Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland articles from December 2008

Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland archives from December 2008

Bathrooms go green at Heathman Hotel in Portland.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Sam Bennett Well before the recession hit, Chris Erickson came up with a savings plan. As general manager of the Heathman Hotel in downtown Portland, Erickson wanted to see the 150-room hotel go green. We wanted to do the...

Guardian Management antismoking czar in Portland helped establish company's strict no-smoking policy.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf It's been nearly a year since Guardian Management, among the city's largest property management companies, instituted its no-smoking policy at all 12,000 of its rental units throughout the West Coast, and the policy has...

Portland contractor won't let soft soil slow down school project in Southwest Washington.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga General contractor Triplett Wellman wasn't about to let a situation of soft soil slow down work on a new elementary school for the Evergreen School District in Vancouver, Wash. Although the soil condition...

Oregon-based B.U.L.L. Session gives donations totaling $375,000.
December 1, 2008... Byline: Daily Journal of Commerce Staff Report Nine nonprofit groups dedicated to helping kids will themselves receive a helping hand today. Members of B.U.L.L. Session will be at Providence Child Center this morning handing out...

Schwabe adds Anthony Burrell to intellectual property group in Portland office.
December 1, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt has hired Anthony Burrell to its intellectual property practice group in its Portland office. Burrell is experienced is patent preparation/prosecution, due diligence analysis and...

Frause promotes Matt Smedley to senior account executive in its Portland office.
December 1, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Frause has promoted Matt Smedley to senior account executive in its Portland office and lead of the firm's social media practice group. Smedley previously worked as an account executive at Frause and is...

Jerry Ketel named president of Portland-based Leopold Ketel & Partners.
December 1, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Leopold Ketel & Partners has promoted Jerry Ketel to president, Andrew Reed to creative director and Brian Dixon to associate creative director. Ketel was formerly LKP's creative director and senior partner,...

Request for proposals issued for expansion of Oregon Lottery Headquarters.
December 2, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf The Oregon Lottery Headquarters building in Salem is running out of space. The state of Oregon, acting through the Oregon Lottery Commission, has issued a request for proposals for architectural and engineering...

Portland construction moratorium challenges schedules for contractors.
December 2, 2008... Byline: Sam Bennett Paula Trujillo wouldn't want her company to stand in the way of the holiday shopping season. Trujillo, whose company Island Landscape is planting trees along the Portland transit mall, said retailers need all the help...

University of Oregon professor to discuss ventilation in buildings.
December 2, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report G.Z. Brown, a Philip H. Knight Professor of Architecture at the University of Oregon, will give a presentation on Tuesday, Dec. 9 on natural ventilation in buildings. Brown will discuss the basics of natural...

Oregon OSHA announces video contest for high schoolers.
December 2, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Oregon OSHA is calling on Oregon high school students to create a 30-second public service announcement promoting safety for young workers. All of the student-created videos will be shown at the Laurelhurst...

Clark County green projects receive funding from Washington Dept. of Energy.
December 2, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report The Washington Department of Ecology has awarded more than $5 million to local environmental projects through its Coordinated Prevention Grant program. The department chose 65 projects to fund through a...

Commentary: Destination resorts in Oregon cause a stir.
December 2, 2008... Byline: Jeff Evans Frustrated with what it sees as a diversion from the original intent of Statewide Planning Goal 8, the Department of Land Conservation and Development has proposed a legislative concept that, if enacted, would give DLCD...

Commentary: Separating financial planners from 'wannabes'.
December 2, 2008... Byline: Judith A. McGee With the national presidential election over, speculation begins about how our financial futures will be impacted when the new administration takes charge. The fiasco of the current economic crisis raises awareness...

Auto dealership proposed for six-acre Beaverton property.
December 2, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report A proposal for a new auto dealership in Beaverton will go before the Beaverton Planning Commission and Board of Design Review in January. Car Max Auto Sales has applied to build a new auto sales dealership at...

Tualatin park district moves ahead with planning after bond passes.
December 2, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report The Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District has begun planning for $100 million in new land acquisitions and improvement projects after the passage of Parks Bond Measure 34-156. The $100 million bond...

Washington engineering firm chosen by city of Sherwood for Adams Avenue planning and design.
December 2, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report The city of Sherwood has chosen Vancouver, Wash., engineering firm Harper Houf Peterson Righellis Inc. to assist in concept planning and road design for the Adams Avenue Concept Plan. In 2002, Metro acquired 33...

Director of Architectural Heritage Center in Portland follows passion for historic preservation.
December 3, 2008... Byline: Sam Bennett Mark Granlund is always on the lookout for people who will help fight the good fight, he said. As executive director of the Architectural Heritage Center, Granlund is passionate about historic preservation. He...

Will Green Development Resource Center get another year to serve Portland's Metro region?
December 3, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf At today's Portland City Council meeting, the city will decide whether to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with local counties for the second year of the Green Development Resource Center, a part of the Office...

Students at Oregon-based ACE Academy gain valuable carpentry experience.
December 3, 2008... Byline: Dan Carter Students at the ACE Academy last week picked up construction tools and built walls under the direction of journeymen instructors from the Willamette Carpenters Training Center. The lesson on carpentry focused on the...

Grants available from the city of Portland's Green Investment Fund.
December 3, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Proposals to receive grants from the city of Portland's Green Investment Fund, which provides funding for green building projects, are due Feb. 2, 2009. Commissioner Dan Saltzman announced Monday that the...

King Neighborhood Association in Portland supports streetcar along boulevard.
December 3, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report The King Neighborhood Association has moved to support two new transportation initiatives in its neighborhood, according to minutes from the association's Nov. 12 board meeting. KNA moved to support the...

Oregon State University students put robots to test in competition.
December 3, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Mechanical engineering students at Oregon State University will take a trip to Mars Thursday evening, when they present robot prototypes that simulate retrieval and transportation of rocks on the planet. In the...

PACE Engineers hires Jean Cutter as an engineer in its office in Kirkland, Washington.
December 3, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report PACE Engineers has hired Jean Cutter as an engineer in its Kirkland, Wash., office. Cutter joins the firm's municipal group. She has 14 years of experience in civil and environmental engineering design,...

Wells Fargo promotes Hayley Livesay to manager of its bank in McMinnville.
December 3, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Wells Fargo has promoted Hayley Livesay to manager of its bank at 1335 N.E. Baker St., in McMinnville. Livesay will direct the customer service, sales, professional development and community involvement efforts...

Samuels Yoelin Kantor Seymour & Spinard LLP hires Dal Ponte to work in Portland office.
December 3, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Samuels Yoelin Kantor Seymour & Spinrad LLP has hired Anthony J. Dal Ponte to its Portland law firm. Dal Ponte will practice in the areas of business and commercial transactions, estate planning and...

Experts predict U.S. housing crisis will continue through 2010.
December 4, 2008... Byline: Sam Bennett Although the federal government is taking unprecedented actions to help the U.S. economy, experts who spoke at a forecast meeting on Wednesday said the current recession will continue to have a negative impact on the...

Unico Properties gifts ground-floor space to Portland man to show off his art and the property.
December 4, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf As an artist, Ryan Birkland tries to do things differently. For one, he eschews third-party galleries. The native Portlander who dabbles in painted glass thinks galleries are too political, too elitist and too corrupt....

Building Information Modeling use is rising, according to McGraw-Hill report.
December 4, 2008... Byline: Daily Journal of Commerce Staff The demand for Building Information Modeling is rising among architects, engineers, contractors and owners, according to a report released Tuesday by McGraw-Hill Construction. The Building...

Steel products facility opens in Portland, Or.
December 4, 2008... Byline: Daily Journal of Commerce Staff Macsteel will open a new 100,000-square-foot service center in Portland next spring. The new service center will process and stock carbon, stainless and aluminum flat-rolled and wide-flange beams...

Architects needed for annual Architecture Foundation of Oregon school program.
December 4, 2008... Byline: Daily Journal of Commerce Staff The Architecture Foundation of Oregon still needs seven architects and landscape architects to teach basic architectural concepts to Oregon schoolchildren next spring. The Architects in Schools...

Medical office building continues to rise on Coburg Road in Portland, Or.
December 4, 2008... Byline: Daily Journal of Commerce General contractor John Hyland Construction is hard at work on a new, three-story medical office building at 10 Coburg Road, according to a report by The Register-Guard. Designed by TBG Architecture,...

Keizer City Council decision blocks new transit center.
December 4, 2008... Byline: Daily Journal of Commerce Staff A proposed text amendment that would have allowed the construction of a new transit center at Northeast Chemawa and Bailey roads in Keizer was rejected by Keizer City Council on Monday. The...

University of Oregon architecture professor honored with faculty award.
December 4, 2008... Byline: Daily Journal of Commerce Staff University of Oregon architecture professor Howard Davis was one of 12 faculty members at the university honored recently for research and classroom contributions. The Fund for Faculty Excellence...

Portland-based Geffen Mesher & Co. P.C. hires three.
December 4, 2008... Byline: Daily Journal of Commerce Staff Geffen Mesher & Co. P.C. has hired Kyle Podd, Rebekah Morse and Tina Richards as managers of its client services team. Podd previously spent six years with an international accounting firm and...

Debate over Portland's transportation spending is sure to arise in 2009 legislative session.
December 4, 2008... Byline: Mike Salsgiver In just the past two months, we have seen the world of global finance turned on its head. At the beginning of September, we witnessed one of the most stunning series of collapses in modern financial history:...

Hopes are high for Portland green building policy.
December 5, 2008... Byline: Sam Bennett The city's proposed green building policy may take effect in turbulent economic times, but Realtor Michelle Gila thinks the policy will pay long-term dividends. We look at markets over long periods of time, said...

Portland City Council approves designs for a South Waterfront span over I-5.
December 5, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf If Commissioner Sam Adams has his way, the 660-foot Gibbs Street Pedestrian Bridge project, which would connect the Lair neighborhood to South Waterfront over Interstate 5, will be put on the fast track. The Portland...

Portland seminar had information about combating crimes at construction job sites.
December 5, 2008... Byline: Dan Carter Contractors, police officers, metal recyclers and construction crime prevention experts had a lively presentation and discussion about metal theft and other criminal activities at job sites during an Associated General...

Portland Water Bureau, BDS look to help charities.
December 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Journal of Commerce Staff Two city bureaus will engage in a little friendly competition this month to help needy children and families have a happier holiday. Commissioner Randy Leonard has asked the Portland Water Bureau...

Chemeketa Community College left out of proposed Oregon budget.
December 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Journal of Commerce Staff Chemeketa Community College announced Thursday that it will have to change construction plans at its McMinnville campus, due to a lack of funding for the college in Governor Ted Kulongoski's proposed...

Portland's Green Building Services to host Webinar focused on sustainability, building savings.
December 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Journal of Commerce Staff Green Building Services will host a live Webinar, Benchmarking Buildings Toward LEED-EB OM Certification, from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Wednesday. U.S. Green Building Council faculty member Elaine...

Changes soon for FMLA regulations.
December 5, 2008... Byline: Rich Meneghello After years of waiting, the U.S. Department of Labor recently published new regulations interpreting the Family and Medical Leave Act. The 762 pages of regulations not only address two new forms of military leave...

Portland-based Otak Inc. promotes four.
December 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Journal of Commerce Staff Otak Inc. has promoted planner Dave Siegel and chief financial officer Paul Strassmaier to principal. In addition, it has promoted landscape architect Kate Schwarzler and controller Dominica LoPrete...

Construction is down, but positive perceptions of development are up, says Portland's auditor.
December 9, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf As 2008 winds to a close, the city's development and construction bureaus are generally providing improved services over past years, according to the latest Service Efforts and Accomplishments report by the city...

Northeast Portland home is first in Oregon to be certified LEED platinum.
December 9, 2008... Byline: Sam Bennett In designing a LEED platinum home, Zac Blodget faced a long list of challenges. In a tough economy, some of the obstacles had nothing to do with design. One of the hardest parts was getting the construction funding,...

Spots available for engineering awards dinner in Portland.
December 9, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Reservations are now available for the Engineering Excellence Awards Dinner on Jan. 14, 2009 at the Multnomah Athletic Club Grand Ballroom. Presented by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Oregon,...

AIA Portland to hold continuing education classes.
December 9, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report For architects still looking to catch up on their annual American Institute of Architects Continuing Education requirements, AIA Portland will hold Procrastinators Week from Dec. 9-16. Procrastinators Week will...

Astoria hotel will get ground-floor improvements.
December 9, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report A historic hotel in downtown Astoria will receive several building upgrades thanks to its new owners, according to the Coast River Business Journal. The John Jacob Astor Hotel was purchased last month by Paul...

Applications for Oregon City committee vacancies due Friday.
December 9, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Applications to fill several vacant board and committee positions for the city of Oregon City are due Friday. There are currently seven boards and committees that have vacancies and are accepting applications....

Milwaukie will issue Request For Bids for Spring Park.
December 9, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report The city of Milwaukie on Dec. 15 will issue a Request for Bids for the construction of Spring Park. Spring Park is a 6.87-acre parcel located south of Sparrow Street and west of 19th Avenue in the Island Station...

Volcano observatory won't move to Washington State University's Vancouver campus.
December 9, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Washington State University's Vancouver campus is looking for alternative funding to bring the U.S. Geological Survey's Cascades Volcano Observatory onto its campus, after the university was denied a federal grant...

Commentary: Who will accept the olive branch?
December 9, 2008... Byline: John Killin In his victory speech on election night, President-elect Barack Obama extended an olive branch to those who did not vote for him. In a moment of gracious truth he stated, We are more than a collection of red and blue...

Oregon-based Steele Associates Architects announces that Anderson has passed LEED exam.
December 9, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Steele Associates Architects has announced that Patrice Anderson has passed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design accreditation exam. Anderson joins 11 other staff members at SAA that have become...

Otak Inc. hires Gabe Headrick as project architect in its Lake Oswego office.
December 9, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Otak Inc. has hired Gabe Headrick as a project architect in its Lake Oswego headquarters. Headrick is a licensed architect in Oregon and California. He has 12 years of experience in mixed-use, commercial,...

Bank of Clark County hires Lori L. Wick at its downtown Vancouver office.
December 9, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Bank of Clark County has hired Lori L. Wick as a financial services officer in its new accounts department at its downtown Vancouver office. Wick has 14 years of banking experience, including positions as a...

National law firm of Fisher & Phillips LLP hires Edwin G. Foulke Jr.
December 9, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Fisher & Phillips LLP has hired Edwin G. Foulke Jr. to join its firm. Foulke was previously assistant secretary of labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. At F&P, he will be a partner in...

Stayton-based Emery & Sons Construction poised to modernize Tualatin Valley Highway.
December 10, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf The Oregon Department of Transportation is close to officially announcing the awarded bid for its Tualatin Valley Highway modernization project, which will cost an estimated $30 million. Project workers will reconstruct...

White Stag sign, a Portland icon in Old Town, may change soon.
December 10, 2008... Byline: Sam Bennett To stay lit, the old White Stag sign needs a sponsor. Located atop the White Stag Building in Old Town, the sign is ready for a name change. People don't realize it costs money to run the sign, said Darryl...

Beaverton church is getting new sanctuary and classrooms.
December 10, 2008... Byline: Dan Carter Three-story tilt-up panels are in place as work on a 46,000-square-foot addition to the Village Baptist Church in Beaverton has begun. Additional panels to enclose the building will be chosen next month. The church at...

Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer to speak at National Utility Contractors Association meeting.
December 10, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Congressman Earl Blumenauer will speak at the upcoming meeting for the National Utility Contractors Association of Oregon & Southwest Washington. His presentation, Beyond the Bailout: How We Rebuild and Renew...

Oregonians finish rebuilding efforts in Sri Lanka and Maldives after tsunami.
December 10, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report A four-year effort to rebuild communities in Sri Lanka and Maldives devastated by the 2004 tsunami will come to a close on Dec. 12. Managed by CH2M HILL, the global effort included many Oregon contractors,...

Construction safety conference coming to Bend.(Conference news)
December 10, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Residential and commercial construction workers are invited to attend a daylong safety training seminar in Bend next month. Oregon OSHA will present the Mid-Oregon Construction Safety Summit at the Riverhouse...

Gramor Development files pre-application with Vancouver for Columbia Waterfront project.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf Vancouver's catalytic mixed-use project encompassing 32 acres of Columbia River property officially entered the pre-application phase Tuesday, signaling a step forward for the $1 billion project. Developers for the...

TVA Architects wins health care master plan work in southern Oregon.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Sam Bennett TVA Architects' work for Asante Health System will represent another first for the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. The project will mark the first time a major...

University of Portland engineering building to receive $20M renovation.
December 11, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report The University of Portland's 60-year-old School of Engineering building will receive a remodel and expansion thanks to a $400,000 three-year grant from the Collins Foundation. The building, which will be named...

Grant awarded to Oregon Tradeswomen Inc. will fund girls construction trades program.
December 11, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report A grant recently awarded to Oregon Tradeswomen Inc. will allow 2,000 middle and high school girls to explore careers in the building and highway construction trades. The $20,000 grant comes from the Spirit...

Architectural Heritage Center plans workshops in Portland.
December 11, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report The Architectural Heritage Center will offer two workshops in January that focus on older homes. The first, Lead Paint: How to Safely Work on Older Homes, will be held Jan. 24 from 10-11:30 a.m. Barbara Zeal,...

Commentary: Straightening out Measures 37, 49: A bump in the road for Oregon land use planning.
December 11, 2008... Byline: Edward Sullivan and Carrie Richter Just when Oregon appeared to achieve a level of stability in the Measures 37/49 controversy, a U.S. District Court decision made life much more interesting. Judge Owen Panner, who was for many...

Miyamoto International hires Erwin as project engineer in its Vancouver, Wash., office.
December 11, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Miyamoto International has hired Steve Erwin as a project engineer in its Vancouver, Wash., office. Erwin will be responsible for project design. He has experience in timber and concrete structures, as well as...

Colliers International hires David Rademacher as a senior broker.
December 11, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Colliers International has hired David Rademacher as a senior broker in its Integrated Investment Services sales team. Rademacher has 15 years of multinational corporate sales experience in acquisition and...

ADI Security Inc. in Portland hires Spanovich, Koch.
December 11, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report ADI Security Inc. has hired Gary Alan Spanovich as vice president of marketing and Alexandra Koch as marketing director in its Portland office. Spanovich has experience in transportation infrastructure and was...

Portland-based WebTrends Inc. hires Kaykas-Wolff as vice president of marketing.
December 11, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report WebTrends Inc. has hired Jascha Kaykas-Wolff as vice president of marketing. Kaykas-Wolff previously worked with Alvarez & Marsal Business Consulting LLC as a director and has held several senior management...

Staccato Design in Portland hires Crystal Rocabado.
December 11, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Staccato has hired Crystal Rocabado as director of public relations and social media. Rocabado previously served as brand marketing agent for Creative Artists Agency, where she represented clients such as eBay...

Former Oregon Department of Transportation building becoming a Head Start center.
December 11, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Corvallis general contractor Greenberry Construction is currently converting a former Oregon Department of Transportation station into a Head Start center for Lincoln County. The project will convert the...

Construction slowdown leads to city of Corvallis staff cuts.
December 11, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Lagging construction activity, especially in residential construction, has forced the city of Corvallis Community Development Department to reduce staff in its Development Services Division. The cuts include...

Downtown Eugene site sold to WG Development.
December 11, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Changes are coming to Eugene's downtown with the sale of a site at West 10th Avenue and Charnelton Street. On Nov. 25, Wally Graff of WG Development signed a purchase and sale agreement with Eugene Urban...

Bids go out for Portland-area Fred Meyer projects amid recession.
December 12, 2008... Byline: Justin Carinci Shoppers are keeping Portland-area Fred Meyer stores busy - and company officials plan to keep contractors busy. Four local stores are accepting bids for remodels. General contractors from Fred Meyer's select...

Portland firm helps U.S. agency map river bottoms.
December 12, 2008... Byline: Sam Bennett The cabin of the Theory looks more like a computer room than the inside of a typical 35-foot boat. The port side of the cabin is lined with seven computer screens and a host of other computer hardware. The boat...

Contractors donate tons of food, thousands of dollars to Oregon Food Bank.
December 12, 2008... Byline: Dan Carter Construction workers from the Portland Mall light-rail and Interstate 205 light-rail projects donated thousands of pounds of food and thousands of dollars to the Oregon Food Bank on Thursday. General Contractor Stacy &...

$7M renovation of Hotel Fifty in downtown Portland completed.
December 12, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Coastal Hotel Group has completed a $7 million renovation of Hotel Fifty in downtown Portland. The renovated hotel features a new bistro and bar, 140 new guest rooms, and new interior accents and colors that...

University of Oregon architecture faculty to speak in England.
December 12, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report University of Oregon architecture faculty will give a keynote session at the International Association for the Study of Traditional Environments forum on Saturday in Oxford, England. Architecture professor...

Tree-planting event in Portland needs volunteers.
December 12, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Portland Parks and Recreation will join the Forest Park Conservancy on Saturday to plant 500 native trees and shrubs near Upper Macleay Park, in Portland. The tree-planting event was organized by PPR, FPC and...

Vandalism results in closure of Vancouver park.
December 12, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Significant damage to a Vancouver extreme sports park has led to its temporary closure while repairs take place, according to a report by The Columbian. After graffiti was sprayed over some of the Pacific...