Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland articles from January 2009

Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland archives from January 2009

Ron Paul targets Multnomah County property for Portland Public Market.
January 2, 2009... Byline: Tyler Graf For the last four years, the idea of a public market in Portland has remained as deflated as an unleavened souffle. But that hasn't been due to the tireless efforts of restaurateur and former city employee Ron Paul. ...

Plan is for green South Waterfront park in Portland.
January 2, 2009... Byline: Justin Carinci Five years ago, the flat piece of land between Southwest Moody and Bond avenues looked unremarkable in the nascent South Waterfront District. Now, surrounded by towering buildings, the grassy parcel is a receptacle...

An uh-oh in downtown Portland: Washington Street, 12th Avenue closed as a result of accident.
January 2, 2009... Byline: Tyler Graf A Hoffman Construction worker stands Wednesday outside the line at the site of an accident where the 12W building is being built at Southwest 12th Avenue and Washington Street. Nobody was hurt, according to general...

Portland parks bureau seeks input on revised budget.
January 2, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Portland Parks and Recreation will unveil its newly prepared budget for 2009-2010 at a community information meeting on Jan. 10. Parks is currently seeking $2.9 million in efficiencies, revenue increases and program...

Multnomah County's Central Library's new eco-roof will be featured in tours.
January 2, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff The public will be able to take a peek at the newly installed eco-roof atop Multnomah County's Central Library in downtown during a tour on Jan. 10. Snyder Roofing of Oregon installed the $180,000 eco-roof over...

Portland workshop will focus on home weatherization.
January 2, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff The Community Energy Project will hold a home weatherization workshop at the North Portland Tool Library on Saturday. The workshop will show participants easy ways to reduce home energy use and demonstrate how to install...

Commentary: Five steps to keep layoffs legal.
January 2, 2009... Byline: Rich Meneghello Whether you call it a reduction in force (RIF), a mass layoff, rightsizing or a scale back, letting go of employees is never an easy move. Besides the emotional strain and negative impact on morale that accompanies...

Portland-area Metro rolls out new construction recycling program.
January 5, 2009... Byline: Tyler Graf As the new year begins, so too does a new Metro-initiated dry waste recovery program for contractors. The new requirements, called the Enhanced Dry Waste Recovery Program, require all recyclable construction...

Portland wins award for in-depth survey.
January 5, 2009... Byline: Sam Bennett The city of Portland has long been recognized for its innovative land use planning. But a recent award from the American Planning Association recognizes the city's similarly innovative method of finding out what...

Bids deadline for Portland's South Waterfront park extended.
January 5, 2009... Byline: Justin Carinci The deadline for bids on South Waterfront Neighborhood Park improvements has been extended one week to Jan. 15. The project consists of building a two-block park in the South Waterfront District, bordered by...

Vanport Square in Northeast Portland certified LEED gold by U.S. GBC.
January 5, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff The first phase of the Vanport Square development in Northeast Portland has been designated as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold by the U.S. Green Building Council. Developed by Vanport Partners LLC, the...

Firm ranks Portland as No. 10 apartment market.
January 5, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff A recent report released by Marcus & Millichap Research Services ranked Portland as 10th in the nation in terms of apartment markets. This is the second year that Portland has landed at No. 10 on the National...

Work takes Oregon geotechnical engineer to Egypt, Israel, Sri Lanka.
January 6, 2009... Byline: Sam Bennett When he was in college, Rick Robertson got the travel bug. I wanted to see what else is out there, said Robertson, a native Oregonian. For the better part of the last 21 years, Robertson has lived out his dream to...

Machine Works office building in Pearl District is nearing completion.
January 6, 2009... Byline: Dan Carter Machine Works in Northwest Portland will soon be ready for business. Class A office space on the top four floors is ready for tenants and the two-story LA Fitness will be ready for customers this week. The project at...

Adamson leaves Associated General Contractors Oregon-Columbia Chapter to join senator-elect's staff.
January 6, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Reports After nine and a half years with the Associated General Contractors Oregon-Columbia Chapter, public affairs director Jessica Adamson has decided to leave her post. Adamson announced Monday that she will be...

Environmental experts chosen for Oregon Built Environment and Sustainable Technologies Center.
January 6, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Reports The Oregon Built Environment and Sustainable Technologies Center has tapped a former Port of Portland employee and the president of Mater Engineering in Corvallis for its leadership team. Oregon BEST is an...

American Society of Civil Engineers meeting in Portland to focus on how to help Everglades.
January 6, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Reports The restoration of the remaining Florida Everglades ecosystem will be the topic of January's American Society of Civil Engineers meeting on Jan. 20. The Everglades once encompassed 3 million acres. Now, after...

Temporary fire station requested during Beaverton project.
January 6, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Reports In preparation for the redesign of the Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue Station 53 in Beaverton, Angelo Planning Group has requested a permit to locate a temporary fire station off-site during the station's...

Sherwood starts taking more in-depth look at 300-acre site.
January 6, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Reports The city of Sherwood is beginning the conceptual planning process for 300 acres of land east of its current city limits. Named Area 48, the land was brought into Sherwood's Urban Growth Boundary as...

Wilsonville may soon get 84-unit senior housing project.
January 6, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Reports An $11.4 million senior housing project has been proposed in Wilsonville, according to a report by the Wilsonville Spokesman. The 84-unit Creekside Wood project was developed by Northwest Housing Alternatives...

Bids being accepted for new fire station in Vancouver.
January 6, 2009... Byline: Justin Carinci The rapidly growing eastern part of Vancouver, Wash., will get a new fire station. The city of Vancouver put out a call for bids Dec. 30 for what will become Station 810. The city will hold a pre-bid meeting at 9...

Oregon's Land Use Board of Appeals decision doesn't help River District development.
January 7, 2009... Byline: Tyler Graf Oregon's Land Use Board of Appeals ruled last week that the Portland Development Commission can move forward with its plans for a satellite expansion of its River District urban renewal area. But what does that mean...

Overall construction spending drops just 0.6 percent in November.
January 7, 2009... Byline: Justin Carinci Construction spending numbers for November suggest that the recession hasn't hit the industry as hard as some expected, despite the slowdown in residential construction. The federal Commerce Department on Monday...

Controversy surrounds Sellwood Bridge replacement.
January 7, 2009... Byline: Tyler Graf After two and a half years of meetings, studies and discussions, the Sellwood Bridge Advisory Group is gearing up to make its final recommendation about the replacement of the current bridge. Members of the advisory...

Donations given for new Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette center.
January 7, 2009... Byline: Nathalie Weinstein Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette has raised 75 percent of its $12.5 million construction budget for its new Regional Service Center in Portland. The nonprofit, family planning and reproductive rights...

Oregonians are concerned about water, survey says.
January 7, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Reports Oregon's water supply and water infrastructure concern many Oregonians, according to a recent survey performed by Oregon State University. The university's Institute for Water and Watersheds surveyed 301...

Oregon focuses on community for its 150th birthday.
January 7, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Reports Oregon will celebrate its 150th birthday in February, and to celebrate, Oregon 150, a nonprofit in charge of Oregon's sesquicentennial, is asking individuals and businesses to give back to the state during May....

Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects in Portland keeps score on building performance.
January 8, 2009... Byline: Sam Bennett To ensure that a building is living up to its promises, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects keeps a scorecard. ZGF, working with the University of California, Berkeley, last year queried occupants in several buildings...

Architect visits Portland: Arizona architect seeks blend of pragmatism, poetry.
January 8, 2009... Byline: Sam Bennett On a recent visit to Portland, Arizona architect Will Bruder showed his son the light. Bruder helped redesign his son's Portland home by using white Venetian plaster to make the most of the little natural light...

Expansion project continues at credit union in Newberg.
January 8, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Newberg's Rivermark Community Credit Union is currently undergoing an addition and remodel.The remodel of the credit union, located at 2502 Portland Road, will add 1,000 square feet to the branch's footprint, including...

Oregon-Columbia chapter of National Electrical Contractors Association introduces officers for 2009.
January 8, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff A new group of leaders have been elected by the Oregon-Columbia chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association. The new officers were inducted at a recent commemorative ceremony. Stan Heil of Heil Electric...

SMPS roundtable topic in Portland: AEC work in the public sector.
January 8, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Upcoming opportunities for commercial architecture, engineering and construction work in the Northwest's public sector will be discussed at a meeting of the Oregon chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional...

Interactive fountain donated to Salem's Riverfront Park.
January 8, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff A new fountain will be installed in Salem's Riverfront Park thanks to a donation by a Salem resident. The Tokarski family recently donated an interactive spray fountain, valued at $150,000, to the city of Salem....

Albany Municipal Court scheduled for renovation.
January 8, 2009... Byline: DJC staff Construction bids are due Tuesday for the renovation of the Albany Municipal Court. The project consists of a one-story remodel and addition to a 992-square-foot building. Specific work will include selective demolition,...

Junction City cemetery gains historic status.
January 8, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff A cemetery containing the remains of Danish emigrants who settled in Junction City in 1902 has been named an Oregon State Historic Cemetery, according to a report by the Tri-County News. The Danish Cemetery was...

Helland rejoins SCS Engineers in Portland.
January 8, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff SCS Engineers has announced that Gregory D. Helland has rejoined the firm's Bellevue, Wash., office, where he will serve as vice president and office director of the firm's Northwest operations. Helland is a licensed...

Schmidt appointed to Girls Inc. of Northwest Oregon board.
January 8, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Girls Inc. of Northwest Oregon has appointed Jennifer Schmidt to its board of directors. Schmidt is the chief executive officer and co-owner of A&I Benefit Plan Administrators Inc. After joining the company in 1985,...

GreenWorks Landscape Architecture in Portland hires Senos.
January 8, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff GreenWorks Landscape Architecture has hired Rene Senos as a senior landscape architect. Senos has 20 years of experience in landscape architecture, environmental planning and design, horticulture and community...

Commentary: Firms need to get back to basics.
January 8, 2009... Byline: Mike Salsgiver As much of the Pacific Northwest digs itself out of its most serious snow/ice storm in 40 years, it seems appropriate to look at ways to dig out of the financial storm we're in now. As the economy continues to...

GBD Architects Inc. in Portland promotes Rupert.
January 8, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff GBD Architects Inc. has promoted Steve Rupert to associate. Rupert, who joined the firm in 2004, has a background in single- and multifamily housing, assisted living, retail, K-12 schools, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife...

Seattle firm lands $5 billion federal energy contract.
January 9, 2009... Byline: Justin Carinci Seattle-based mechanical construction and engineering firm McKinstry Co. has been awarded a federal Energy Department contract worth up to $5 billion over the next decade. McKinstry employs approximately 190 people...

City of Vancouver engineer helps rebuild homeland.
January 9, 2009... Byline: Sam Bennett As a full-time engineer with the city of Vancouver's Transportation Department, Ahmad Qayoumi had to work fast to make a difference in Afghanistan. Between 2004 and 2007, Qayoumi made six trips to Afghanistan's...

University presidents push Gov. Kulongoski's education budget.
January 9, 2009... Byline: Tyler Graf The presidents of four state universities are joining forces and ramping up their efforts to convince legislators to pass Gov. Ted Kulongoski's ambitious education budget. Wim Wiewal of Portland State University,...

Vernonia health clinic gets shrink-wrap treatment.
January 9, 2009... Byline: Justin Carinci After the late-2007 flood nearly wiped out Vernonia's only health clinic, officials at Providence Medical Group were determined not to let it happen again. Should Rock Creek flood its banks, the clinic was ready -...

Architectural firm to install Ladd cast iron collection into Skidmore/Old Town Historic District.
January 9, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Reports Thomas Hacker Architects will present a plan to the Historic Landmarks Commission Jan. 26, to install artifacts from the Eric Ladd Cast Iron Collection into the Skidmore/Old Town Historic District. In 1954,...

Oregon Bureau of Development Services will roll out new home building grant this spring.
January 9, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Reports The Bureau of Development Services this spring will issue grants to home builders who construct two homes that perform above the energy efficiency level of the 2008 Oregon Energy Codes standards. The first...

American Institute of Architects Portland seminar to look at strategies for green building.
January 9, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Reports Business strategies for making green building an attractive opportunity for mainstream developers, institutions and building operators will be the topic of a continuing education class at the American Institute of...

Commentary: This FMLA case is a tearjerker.
January 9, 2009... Byline: Elizabeth A. Semler A recent case out of the Federal District Court in Missouri emphasizes that it is the employer's responsibility to ask questions and request information to determine if an employee is entitled to leave under the...

Construction forecast is predictably dismal.
January 12, 2009... Byline: Justin Carinci As a word, bleak only begins to describe the outlook outlined in the Associated General Contractors of America's 2009 construction forecast. According to the forecast, released Thursday, two-thirds of nonresidential...

Proposed legislation for refining Oregon land-use plan is nearly ready.
January 12, 2009... Byline: Melody Finnemore After three years of reviewing Oregon's land-use plan, the Big Look Task Force on Friday will assemble in Salem for its final meeting to put the finishing touches on proposed legislation it hopes will help make the...

Two Oregon State University professors earn Fellow status in engineering group.
January 12, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Reports Two professors from Oregon State University's School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences have been named Fellows by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. Annette von Jouanne, the...

Attorneys join Northwest law firm Miller Nash.
January 12, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Reports Northwest law firm Miller Nash LLP has welcomed attorneys and staff from Newcomb, Sabin, Schwartz and Landsverk LLP, effective Jan. 1. The latter's attorneys and staff will work in Miller Nash's Portland office at...

Commentary: Will it get worse before it gets better?
January 12, 2009... Byline: William Rutherford The final opera in Wagner's epic Ring Cycle is called Gotterdammerung (Twilight of the Gods). In the final scene of the opera, Wotan, the head god, followed by the lesser gods, ascends into Valhalla; as they do...

Law firm's exit may mean green changes for Standard Building in Portland.
January 13, 2009... Byline: Tyler Graf In two and a half years, law firm Stoel Rives will move out of its 10 floors of office space at the Standard Building at 900 S.W. Fifth Ave., which the company has leased since it was built, and move into the Park Avenue...

Clackamas County to get two new bridges across Tualatin River.
January 13, 2009... Byline: Justin Carinci Wildish Standard Paving of Eugene was the lowest bidder on a project to replace two aging Tualatin River bridges in Clackamas County: the Fields Bridge, which crosses the river near Fields Bridge Park in West Linn;...

Portland Development Commission storefront program extends to Northeast area.
January 13, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Reports The Portland Development Commission's Storefront Improvement Program will now include commercial properties along Sandy Boulevard between Northeast 57th and 82nd avenues. Sandy's International District,...

Oregon State University lecture series on sustainable forestry planned.
January 13, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Reports Oregon State University will hold three lectures this winter on issues relating to sustainable forestry. The lecture series, Sustaining Forests, Homes and Communities, will cover topics such as forest...

Oregon University funding aids development of energy products.
January 13, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Reports Two energy-saving innovations have been funded by the University of Oregon's University Venture Development Fund. The fund is a tax-incentive program created in 2007 by the Oregon Legislature to help state...

Beaverton may alter code for emergency shelters.
January 13, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Reports The city of Beaverton is currently working to add an exemption to its development code that would allow certain buildings to act as emergency shelters in times of severe weather. The city's proposal would...

Gresham's Center for the Arts Plaza artist to talk about public art.
January 13, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Reports The artist chosen to create art elements for Gresham's Center for the Arts Plaza will be at the 4th Street Brewing Company on Jan. 28 to discuss her work in public art. Claudia Fitch was awarded $175,000 to...

New buildings in Wilsonville are dropping in value.
January 13, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Reports The values of newly constructed buildings in Wilsonville are declining, according to a report by the Wilsonville Spokesman. The city's building department recently released a valuation summary that said that...

Commentary: In 2009, it's about bang for the buck.
January 13, 2009... Byline: John Killin Most economists are not expressing rosy growth projections or job growth this year. That is especially the case in construction. One major objective for business leaders in 2009 will surely be to add value to...

PGE, critics clash over proposed Louisiana state DEQ rules.
January 14, 2009... Byline: Justin Carinci To critics of PGE's coal-fired power plant in Boardman, the choice is clear: shut the plant and switch to a cleaner alternative. To PGE, however, the future looks hazier. The final public hearing on new state...

Tunnel to replace Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle.
January 14, 2009... Byline: Sam Bennett Construction on a deep bored tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct on Seattle's downtown waterfront is scheduled to begin in 2011. Gov. Chris Gregoire, joined by city and county officials, announced Tuesday...

Long-delayed Fairview road project will start soon: Multnomah County will widen Northeast 223rd Ave.
January 14, 2009... Byline: Tyler Graf When Northeast 223rd Avenue in Fairview was constructed, Woodrow Wilson was president. What sufficed as an arterial road in 1915, however, doesn't cut it in 2009. Now, after more than two decades of funding setbacks,...

Portland parks department, Clackamas firm aid Northwest College of Construction training.
January 14, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Report The Northwest College of Construction has gained three new training sites - in Portland, Clackamas and Molalla - thanks to partnerships with Portland Parks and Recreation and Emmert International. The new sites...

Architectural Heritage Center is creating list of favorite Portland buildings.
January 14, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Report The Architectural Heritage Center wants to know your 10 favorite Portland buildings. As part of Oregon's sesquicentennial celebration, the AHC is asking Portlanders to e-mail a list of their top 10 Portland...

Transportation up next for Portland's South Waterfront series.
January 14, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Report Sustainable transportation will be the topic at tonight's South Waterfront Sustainability Speaker Series discussion. South Waterfront Community Relations will play host to the event, which will go over...

Portlanders on the Move: January 14, 2009.
January 14, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff C&R Real Estate Services Co. hires Floberg C&R Real Estate Services Co. has hired Erik Floberg as a senior associate broker. Floberg is an experienced commercial real estate appraiser, and is also experienced in...

Portland's Interface Engineering: White Stag Block renovation.
January 15, 2009... Byline: Sam Bennett For Interface Engineering, the White Stag Block was no run-of-the-mill renovation. Interface, which won an ACEC Grand Award for the White Stag Block project, faced the challenge of designing modern, energy-efficient...

Plan in development to manage Corvallis' city trees.
January 15, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Corvallis Parks & Recreation is currently developing a 20-year plan to manage its urban forests. It would be the city's first Urban Forestry Management Plan, and would provide policy and management framework on issues...

Willamette Valley residential market suffered in 2008.
January 15, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Year-end statistics from the Willamette Valley Multiple Listing Service and building permit numbers show a sluggish residential market in the Willamette Valley during 2008, according to a report by the Statesman Journal....

Portland City Council scraps cap for TOD tax abatements.
January 15, 2009... Byline: Tyler Graf It just got easier for developers to earn tax abatements for their projects along transit corridors. The City Council on Wednesday passed a resolution that would create further incentives for transit oriented...

Q&A with Oregon State Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian.
January 16, 2009... Byline: Justin Carinci State Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian, head of the Bureau of Labor and Industries, was sworn in to a four-year term during a quiet ceremony Jan. 7 at the bureau's Portland headquarters. Avakian was elected in...

Oregon layoffs lead young architects to launch new firm Cohesion.
January 16, 2009... Byline: Sam Bennett For the last couple of months, Shawn O'Donahue and a group of architects casually bounced around the idea of working together. They had the experience and the synergy, but were gainfully employed with other firms....

Regional committee submits a wish list to Portland Metro for transportation projects.
January 16, 2009... Byline: Tyler Graf In the coming months, Metro will ask the federal government for more than $1 billion in transportation funding to help pay for dozens of major regional projects such as the Columbia River Crossing, Sellwood Bridge and...

Gov. Kulongoski plans to appeal federal Bradwood decision.
January 16, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Reports Gov. Ted Kulongoski on Thursday announced his intention to request that the U.S. Court of Appeals review a decision by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to license a liquefied natural gas terminal in...

Oregon's Academy for Architecture, Construction and Engineering completes its first semester.
January 16, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Reports The Academy for Architecture, Construction and Engineering will complete its first term this month. Classes began in September 2008 for the public charter school, which provides academic and technical education...

Green business lecture scheduled for Jan. 29 at Oregon State University.
January 16, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Reports Martin Tobias of Kashless Inc. will be on Oregon State University's Corvallis campus on Jan. 29, to give a lecture on fostering a green business. In Building a Green Business: Lessons and Opportunities Tobias...

Commentary: Don't delay learning about discovery.
January 16, 2009... Byline: Karl F. Oles When the economy slows, lawyers know that transactional work decreases and litigation increases. With fewer profitable deals available, businesses may focus on extracting additional value from past deals through...

Proposed city ordinance would prioritize local contractors in Portland's bidding process.
January 20, 2009... Byline: Tyler Graf There may be changes to the way the city awards contracts, officials said last week at the formal kickoff for the Portland is Better Together initiative at the Oregon Food Bank. Namely, a proposed ordinance would...

New Happy Valley City Hall reflects city's style.
January 20, 2009... Byline: Sam Bennett Happy Valley's former city hall had a lot of style. But it wasn't the kind of style that city officials wanted to lead the city into the 21st century. In 2005, the city began planning for a new city hall - one that...

Daily Journal of Commerce unveils 2009 Newsmakers.
January 20, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Reports What do Mayor Sam Adams, developer Art DeMuro and alternative energy entrepreneur Nancy Floyd have in common? All three have made the grade as 2009 Newsmakers, as identified by the Daily Journal of Commerce....

Portland's Kerns area may get five-story mixed-use building.
January 20, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Reports A pre-application conference has been scheduled at the end of the month to hear a proposal for a new five-story mixed-use building in Northeast Portland's Kerns neighborhood. Vallaster and Corl Architects has...