Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland articles from July 2004

Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland archives from July 2004

Portland considers land-use review fee increase.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl Following a one-year freeze on fee increases for development services, the city of Portland is considering a rate hike that would go into effect this fall. Under the proposal, sponsored by Commissioner Randy Leonard,...

Funding a stickler for South Waterfront diversity goals.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Jessica Swanson The Portland Development Commission and its partners on the South Waterfront development have committed to create a diverse construction workforce on the city's largest project. But, while a June 10 agreement set a...

Vancouver railyard cuts emissions with technology.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl A Vancouver, Wash., railroad yard is the first in the Northwest to utilize a new emission-reducing technology that will cut pollutants from some diesel engines by as much as 90 percent. Three switchyard...

Worker injured in shaft on Portland's Big Pipe project.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Jessica Swanson A construction worker on the city of Portland's Big Pipe project was injured when his arm was impaled by a spud wrench that fell from another worker's belt. The injured construction worker, an employee of the...

Otak names seven new principals throughout West.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Jessica Swanson Otak Inc., an architecture, design and engineering firm based in Lake Oswego, has named seven new principals at its offices throughout the West. The seven architects, engineers and designers, based in Oregon,...

SBA withdraws proposal to redefine small businesses.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl The U.S. Small Business Administration withdrew its proposal to redefine small businesses Wednesday due to negative feedback from small-business owners. If enacted, the proposal would have reduced the number of...

T3 program transitions young women and minorities to trades.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Jessica Swanson Sparks fly in a city of Portland weld shop on Southeast Division Street as Harvey Stenson, 29, watches his dreams come true. Stenson knows his is a classic story. He's coming out of a little trouble and a little...

Eliot Tower next to rise in the West End.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl Construction will soon begin on John Carroll's Eliot Tower, a new development in downtown Portland's burgeoning West End. The area, home to the South Park Blocks, Portland State University and the Portland Art...

Harsch Investment purchases SeaTac shopping mall.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl Portland-based Harsch Investment Properties recently bought SeaTac Village, a 164,369-square-foot shopping center in SeaTac, located between Seattle and Tacoma. Harsch purchased the property from SeaTac Village LLC...

Albany company to pay $750,000 in environmental agency settlement.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl Albany-based Oregon Metallurgical Corp. will pay $750,000 as part of a federal Environmental Protection Agency compliance agreement signed Wednesday. EPA inspectors in 2000 found that the mineral processor was...

Park provides safe spot to watch Narrows Bridge project.
July 2, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce It was becoming a problem: fender-benders and metal meeting guardrails as drivers slowed down to gawk at construction taking place for the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge over Puget Sound in Washington state....

Multnomah Bar Assn. recommends five candidates for judicial seat.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Jessica Swanson The Multnomah Bar Association's Judicial Screening Committee has chosen five top candidates to fill the Multnomah County Circuit Court judicial vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Dorothy Baker in March of...

Finite edges considered for urban growth boundary.
July 6, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl While the Metro Council finished its work bringing in 1,047 net acres of industrial land into the urban growth boundary, a controversial idea - one that could change the way the region looks at land use - was left...

Project engineer takes unusual path.
July 6, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl Little about project engineer Bill Juhala's duties on the job site seem particularly out of the ordinary. What's unusual is how he got there. Juhala, in his ninth year as a project engineer for Andersen...

PSU, Rep. Blumenauer push for sustainability funding.
July 6, 2004... Byline: Jessica Swanson Portland State University has teamed up with Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer to push for more research dollars for operational and educational sustainability centers in higher education settings. State...

Long Painting citation issued, appealed by contractor.
July 6, 2004... Byline: Jessica Swanson An Oregon OSHA investigation into the Feb. 17 fall of a Long Painting Co. supervisor from a ladder on the St. John's Bridge wrapped up in late May and a citation was issued last month for a violation found on site...

County commissioners OK funds for Clackamas park sports fields.
July 6, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce As part of a 2004-05 budget, Clackamas County Commissioners have authorized $2.3 million to build softball fields, install playground equipment and improve parking at North Clackamas Park. North...

RealNet Investments LLC buys $15.6 million Washington shopping center.
July 6, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl Portland-based RealNet Investments LLC recently purchased a $15.6 million shopping center in Lacey, Wash. The Lacey Center, which totals 152,605 square feet, is anchored by Safeway, Big Lots, Dollar Tree and...

Hopes high for 650-acre development in Salem.
July 7, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl As part of a unique pairing, state and local officials are working together to plan the development of 650 acres on Oregon Highway 22 near the Oregon State Correctional Institution in Salem. Salem's city council and...

New runway will help Eugene Airport meet capacity needs.
July 7, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl What began as a dream in 1990 will finally become a reality for Oregon's second-busiest airport. Eugene Airport broke ground late last month on a $16.5 million project that includes a new runway, the largest...

Clark County seeks nominations for design awards.
July 7, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl The Clark County Community Development Department is seeking nominations for the ninth annual Community Pride Design Awards. The awards recognize "outstanding and innovative efforts in creating buildings,...

Neil Kelly Co. to expand into Eugene area.
July 7, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce Neil Kelly Co. has announced it will expand into the Eugene-area market with the recent purchase of The New Kitchen, a kitchen-and-bath showroom previously owned by Burnell Ambrose. Established in...

Clark County commercial, residential building permits hit record high.
July 7, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce A flurry of project planning and construction activity this past spring set a 25-year record for building activity in Clark County, Wash. Officials with the county's Community Development Department...

Project digs deep to avoid disruption in Old Town.
July 8, 2004... Byline: Jessica Swanson Crews on a 10-year project to modernize the century-old sewer system in Portland's Old Town/Chinatown are using "trenchless" methods of sewer replacement and repair to keep disruption to a minimum in the bustling...

International Plaza boasts a full house.
July 8, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl After less than a year on the market, one of Milwaukie's newest office buildings is completely leased thanks to a recent deal with the Oregon Employment Department. The department announced last week it will take...

Hillsboro hosts final library proposal open house.
July 8, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl Last time Hillsboro citizens were shown drawings of a proposed public library, they told the designers to go back to the drawing board. They happily obliged. Community input has been key for the library and...

Swinerton Builders digs into two Vancouver projects.
July 8, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl The Portland branch of Swinerton Builders Inc. is constructing two new projects in Vancouver, Wash. Workers from the company's Portland branch expect to break ground July 19 on the four-story, 176,400-square-foot...

FCC proposes nationwide One Call number for excavation work.
July 8, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce The Federal Communications Commission is seeking public comment on a proposed rule to simplify the nation's One Call notification system for excavation. In 2002, the Pipeline Safety Act was signed...

Portland continues pursuit of Munich, Germany-based Siltronic Corp.
July 9, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl The city of Portland is chasing what would be one giant boost for the local economy - a $466 million wafer manufacturing facility that would generate more than 800 construction jobs and 500 permanent positions. ...

Portland hosts nation's premiere solar energy conference.
July 9, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl The nation's premiere solar energy conference opens today in what some may see as an unlikely location: Portland. But the city's rainy reputation not withstanding, event organizers say there are plenty of reasons...

Associated Builders and Contractors award five graduates as Apprentice of the Year.
July 9, 2004... Byline: Jessica Swanson Juan Urias started at Milwaukie-based HVAC Inc. as a temporary general laborer in 1999. Last week, the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors honored him as Sheet Metal Apprentice of...

Oregon Bridge Delivery Partners to prequalify architects, engineers for bridge program.
July 9, 2004... Byline: Jessica Swanson On July 15, Oregon Bridge Delivery Partners will solicit information from interested architecture and engineering firms about their qualifications and capabilities. OBDP is contracted with the Oregon Department of...

Portland company secures financing necessary for California office park.
July 9, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl Lloyd Minten, senior managing director of the Portland office of Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, recently secured the financing necessary for Triple Net Properties LLC to purchase Enterprise Technology Center in Scotts Valley,...

Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality, Texaco sign agreement to clean gas station site.
July 9, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Texaco Shell LLC recently signed an agreement that will transfer ownership of a former gas station property in Southeast Portland to the Texaco Shell,...

Oregon Disabilities Commission seeks nominations for employment awards.
July 9, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce The Oregon Disabilities Commission is accepting nominations for the 15th annual Employment and Empowerment Awards. Presented each October at the state Capitol, the awards recognize employers,...

Oregon Tradeswomen seeks items for October auction.
July 9, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce An annual auction to raise money for programs run by Oregon Tradeswomen Inc. is still a few months away, but the organization is already soliciting donations for the event. The Oct. 9 silent...

Bend planning commission considers proposal to raise the height limits of downtown buildings.
July 12, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl Downtown Bend, long dominated by one- and two-story buildings, could soon be sprouting up. The city planning commission is considering a proposal that would raise the height limits of buildings downtown from 45 feet...

Clark County unveils capital facilities, transportation plans.
July 12, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl Clark County residents reviewed both the county's capital facilities analysis and its Transportation Improvement Program at a Thursday open house in Battle Ground, Wash. While response to the TIP was largely...

Portland sewage plants recognized for compliance with pollutant discharge elimination.
July 12, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl An Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies award program has bestowed its highest recognition on two sewage treatment plants owned and operated by the city of Portland. The Columbia Boulevard Wastewater...

Portland-area Habitat for Humanity chapters looking for volunteers.
July 12, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl Portland-area Habitat for Humanity groups are looking for volunteers and gearing up for a number of summer events, including the arrival of 30 college students who will end their 4,000-mile, cross-country bike tour in...

Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality constructs sediment cap at Superfund site.
July 12, 2004... Byline: Jessica Swanson The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is constructing a sediment cap at the McCormick & Baxter Creosote Co. Superfund site along the Willamette River in North Portland. The sediment cap is the latest in...

Clackamas County's Public Services Building opens in Oregon City.
July 12, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce The new Public Services Building for Clackamas County, located in Oregon City, will begin filling up with departments and divisions within the next few weeks. The 110,000-square-foot building is...

BetterBricks seeking nominations for sustainable building practices.
July 12, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl A sustainable-design advocacy program is seeking nominations for its second annual BetterBricks Awards. BetterBricks, an initiative of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, will recognize individuals from the...

Sales picking up at Portland's The Embassy and Uptown condominiums.
July 12, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl Two Northwest Portland buildings that were once apartments are filling up in their new incarnation as condominiums. Twelve units remain for sale at The Embassy, according to developer Robert Ball. The former...

Affordable housing organization expanding focus.
July 13, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl After 15 years building and rehabilitating homes in North and Northeast Portland, HOST is expanding its efforts to include the rest of the Portland metropolitan area and beyond. HOST, which stands for Home Ownership...

Oregon Nat'l Electric Contractors Assn. chapter recovers from arson fire.
July 13, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl The Oregon-Columbia chapter of the National Electric Contractors Association is getting closer to recovering from an arson fire that caused $300,000 worth of damages last year to its Portland headquarters. The...

American Society of Professional Estimators adds to national boards.
July 13, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl The American Society of Professional Estimators has appointed two members of Columbia Pacific Chapter 54 to national boards. Wallace Brassfield of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers replaces Don Sellmeyer on the...

Women converge for solar seminar.
July 13, 2004... Byline: Jessica Swanson After three-and-a-half years as an electrical apprentice with the National Electrical Contractors Association and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 48, Lisa Serrano finally had the opportunity to...

Invention uses worms to break down asbestos.
July 14, 2004... Byline: Jessica Swanson Jonathan Craig stumbled upon worms almost ten years ago. The owner of a computer company in Yakima, Wash., Craig was throwing away many cardboard boxes everyday. As he became frustrated with the waste piling up, he...

Solar energy industry says it's on the rebound.
July 14, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl To most Oregonians in the solar energy business, the selection of Portland as host city for the National Solar Energy Conference served as proof that others in the industry approve of the state's solar practices. ...

Esquire Hotel to undergo $3M in major renovations.
July 14, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl After more than two decades of its upper floors sitting vacant and falling into disrepair, the Esquire Hotel in downtown Portland is scheduled for $3 million in renovations. The project will transform the building's...

High-tech training for non-native English speakers offered.
July 14, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce Portland Community College, working with a group of circuit-board manufacturers from Washington County, have created a skill program to help non-native English speakers find a pathway into the high-tech...

With new acquisitions, iSqFt continues to expand.
July 14, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce The iSqFt company, a provider of online and Web-based tools designed to streamline the construction bidding process, has added BuildPoint and US Projects to its acquisition portfolio. The...

Polk County cities partner for YMCA project.
July 15, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl For the border cities of Independence and Monmouth, teaming up is nothing unusual. The Polk County communities share a school district and a fire department, and their police departments often cover for each other....

Oregon Garden's effect on Silverton still uncertain.
July 15, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl Nestled in the Willamette valley about 40 miles southeast of Portland, Silverton feels a little like a town time forgot - dimes are good for an hour of parking, but meters still take pennies; there are no stoplights...

Comments sought on DEQ Deschutes River emergency plan.
July 15, 2004... Byline: Jessica Swanson In 1996, a train derailment north of Shearer's Bridge on the Lower Deschutes River released 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel into the river. This event bolstered an already growing interest in developing emergency...

Multnomah County will update public on bridge design.
July 15, 2004... Byline: Jessica Swanson Multnomah County has scheduled a public meeting to present an update on the Sauvie Island Bridge replacement project. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Sauvie Island School, 14445 N.W. Charlton Road....

Portland Office of Sustainable Development redesigns G/Rated Web site.
July 15, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl The Portland Office of Sustainable Development has relaunched its G/Rated Web site, which it hopes will do a better job of servicing both residential and commercial builders. The Web site, at...

DEQ fines company for asbestos-related violations at mill site.
July 15, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce A Waldport-based company was fined $17,800 last month by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality for asbestos removal and burning violations at the site of a former woolen mill in Stayton ...

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality hands out June penalties.
July 15, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce Companies and individuals receiving penalties last month from the state Department of Environmental Quality include: * Michael D. and Donna L. Packer - $13,059 for discharging since May 2002...

Fire illustrates importance of risk coverage.
July 16, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl A five-alarm fire that destroyed much of an apartment complex Tuesday in Portland's Forest Heights neighborhood should serve as a reminder to developers and contractors that they must have the necessary insurance...

Apartment complex project to move forward despite fire.
July 16, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl The developer of the $18 million, 160-unit Northwest Portland apartment complex that caught fire Tuesday afternoon said he plans to move forward with the project. "Our goal is to get clean up accomplished within the...

Awards competition recognizes roadway work-zone safety.
July 16, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce The American Road & Transportation Builders Association is now accepting applications for the 2004 "Roadway Work Zone Safety Awareness Awards." Sponsored by the ARTBA Transportation Development...

Oregon Steel Mills to build new facility in Portland.
July 16, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl Oregon Steel Mills has announced it will construct a new pipe-making facility adjacent to the company's current building on North Rivergate Boulevard. The new $35 million plant is projected to bring 200 jobs to the...

Port of Portland starts outreach on Terminal 4 early action cleanup.
July 16, 2004... Byline: Jessica Swanson Representatives for the Port of Portland are attending several neighborhood meetings this summer to share information and obtain feedback about potential cleanup alternatives for the Terminal 4 Early Action...

Wash. State Univ.'s engineering girls camp shows campers how to make science fun.
July 19, 2004... Byline: Jessica Swanson Alex MacGregor, age 12, is at an engineering camp for girls on Washington State University's Vancouver campus because, "I want to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life." She adores astronomy -...

Architects key element of Portland's Sand in the City event.
July 19, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl Anyone who thinks building sandcastles is child's play wasn't in Pioneer Square last weekend where 100 cubic yards of sand were meticulously transformed into larger-than-life sculptures of animals and children, a...

Associated General Contractors of America wants tariffs on Mexican cement removed.
July 19, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl A spreading national cement shortage has moved The Associated General Contractors of America to join a group pressuring the U.S. Department of Commerce to address tariffs on Mexican cement products. AGC Chief...

Calif. developer honors mentor Dick Williams with gift to Univ. of Oregon.
July 19, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl California Real Estate Developer Andrew Berwick Jr., a 1955 graduate of the University of Oregon, has given the school $100,000 in honor of Dick Williams, the first director of the Erb Memorial Union. Berwick, along...

Four federal agencies lease space in Portland's 1201 Lloyd Boulevard building.
July 20, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl Four federal agencies have agreed to lease a total of 113,000 square feet in the 1201 Lloyd Boulevard building, creating a nearly full house for the 11-story structure that has sat largely vacant since its construction...

Wash. State University Institute aims to reshape Washington workforce.
July 20, 2004... Byline: Jessica Swanson Washington State University's Engineering and Science Institute, opening this fall at the university's Vancouver campus, will use a new model to help provide seamless science and engineering degrees for community...

Downtown Salem project attracting interest.
July 21, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl Two weeks after announcing a plan to construct a 130,000-square-foot, mixed-use, $25 million building near downtown Salem, developer Dan Berrey of Commercial Concepts Inc. has had inquiries on almost half of the space....

Oregon truckers seek stability in hours-of-service debate.
July 21, 2004... Byline: Jessica Swanson The U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on Friday threw out a new federal hours-of-service rule that governs the time truck drivers are able to spend on the road. The move has left...

Saturday Academy coordinates summer internships for students in Portland area.
July 22, 2004... Byline: Jessica Swanson Jacki Sorbets knows construction, and at 16, she already knows it may be her life's work. Her grandfather worked construction in the Portland area, and her father owned his own firm in Beaverton, Ironwood...

Costco Wholesale still searching for space in downtown Portland.
July 22, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl Costco Wholesale Corp., which has metro-area stores in outer Northeast Portland, Tigard, Aloha, Clackamas and Wilsonville, isn't giving up on downtown Portland. Dave Messner, a real estate broker who represents...

Office vacancy rate for Portland makes slow and steady recovery.
July 23, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl After years of bleak vacancy rates that have held steady in the high teens, the Portland office market may be tiptoeing towards recovery. According to numbers from Grubb & Ellis, overall office vacancy rates for the...

Portland's Columbia Knoll housing project rises from historic roots.
July 23, 2004... Byline: Jessica Swanson Five years after Shelter Investment Resources optioned the site, Columbia Knoll, a 326-unit family and senior affordable apartment development in Northeast Portland, celebrated a groundbreaking yesterday with...

Public company directors rank Portland law firms.
July 23, 2004... Byline: Jessica Swanson In Corporate Board Member's Special Legal Issue 2004, the magazine listed Portland's top five law firms according to a survey of local directors of public companies. More than 2,000 directors were surveyed...

Portland to form Local Improvement District to help fund TriMet MAX line.
July 26, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl Property owners in downtown Portland will be asked to pick up $24 million of the $494 million cost to build a TriMet MAX line that will travel the downtown bus mall on Southwest Fifth and Sixth avenues as part of a...

Eastbank Esplanade on Portland's Willamette River receives award from architect society.
July 26, 2004... Byline: Jessica Swanson The already well-decorated Eastbank Esplanade on Portland's Willamette River has just received a 2004 National Merit Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects. Portland landscape architecture firm...

Portland City Council considering purchase of school district land.
July 26, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl The Portland City Council will consider a proposal that would enable the city to purchase 4.5 acres adjacent to the former Washington High School. The land would be used for open space and a future community center....

Portland-based ScanlanKemperBard buys CNN West Coast headquarters.
July 26, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl Portland-based ScanlanKemperBard Cos. has acquired the 14-story, 198,713-square-foot Sunset Tower in Hollywood, Calif., for $34 million. The Class A office building, located at 6430 West Sunset Blvd., is home to...

Seismic upgrade begins on Portland's Lovejoy Office Building.
July 26, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce When it comes to seismic upgrades of brick buildings, contractor Mike Purcell likens the process to assembling a giant jigsaw puzzle. Lucikly, Purcell and his firm, Gray Purcell Inc., have gotten...

JR Furniture USA opens in Portland's Gresham Square Shopping Center.
July 26, 2004... Byline: Aimee Curl JR Furniture USA recently opened in 38,000 square feet of retail space at Gresham Square Shopping Center. The furniture company operates several stores in Vancouver, British Columbia, and at two locations in the...