Brokers/Energy Trust/Theater Redevelopment

Green Broker Program Offered To Real Estate Agents

Portland Green building does not happen at just the design level. Those who facilitate the use and sale of green buildings must also be able to speak the language of “green.” To address this need, the Cascadia Region Green Building Council and the Commercial Brokers Association (CBA) is venturing together on an initiative called Certified Green Broker®. Geared towards the commercial real estate and finance communities, Green Broker® will introduce brokers and other commercial real estate service providers to practices of marketing, financing, leasing and selling of green buildings.

“Sustainability has become a fundamental issue for the bottom line of commercial real estate, which will impact property values, leasing rates and practices and employee/tenant satisfaction,” said Tricia Deering, president and CEO of CBA. “A commercial broker who is familiar with green issues will provide the best service to their clients.”

Energy plan to generate Power from dairy waste

Portland- Oregon’s 320 dairy farms could become power generators through the Dairy Power Initiative from Energy Trust of Oregon. Dairy farms that install anaerobic digesters can receive cash incentives to turn manure into biogas, and generate climate-safe electricity.

Energy Trust may also provide funding for feasibility studies. “Installing anaerobic digesters offers many benefits for dairy farmers. Generating renewable power on dairies provides a good opportunity to build the urban-rural relationship, and it could allow dairy farmers to operate in some areas where urban development has encroached,” said Jim Krahn, executive director, Oregon Dairy Farmers Association.

To be eligible for a standard incentive, a digester project must be located on an Oregon dairy farm with a herd of at least 250 animals, use manure only from that farm and be owned by the dairy, not an outside investor. The power generated from
the digester must be sold to the local utility. The digester should employ either standard complete-mix or plug-flow technology to create the biogas.

Westgate Theater Up for Redevelopment

Portland - Urban Renaissance Group, LLC, a Seattle-based real estate investment and development company, and Group Mackenzie, a Pacific Northwest design firm, submitted a bid to redevelop the site of the former Westgate Theater in Beaverton, Ore. To address the development goals, the Urban Renaissance Group development team proposed the development of 222,225 sq ft of Class A office space in a single 17-story tower, which would become the tallest building in Beaverton and all of Washington County. In addition, the proposal calls for 57,000 sq ft of street-level retail space, 144 market-rate apartments in two separate buildings, and 738 structured
and grade-level parking spaces.