Renovations Highlight Portland Construction Market

Last year about this time, Portland’s condo boom crashed. Now the market is full renovation, small infill projects and a transit line extension that prepare the city for new life.

By Amy Rose Davis

The Edith Green Federal Building will receive an energy makeover, funded with stimulus dollars.

Alberta Mercantile, 1400 NE Alberta St., Portland

Developer Fowler Andrews LLC of Lake Oswego, Ore., is currently completing renovations on the former Arthur Cole Candy Co. building in Northeast Portland. When completed, the building will house six live/work units and five retail spaces under the name of Alberta Mercantile.

Designed by Valaster Corl Architects and renovated by Bremik Construction, both of Portland, the existing 7,000 sq ft concrete-tilt building has been remodeled to take advantage of the vibrant Alberta Arts District. The construction plan included some demolition in the center of the building to create a courtyard space. The redesign includes four large retail spaces fronting Alberta Street and one fronting 14th Avenue.

The remaining building space has been converted into six live/work spaces. The entire project cost is estimated at approximately $2.5 million.

The building is unique in the Portland live/work space market, says developer Brad Fowler. “The live/work model has evolved largely around the Pearl District with units that are for sale,” he says. “These are rental units.”

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Urban Works Real Estate is the leasing company representing the building. Three of the five retail units include mezzanine space that can be used for office space or residential amenities. While the project is not pursuing LEED certifications, Fowler says that sustainability is a consideration on the project. The renovations have included maintaining the existing roof structure and installation of a membrane that will be rated for solar panels if the decision is made to install them.

The project will be done in November.

Edith Green-Wendall Wyatt Federal Building, Third Avenue, Portland

The $133-million remodel of the Edith Green-Wendall Wyatt Federal Building will soon bring welcome economic activity to the Portland area.

The South Terminus uses renewable energy as its sole source. (Image courtesy of Henneberry Eddy)

Originally envisioned and discussed approximately two years ago, the project on the 34-year-old building was put on hold when the General Services Administration could not secure funding. With funding now secure through the American Investment and Recovery Act, the GSA is pursuing design and beginning the contractor selection process.

Ross Buffington, communications specialist with the GSA, says that the it is working with SERA Architects of Portland to refine the project scope. Approximately 500,000 sq ft of space is targeted for remodeling, and construction could begin as early as July. “This project will meet the goals of the recovery act,” says Buffington, citing goals of converting the building to a green building and creating significant jobs in the local economy.

Contractors interested in pursuing work on the project can find RFP information at www.fedbizopps.gov.

The Allison Inn and Spa, Newberg

Located on 35 acres in the Willamette Valley just south of Portland, the recently completed Allison Inn & Spa is bringing the luxury getaway experience to Oregon’s Wine Country.

The 155,000 sq ft structure features 85 guest rooms on four levels, a 15,000 sq ft spa and 6,000 sq ft restaurant and bar. The facility also offers meeting rooms and catering venues, including a formal ballroom. Owned and developed by Springbrook Properties of Newberg, Ore., the inn is located within a 450-acre, multi-use development that will eventually include 1,200 homesites and a retail village.

The project was designed by GGLO architects of Portland; general contracting services were performed by Lease Crutcher Lewis of Portland.

The owners have not disclosed the construction budget. The entire project is privately financed.

Sitework on the project began in late summer 2008, and construction began in early 2009, says Tony Church, senior project manager at Lease Crutcher Lewis. The project opened in September.

The project is aiming for LEED certification and has pursued a number of sustainable initiatives, including solar hot water, photovoltaic cells that generate 7% of the facility’s power and a partial green roof. The site also features flower and herb gardens, tree groves and 5 acres of pinot noir vineyards.

NuMiss, North Mississippi Avenue, Portland

NuMiss is bringing approximately 19,000 sq ft of retail and office space to the historic Mississippi Conservation District of North Portland.

The construction budget on the new, mixed-use, high-performance building was approximately $2.3 million. It was completed in September.

Skyward Construction of Ridgefield, Wash., served as general contractor and Surround Architecture Inc. of Portland was the architect. The property is owned by BCMC Properties of Portland.

Erik Matthews, executive director at Surround Architecture, says that market research in the area suggested that the community needed small, turn-key office spaces. “These offices are move-in ready,” he adds.

The building offers a variety of offices varying from less than 500 sq ft to nearly 1,000 sq ft. About one third of the building is ground-level retail space.

The building is aiming for LEED platinum certification. A 5 KW solar array should reduce the building’s electric bills by approximately 10 to 15%, Matthews says. The building will also use the solar energy to provide electricity for electric vehicle charging stations.

Rainwater reclamation also features prominently in the building’s design and will reduce overflow to the city’s combined sewer overflow system.

TriMet South Terminus, Portland

The south end of TriMet’s new Green Line in Portland will be pulling double duty when it opens, serving as the turnaround, staging area, substation and signals and communication building for the line and also showcasing the potential of green design and energy.

The Wilamette Valley wine country now has a luxury spa.

Known as the South Terminus, the project is being designed by Hennebery Eddy Architects of Portland; Stacy Witbeck Inc., also of Portland, is serving as the general contractor. Lango Hansen of Portland is the landscape architect, and Bill Will, also of Portland, is the public artist. The project budget has not been finalized.

David Wark, associate with Hennebery Eddy and the lead designer on the project, says one of the key design goals was to make the site a clear portal into and out of the downtown core area.

“This project is just a continuation of Portland’s commitment to a high level of design for transit,” he says. The project is located near Portland State University and the Interstate 405 ramps into and out of the city.

The site will include 22 wind turbines and a 50 KW solar panel array that combined will generate all of the power necessary to operate the terminus, excluding electricity required by the MAX trains.

The wind turbines are being supplied by Oregon Wind of Portland.

The site also incorporated recycled granite for pervious paving and a significant retention pond so that all storm water runoff will remain onsite.

Construction on the South Terminus structure is scheduled for completion by the end of this year.

Portland River Plan, Portland

The city of Portland is continuing the process of updating the Willamette Greenway Plan. The Portland River Plan is the first update in more than 20 years and is designed to guide actions and development along the Willamette River in the future.

The first phase of the River Plan focuses on the area known as the North Reach, which extends from the confluence of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers to the Broadway and Fremont Bridges. The plan for the North Reach includes several key elements, including development focused on increasing economic prosperity and revitalizing riverfront communities.

The River Concept was originally endorsed by the Portland City Council in 2006. A proposed plan for the North Reach was drafted over two years with input from property owners, interest groups, agency representatives and the general public.

The most recent version of the River Plan was submitted to the Planning Commission in June. Current plans are to submit a final draft of the plan to the Portland City Council for public hearing and adoption. A hearing date to review the plan is scheduled with the City Council for mid-November.

“The plan includes a long list of proposed investments,” says Sallie Edmunds, River Plan manager with the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability.

Plans include widening Interstate 5 at Delta Park and improving access along I-5 from I-84 to North Greeley Avenue, constructing a new bridge to Hayden Island and deepening the Columbia River Channel. A complete list of proposed projects can be found at www.portlandonline.com/bps.