Weekly Roundup: Workshop Blocks, Broadway Tower, Social Distancing, and more

Workshop Blocks
Block A of the Workshop Blocks, on the left, will be the first of three buildings planned for the vacant lots on SE Water Ave.

Beam Development is moving forward with the Workshop Blocks (formerly known as the ODOT Blocks), reports the Daily Journal of Commerce. Last week the board of Prosper Portland, who own the site, voted to authorize a 99-year ground lease*. Beam plans to build 100,000 sq ft of industrial office space on Block A, which will be first of three buildings planned.

The Business Tribune reported on how construction workers are grappling with social distancing.

Portland Architecture spoke to Emerick Architects, who recently celebrated 20 years in practice.

The office portion of the Broadway Tower was sold by its developer, BPM Real Estate, reports the Business Tribune.

*This article will be unlocked for the rest of this week. After this week it will only be viewable by DJC subscribers.

Design Commission Approves Block 216 Tower (images)

The Design Commission approved Block 216, a 35-story mixed use building designed by GBD Architects and PLACE landscape architects. The project will include retail, office, hotel, and residential condominium uses, with a 342 stall underground parking garage. The project is being developed by BPM Real Estate Group.

Block 216

Read More

Block 216 Receives Design Advice (images)

GBD Architects and PLACE landscape architects have gone in front of the Design Commission to present a 35-story mixed use building proposed for downtown Portland. The Block 216 tower would include retail, office, hotel, and residential condominium uses, with a 310 stall underground parking garage. The project is being developed by BPM Real Estate Group.

Block 216 | GBD Architects

Read More

Design Commission approves Mixed Income Housing at SW Park & Columbia (images)

The Design Commission has approved a mixed income residential development at SW Park and Columbia. The 7 story building by GBD Architects for developer BPM Real Estate Group will include 73 residential units. One third of the units will be designated as affordable to those earning 80% of area Median Family Income (MFI) or less. Parking for 11 cars and 111 bicycles (including 2 oversize bicycles) will be provided.

Read More

Focus: 33 Affordable Housing Developments Planned for Portland (images)

St Francis Park Apartments

The St Francis Park Apartments, currently under construction in the Central Eastside.

Last December the Portland Housing Bureau delivered its second annual State of Housing Report to the City Council. The report noted the many challenges facing Portland, including that in 2016 “data indicates that housing affordability in Portland in the last year has gotten worse, an issue that is disproportionately impacting low-income residents, Communities of Color, seniors, and individuals with disabilities”. Nonetheless, the report also looked at what the Bureau is doing to address these issues, including: gaining voter-approval of a $258 million Affordable Housing Bond; passage of an Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance; increasing urban renewal funding dedicated to affordable rental housing; and dedicating short-term rental revenue tax to affordable rental housing.

The report listed nearly 1,900 affordable housing units in the production pipeline, split between 33 developments. Next Portland is re-publishing the entire list, along with images and information about the architect / developer where we have it.

Some buildings on the list are exclusively reserved for lower income people, while others include a mix of market rate units and subsidized affordable units. Figures for levels of affordability, expressed as number of units reserved for individuals or families at a percentage of Area Median Income (AMI), are taken from the Housing Bureau Report. Buildings that include market units are only receiving city funding towards the affordable units. Note that this list does not contain any buildings which will be required to provide affordable housing as part of the newly passed Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance (which came into effect this month); any future projects funded through the voter approved affordable housing bond; any developments that are funded without the help of the Portland Housing Bureau; or any developments that have been allocated funding since the publication of the report late last year.

Read More

Under Construction: Broadway Tower (images)

This is an updated version of an article originally published on April 22nd 2016.

Construction is underway on the Broadway Tower, a new mixed use building by GBD Architects for developer BPM Real Estate Group. The 254′-3″ tower will include 180 hotel rooms, located on floors 3 to 8, which will be operated under the Radisson RED brand. 175,000 sq ft of office space will be located on floors 9 to 19. The ground floor will include the hotel and office lobbies, as well as the hotel restaurant and a single retail space. Hotel amenities, including a lounge, conference rooms and fitness room, will be located on the second floor. Four levels of below grade parking will provide space for 210 vehicles and 132 bicycles. At the 17th, 18th and 19th floors exterior decks will be provided for the use of office tenants. The largest of these, at the 18th floor, will include landscaping and will face onto the South Park Blocks.

Broadway Tower

Read More

Broadway Tower goes before Design Commission for advice (images)

GBD Architects have presented their proposed Broadway Tower to the Design Commission at an optional Design Advice Request hearing. The project by developer BPM Real Estate Group will include 170 hotel rooms on 7 floors of the 269′-8″ tall building. Located above the hotel will be 11 office floors, with 200,000 gross sq ft of space. A retail unit will be located at the corner of SW Broadway and Clay St. 320 parking spaces would be provided in 4 levels of underground parking. Roof decks will be provided at levels 17, 18 and 19.

Broadway Tower

Read More

Under Construction: Pearl West (images)

Pearl West, a 230,000 sq ft office building at NW 14th & Irving has been under construction since July. The project is the first new build office building to break ground in the central city since the recession. (Park Avenue West resumed construction in 2013, after being halted in 2009).  The building’s design is a collaboration by THA Architecture and GBD Architects.  The developer is BPM Real Estate.

June 2, 2014 LU 14-137564 DZM HR - Drawings - 01 June 2, 2014 LU 14-137564 DZM HR - Drawings - 02

Read More