Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland articles from July 2003

Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland archives from July 2003

Portland-based Danmoore Hotel to be rebuilt on Burnside.
July 1, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl After four years of planning, a new, 12-story Danmoore Hotel will soon rise on the corner of West Burnside Street and Northwest Eighth Avenue. The $18.4 million needed to replace the affordable housing facility was...

Steel, glass screens raise $55,000 for pilot program to bring architects into classrooms.
July 2, 2003... Byline: Cody McCullough A pilot program designed to bring local architects into area high school classrooms recently benefited from an auction of glass and steel screens designed by Portland architects and designers, raising $55,000 for...

The Party Place moving to North Portland digs.
July 2, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl The Party Place, a family-run party supply and rental business, will soon leave its digs on Canyon Road in Beaverton for North Portland near Interstate Avenue. In a deal that closed last week, Billy Joe Manning...

Home Builder Assn.'s "Street of New Beginnings" home showcase swings into final weekend.
July 2, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga Although final numbers haven't been tallied yet, the Home Building Association of Metropolitan Portland says turnout has been good for the Street of New Beginnings, a showcase of mid-priced homes located in...

Portland's South Waterfront development agreement available online.
July 3, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl After undergoing months of negotiations between the city, developer Homer Williams and Oregon Health & Science University, the South Waterfront development agreement, all 130 pages of it, was made available to the...

Portland expects arrival of Big Pipe boring machines.
July 3, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga Two massive boring machines that the city of Portland will use to dig a 4-mile underground tunnel for its Big Pipe project are scheduled to arrive today at a Port of Portland marine terminal. For now,...

Expansion on Friendsview Retirement Community in Newberg reaches halfway point.
July 3, 2003... Byline: Cody McCullough After more than a year of construction, Portland-based general contractor Gray Purcell Inc. has reached the halfway point on a $17 million expansion of the Friendsview Retirement Community in Newberg. ...

Developers of Ridgefield, Wash.-based Union Ridge close deals on additional acres.
July 7, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl Developers of Union Ridge, a 330-acre, mixed-use, master-planned project in Ridgefield, Wash., have recently closed deals on two key parcels, totaling 56 acres. The land is located at the southeast corner of...

Renovation to add performance space to Bellevue, Wash.-based arts magnet school.
July 7, 2003... Byline: Rich Riegel A $17.3 million renovation and expansion project now under way at Sammamish High School in Bellevue, Wash., will give the arts magnet school a new 450-seat performing theater, entrance lobby and administration wing. ...

Lake Oswego remodeler builds relationships with customers, wins recognition as top 50 company.
July 7, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga Jeff Metke knows the current boom can't last forever. State land-use laws have clamped down on the amount of land available for new development and forced many residents in recent years to bypass buying new...

RFP for downtown site allowing extra time.
July 8, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl The Portland Development Commission is looking far and wide for a developer to build high-density housing on one of downtown's more recognizable blighted sites. In an effort to draw attention from developers outside...

Graphics firm finds design for success in CAD and 3-D.
July 8, 2003... Byline: Cody McCullough After 15 years in the graphic design industry Charles M. Rose, the 51-year-old president and owner of Rose Technical Graphics Inc., has seen a lot of changes. When Rose founded his start-up graphic design...

Portland Development Commission to consider purchasing Armory.
July 9, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl The Portland Development Commission will vote today on whether to borrow $4.6 million to purchase the historic Armory building and convert the facility into a new performance venue for Portland Center Stage. The...

Work set to start on Coos County pipeline.
July 9, 2003... Byline: Ray Hughey Construction will start Thursday on a 60-mile pipeline that will finally bring natural gas service to Coos County residents. Once the $47 million project is completed, Coos County can shed its status as the largest...

Developer trying to buy the Governor Hotel.
July 10, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl Marty Kehoe of MK Development is about to purchase his first hotel, and it just happens to be a local landmark. Kehoe said the deal came about, almost by accident. "I've always liked the Governor Hotel," he...

Possible solution for Woodburn traffic woes unveiled.
July 10, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga The once rural community of Woodburn has gone urban over the past decade with a slew of businesses -- from factory outlets to a super-sized Wal-Mart -- popping up along the city's border near Interstate 5. ...

Transportation, trade convention draws crowd to Portland.
July 11, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga While Oregon legislators pound out a funding package to fix the state's bridge problem, more than 400 experts from around the country will gather in Portland next week to focus on other aspects of transportation...

Glass Tech lease brings park to 100 percent.
July 11, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl Glass Tech of Oregon has leased 17,346 square feet of space at West Union Business Park, a deal that makes the park one of just a few in the Sunset Corridor that can boast 100 percent occupancy. "I think we just...

Tragedy increases balcony safety awareness.
July 11, 2003... Byline: Ray Hughey The collapse of a Chicago apartment balcony last month that killed 12 people and injured more than 30 has increased awareness of balcony and deck safety issues. The Washington County Building Services this month sent...

Portland-based Moonlight Staffing caters to businesses and employees who do their work at nighthours.
July 14, 2003... Byline: Ray Hughey Moonlight Staffing at 820 S.W. 18th Ave. in Portland is no place to go looking for a 9-to-5 job. The temporary staffing business founded by Todd Kimball and Mike Rich caters to businesses and employees who do their...

Northwest chapter of Design-Build Institute of America tackles new building trend.
July 14, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga As buildings become more complex and owners look for ways to stay within design and construction budgets in a shaky economy, a growing number of projects are moving away from the old tradition of awarding...

Developer ready to get going on South Waterfront area.
July 14, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl The Portland City Council may have delayed a vote on a development agreement for the South Waterfront area, but as far as the developer is concerned, it's a done deal. "From my standpoint, it's pretty much done...

Willamette University buys Salem property.
July 15, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga Willamette University will add a new piece of property to its Salem campus after agreeing earlier this month to purchase a 54,000-square-foot building owned by the Salem YWCA. Located at the corner of State...

Glimmer of hope found in real estate numbers.
July 15, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl Encouraged by the first positive net absorption in more than two years, commercial real estate brokers say things are finally starting to look up. Simply put, net absorption is the gauge of supply and demand in the...

Local construction company president joins nonprofit's board.
July 15, 2003... Byline: Rich Riegel New Avenues for Youth, a provider of services for homeless and at-risk teens, has appointed John Bradley, president of R&H Construction Co., to its board of directors. Bradley becomes the 20th member of New Avenues for...

Skanska winding down David Douglas High School project.
July 16, 2003... Byline: Ray Hughey Skanska USA Building is banging down the home stretch to beat the back-to-school rush at David Douglas High School in Portland. Crews are applying final touches to the builder's $6.6 million addition project at the...

New, woman-owned real estate firm opens.
July 16, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl Cindy Brown, one of only a handful of women who work on industrial real estate deals, is now one of even fewer who works for herself. She opened Commercial Quest NW last week on Southwest Hall Boulevard in Tigard....

Alpha Engineering: 30 years in developing new communities.
July 17, 2003... Byline: Ray Hughey Jerry Palmer looked ahead. That's his job. When he bought Alpha Engineering in 1988, he saw its 12 employees working out of a daylight basement office in the Sylvan area of Portland as the foundation for a...

PSU leases former David Evans building.
July 17, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl Continuing the push to expand its boundaries east toward the Willamette River, Portland State University has leased the former home of David Evans and Associates, located on Southwest Corbett Avenue. PSU -- along...

Riverview Parade of Homes offers new twist on tradition.
July 17, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga Concrete walls and cabinets made from wheat straw. Is this any way to build a house? It is for the residential contractors participating in the 2003 Riverview Parade of Homes, an annual event sponsored by the...

Lease Crutcher Lewis tackles three projects downtown.
July 18, 2003... Byline: Ray Hughey Portland general contractor Lease Crutcher Lewis has three downtown Portland building projects totaling $3.3 million on its plate. Two are under way, with the third, and largest, a $2 million build-out for KPMG,...

Street of Dreams opens in Beaverton.
July 18, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga While the annual NW Natural Street of Dreams is pure entertainment for visitors, it's always a roll of the dice for the builders who invest their time and money constructing luxury houses they hope someone will...

Clackamas targets brownfields for redevelopment.
July 18, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl Driven by a critical lack of developable industrial land, Clackamas County has had some success convincing property owners to think about cleaning up their brownfields for future development. Thanks to a program,...

Associated Builders & Contractors apprentices step into journeymen roles.
July 21, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga The end of one road is just the beginning of another for the 60 most recent graduates of an apprenticeship program run by the Pacific Northwest Chapter of Associated Builders & Contractors Inc. Now carrying...

Apprenticeship program offers former mill worker a new start.
July 21, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga On Thursday night, Robert Weaver stepped forward and traded his title as a heating, ventilation and air conditioning apprentice for that of full-fledged journeyman. It wasn't the first time Weaver had...

Schlecht Construction continues 38 year growth.
July 21, 2003... Byline: Ray Hughey Schlecht Construction Inc., which has offices in Longview and Vancouver, Wash., has grown in its 38 years into a multimillion dollar company building and developing throughout Southwest Washington and Northern Oregon....

Caffe Mingo coming to The Round.
July 21, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl Locally owned Caffe Mingo, one of Northwest Portland's favorite Italian haunts, has signed on for 4,500 square feet of space at The Round in Beaverton. There had been much speculation about who would be next to...

Healing garden to greet visitors at medical center's new entrance.
July 22, 2003... Byline: Rich Riegel An oasis may soon await visitors to Medford's Rogue Valley Medical Center. A three-acre healing garden, planned for construction outside the center's front entrance, is among the features slated for the $76 million...

Unisource moving distribution center to Gresham.
July 22, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl Unisource Worldwide Inc., which sells commercial printing and business imaging papers and other supplies, has leased 225,056 square feet at the I-84 Industrial Center in Gresham. The company will move out of three...

Community center remodel creates new space for Loaves & Fishes.
July 22, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga After years of working out of a dark, mazelike community center in North Portland, a Portland group that runs a Meals-on-Wheels program for local seniors, is stepping into brighter digs. The Loaves & Fishes'...

Medical center expansion integrates nature, family.
July 22, 2003... Byline: Rich Riegel A $76 million expansion now under way at Rogue Valley Medical Center in Medford is aimed at underscoring the value of family involvement and interaction with nature to the healing process, according to project...

New chairman elected for Portland Development Commission.
July 23, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl This summer will see a changing of the guard at the Portland Development Commission. Matt Hennessee -- president and CEO of financial risk management company Quiktrak Inc. -- was voted chairman of the five-member...

High temps hard on construction workers.
July 23, 2003... Byline: Ray Hughey When the heat is on, Oregon construction workers must work a little harder to keep their cool. When temperatures soar into the mid-90s as they have in Portland the past week, it takes extra attention to work safely...

Law changes subcontractor disclosure for public projects.
July 24, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga Cities, counties and other jurisdictions in Oregon have less than two weeks to catch up with a new law changing the way subcontractor information is disclosed in bids for public projects. The changes are the...

Savings found in Oregon Convention Center construction costs.
July 24, 2003... Byline: Ray Hughey Although the $116 million expansion to the Oregon Convention Center has been up and running for months, the cost of building it is still decreasing. Yesterday the Metropolitan Exposition-Recreation Commission, which...

Kidder Mathews opens Portland office.
July 25, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl Now that Insignia's been gobbled up by CB Richard Ellis, Kidder Mathews isn't wasting any time to set up shop in the Rose City.The Seattle area's largest commercial brokerage house opened its Portland office in the...

Hit-and-run takes toll on drawbridge.
July 25, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga While Oregon State Police continue an investigation to find the hit-and-run driver who struck steel posts on the New Youngs Bay Bridge in Astoria, the Oregon Department of Transportation is preparing to fix the...

CB Richard, Insignia deal complete.
July 25, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl CB Richard Ellis, an already formidable force in Portland commercial real estate, is now an even bigger behemoth as a result of the company's national acquisition of Insignia.The company, now called CBRE, completed its...

Apartment building demand strong despite area-wide high vacancy rates.
July 28, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl Apartment buildings are still a hot ticket for investors despite an area-wide vacancy rate of nearly 8 percent.According to a report released last week by Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Brokerage Co., the...

Timberline Lodge group plans design competition.
July 28, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga When skiers and snowshoers drive up to Timberline Lodge in the winter, the first thing they see is a metal Quonset hut that stretches like a tunnel in front of the historic inn on Mount Hood.The hut a winter...

Former ODOT worker joins Salem office of David Evans and Associates.
July 28, 2003... Byline: Ray Hughey The new shoes that Ken Stoneman walks in fit him fine.After 30 years with the Oregon Department of Transportation, he shed his public employee footgear and tried the private sector on for size.He retired at the end of...

Portland plans wastewater plant upgrade.
July 29, 2003... Byline: Ray Hughey The city of Portland's Bureau of Environmental Services is gathering input from citizens on improvements planned for the Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant in North Portland.The new projects require an...

Snyder Roofing names new leaders after president's death.
July 29, 2003... Byline: Ray Hughey A new leadership team has been named at Snyder Roofing of Oregon LLC following the death of president and chief financial officer Harold "Butch" Johnston.The 59-year-old Johnston, president of Snyder Roofing since 1998,...

Portland reviews payroll info for possible tax change.
July 29, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl The city of Portland is collecting data on local businesses' payroll as background for a proposal that would change the way the city figures its business licensing fee and how Multnomah County calculates its business...

Gresham school wins national design award.
July 30, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga When it came time to design a building to house a new high school program for the Gresham-Barlow School District, architects turned to a group of people they considered the best source of information about what...

Larkspur Hotels buys RiverPlace.
July 30, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl California-based Larkspur Hotels LLC purchased Portland's RiverPlace Hotel in a deal that closed earlier this month.The hotel, which sits on the west bank of the Willamette River and the south end of Tom McCall...

Portland AIA prepares for regional conference.
July 31, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga As many as 800 architects, some from as far away as Hong Kong, are expected to arrive in Portland in a few weeks to attend a Northwest and Pacific regional conference sponsored by the Portland chapter of the...

Oceanfront Seaside project largest for concrete wall system.
July 31, 2003... Byline: Ray Hughey Seaside with its rugged Northern Oregon coastline looked like a great place to build a vacation resort.Trendwest Resorts Inc. of Redmond, Wash., thought so and made plans to build an eight-story, 283-unit condominium and...

Plans for Wilsonville's Villebois moving forward.
July 31, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl The Wilsonville Planning Commission last week approved the master plan for Villebois, a mixed-use community designed by Costa Pacific Communities for 500 acres in west Wilsonville.The Villebois master plan incorporates...

Seaside resort finished, leasing.
July 31, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl Rising just south of Seaside's signature turnaround and official gateway to the Pacific Ocean, the $73.3 million Resort at Seaside was nearly 100 percent occupied when it opened earlier this month. Developed by...