that will direct money raised from short term rentals such as Airbnb into the Housing Investment Fund. The measure would allocate $1.2 million of new money for affordable housing every year.

Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare is planning a new integrated health clinic and low-income apartment complex, writes OPB. The Garlington Center at 3034 NE MLK Jr Blvd will replace an existing building on the site owned by the non-profit.

Plans are moving ahead for the new Multnomah County Courthouse, according to The Oregonian. The County is now planning on including the District Attorney’s office and high volume courts in the building, which is likely to raise the cost of the project by $40-50 million.

An article in The New York Times by local writer Brian Libby looked at the three building One North development on N Williams by Holst Architecture and PATH Architecture. The Karuna East office building was recently completed, and is leased to digital creative agency Instrument.

Digital product agency Uncorked Studios has leased the entire third floor of the 811 Stark building, according to the Portland Business Journal. The Central Eastside building by Works Partnership is currently under construction.

The City Council approved 10 year tax exemptions for three buildings that will collectively include 81 units of affordable housing, wrote the Portland Business Journal. The buildings are the North Hollow Apartments at 1501 SW Taylor St, the Vancouver Ave Apartments at the NE and SE corners of the N Vancouver Ave and N Shaver St,  and the Mississippi Apartments on N Fremont St between N Mississippi and N Albina Ave and on N Cook Street between N Albina and N Borthwick Ave.

The Willamette Week wrote about a potential conflict of interest identified by the City Auditor, due to the fact that members of the West Quadrant Plan Stakeholder Advisory Committee are landowners in the area. The Auditor’s report said that individuals such as Greg Goodman of the Downtown Development Group should have disclosed their financial interests before casting any votes, including ones that increased the allowable heights at the Morrison and Hawthorne Bridgeheads.

The Oregonian wrote that Portland’s 3.6% apartment vacancy rate was the lowest in the nation in 2014.

Leave a Reply