Sustainable Projects Receive Grants

The city of Portland and Energy Trust of Oregon, Inc., announced that fourteen building projects will receive a combined total of $500,000 in grants from the new Green Investment Fund (GIF), a five-year, $2.5 million grant fund.

The GIF is a competitive grant program that funds projects designed and built to meet aggressive and integrated resource conservation goals. A partnership between the City of Portland Office of Sustainable Development, Water Bureau, Bureau of Environmental Services and The Energy Trust of Oregon; the GIF recognizes project innovation in waste and toxins reduction, water conservation, on-site storm-water management and reuse, energy conservation and on-site renewable energy.

The 2005 grantees represent a broad diversity of project types, from single-family residences to urban multi-family affordable housing, to large-scale commercial and industrial developments. Grant amounts range from $3,300 to $88,000.

ReBuilding Center Largest Outlet for Reusable Materials

Portland -- Now the largest center for reusable building materials in the country, The ReBuilding Center celebrates its seventh year anniversary and the completion of two new warehouses.

The ReBuilding Center has doubled the size of its existing warehouse. Permanent parts of the façade for the largest used building materials facility in the country are made from community donations. Two buildings covering over 28,000-sq.-ft. are covered with used windows, doors, siding, lumber and miscellaneous hardware

The ReBuilding Center's warehouses include the first commercially zoned building code-approved earthen masonry in Oregon.

Peterson Machinery Opens in Eugene

Peterson Machinery has opened a Eugene store. The Cat Rental Store rents a full range of late model, low-hour brand name equipment and contractor's tools for the landscaping, excavation, and building trades. Its rental inventory includes skid steer loaders, mini excavators, wheel loaders, generators, light towers, water trucks, traffic message boards, automatic flaggers, pressure washers, scissor lifts, welders, and other contractor's equipment and supplies. Equipment and supplies from The Cat Rental Store are available for short or long-term rental or for sale. Delivery service is available directly to the job site. Peterson Machinery Co. has been family-owned for 70 years. They own and operate The Cat Rental Store in Central and Southern Oregon with stores in Eugene, Medford, and Redmond.

Gray Purcell Nabs Two Projects

Gray Purcell, Inc., a commercial general contractor, has started construction on the $2.9 Million Thurman Street Lofts in Portland, Ore. Work on the 25,910-sq.-ft. condominium project is expected to finish this winter. Developers Patrick Kessi and Geoff Wenker of W&K Development chose Holst Architecture and Froelich Consulting Engineers to provide design services. Gray Purcell's Alan Fong is serving as project manager, and Carlo Zeppetella will assist him as project superintendent.

The four-story building includes 16 loft condos on the upper three levels and 5,000-sq.-feet of retail space on the ground level. The hallmark is innovative use of materials: 10- or 11-foot exposed beam ceilings, cork floors, hydronic radiant heating systems, IPE siding, and Brazilian walnut decking.

The main construction challenge, common in dense urban areas, is a boxed-in building lot. There are residences on three sides, and power lines (which had to be removed) in front. Additionally, easements needed to be obtained from all the neighbors for over-excavation of the site. Work on the $1 million tenant improvement project was completed on a fast-track 60-calendar- day schedule. The retailer is moving just across the street to the new mall from their previous location on Southwest 72nd Avenue.

Ethos Opens in Medford

Medford - Ethos Development, Inc., a Portland-based program, project and construction management firm, has opened an office in Medford as it partners with Providence Health System to expand the Providence Medford Medical Center.

Ethos is helping Providence expand its Medford facilities to serve a growing population in Jackson and Josephine counties. Providence has embarked on construction that will result in enhanced emergency services, a new outpatient surgery center, a pair of medical office buildings and additional parking.

Parr Lumber Moves East

Hillsboro - Parr Lumber Co. opens the doors to a new lumberyard in Klamath Falls. Over the previous two years there has been a heightened interest in the Klamath market. As development increased, Parr's Klamath-based customers were served by the Parr Lumber location in Medford. While building lumber packages for contractors is the mainstay of the business, Parr Lumber - Klamath Falls will also offer truss packages with designs and measuring being done by the truss designers from the Parr - Medford location.

Parr Lumber marks its 75th year in business this year. Ranked as the 23rd largest building materials supplier in the United States, Parr Lumber continues to provide a wide variety of lumber and building products to the 25 Oregon and Southwest Washington communities it serves.

Drake Design Forms Firm

Drake Design Group, a newly formed affiliate of Brooks Resources Corp., brings together more than 60 years of expertise in landscape architecture and design that spans the residential, commercial, recreational, governmental and institutional arenas. Formed through the partnership of landscape architect Andrew Vincent and local designers Ron Kidder and Sean Stroup, Drake Design Group will make environmentally sound practices the cornerstone of its business.

The company offers a wide range of services including:

• Site, recreational and land use planning
• Design process and facilitation
• Research, visioning, construction and project management
• Finish grading, landscape fixtures, lighting, furnishings, water features, planting and irrigation

Telcom Project Completed

Central Point - Hunter Communications, announced the completion of a fiber-based, high-speed data and telecommunications backbone infrastructure for Klamath County and Klamath Falls schools that will increase communication speeds up to 1,000 times while saving money.

The 18-school installation, over two Klamath districts, took Hunter Communications seven months to complete.

Founded in 1992, Hunter Communications provides local area networks, wide area networks, and everything in between to businesses, governments and agencies like the Veteran's Domiciliary.