Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland articles from July 2006

Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland archives from July 2006

TriMet approves new eastside streetcar loop; project faces funding hurdles.
July 3, 2006... Byline: Libby Tucker TriMet this week gave a thumbs-up to the "locally approved alternative" for a new eastside streetcar loop that would connect the Eastside, Lloyd, Pearl, Downtown and South Waterfront districts. But insufficient...

Down to the wires.
July 3, 2006... Byline: Libby Tucker

Fair Tax: Cure for all ills or just hot air?
July 4, 2006... Byline: Dolan News Service (The following article was originally published in the Colorado Springs Business Journal, another Dolan Media publication.) Americans for a Fair Tax say their proposal - essentially a national retail sales...

Portland Development Comm. eyes vacancies on board as opportunity.
July 5, 2006... Byline: Kennedy Smith With Portland Development Commission board Chairman Eric Parsons and Commissioner Doug Blomgren preparing to leave the agency at the end of July, critics of the PDC's handling of prevailing wage and other labor issues...

Remains of the city's roads lie crumpled at Sunderland Yard in Northeast Portland.
July 6, 2006... Byline: Libby Tucker Massive chunks of concrete lie on a slab near piles of oily black asphalt grindings at Sunderland Yard in Northeast Portland. The rocks could be sections of North Killingsworth Street or pieces of a retaining wall near...

A road reborn.
July 6, 2006... Byline: Libby Tucker

Laborer Mohlis throws hat in Portland Development Commission ring.
July 6, 2006... Byline: Kennedy Smith John Mohlis, whose name is speculatively on the short-list to be one of two new commissioners on the board of the Portland Development Commission, said Wednesday he would be "pleased and honored" to join the board....

A conversation with Bob Stacey: dialogue and debate.
July 7, 2006... Byline: Kennedy Smith In Portland and surrounding areas, the name Bob Stacey has become synonymous with land use and public advocacy. Stacey was born here and attended Reed College and the University of Oregon School of Law, and then...

A conversation with Bob Stacey: Dialogue and debate.(Interview)
July 7, 2006... Byline: Kennedy Smith

Lower tower of Portland's aerial tram project shapes up.
July 7, 2006... Byline: Libby Tucker Near dusk and nearly two hours ahead of schedule, two cranes lifted the third and final piece of steel into place late Wednesday night on the aerial tram's lower tower. The 66-ton section brings the total height of the...

Aerial tram's lower tower shapes up.
July 7, 2006... Byline: Libby Tucker

OR Task Force on Land Use Planning keeping options open.
July 10, 2006... Byline: Alison Ryan Oregon's land use planning program has been largely untouched for 30 years. And the task force charged with taking a "big look" at the issues isn't rushing into any big decisions just yet. The Oregon Task Force on...

Oregon universities request $1B for construction in '07.
July 10, 2006... Byline: Libby Tucker The Oregon University System has identified a nearly $1 billion need for capital construction projects on the state's seven university campuses over the next two years. The $957 million budget for 2007 to 2009...

Willamette Valley's 1.5M acres is a proverbial gold mine for the lands' owners.
July 11, 2006... Byline: Libby Tucker Buried beneath the Willamette Valley's 1.5 million acres of high-value farmland is a proverbial gold mine for the lands' owners. Between five to 20 feet under the soil lies a rich layer of alluvial rock, ripe for...

What lies beneath.
July 11, 2006... Byline: Libby Tucker

Expert says mining ban would increase construction costs.
July 11, 2006... Byline: Libby Tucker Banning sand and gravel mines on high-value farmland would greatly increase construction costs for local governments, according to a new study by a natural resources economist at Oregon State University. The study,...

Multnomah Bar association picks new officers.
July 11, 2006... Byline: Kennedy Smith The Multnomah Bar Association recently elected new officers to serve for one year. Their terms began July 1. Peter Glade of Markowitz, Herbold, Glade & Mehlhaf was elected president. Thomas W. Brown is...

Measure 37 is Oregon's most talked-about land use decision since the mid-1970s.
July 12, 2006... Byline: Kennedy Smith In 2004, voters throughout the state voiced loud and clear their thoughts on land use and property rights compensation. Measure 37, which voters passed that November by a 22 percent margin, is Oregon's most...

Other states look to create a law similar to Oregon's Measure 37.
July 12, 2006... Byline: Kennedy Smith Oregon's Measure 37 was the first of its kind in the country, and it's the poster child for other states that want to create a similar law. They're looking west to see what will happen as Measure 37 claims get...

Metro confronting Measure 37 land use claims.
July 13, 2006... Byline: Libby Tucker With thousands of Measure 37 land use claims already filed, overwhelmed and strapped municipalities have given up the fight. Counties with scant resources for processing claims and no means of compensating for lost...

Metro office availability tightens in Q2.
July 13, 2006... Byline: Kennedy Smith The Portland metro area's overall vacancy rate for office space has tightened in the first half of 2006, according to Cushman & Wakefield of Oregon's second quarter market report. Vacancy in the metro area is at...

Interview with Mark Edlen: Partner with Gerding/Edlen Development Co.
July 14, 2006... Byline: Kennedy Smith Mark Edlen, half of one of Portland's most notable development companies, is usually in his office by 6 a.m. and often doesn't leave until the sun starts to set. The Gerding/Edlen Development Co. managing principal...

A conversation with Mark Edlen: What goes around, comes around.(Interview)
July 14, 2006... Byline: Kennedy Smith

City of Portland passes fuel standard.
July 14, 2006... Byline: Libby Tucker Portland City Council this week passed an ordinance mandating minimum blends of biodiesel and ethanol in all petroleum-based fuels sold in Portland. The city standards will require all diesel fuel sold within city...

Correction.(Correction notice)
July 14, 2006... Byline: Libby Tucker In the July 13 article titled, A method in the madness, the following paragraph should replace the fifth and sixth paragraphs: Metro Council began hearing claims June 1 and has since processed four claims for...

Architectural issues involved in Portland's push for high-density development.
July 17, 2006... Byline: Alison Ryan "If you see an architect coming," architect David Wark warns, "expect change. That's a constant." As Portland's building boom continues - and developers start to eye prime parcels in close-in neighborhoods - the...

Portland's mayor nominates financial analyst Wilhoite to PDC board.
July 17, 2006... Byline: DJC Staff Mayor Tom Potter last Wednesday nominated Charles A. Wilhoite to become a commissioner on the Portland Development Commission board. Wilhoite is a managing director at Willamette Management Associates, a firm...

Portland-based TVA Architects nears completion of adaptive reuse of 1940s-era warehouse.
July 17, 2006... Byline: DJC Staff Portland-based TVA Architects Inc. is nearing completion of the adaptive reuse of a 1940s-era warehouse to host a new Social Security Administration call center in Auburn, Wash., about 25 miles southeast of downtown...

American Road & Transportation Builders Assn. accepts nominations for awards.
July 17, 2006... Byline: DJC Staff The American Road & Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation is accepting nominations for the 2006 Globe and Roadway Work Zone Safety Awareness awards. The annual Globe awards...

Condos or clean fuels? Portland City Council to vote on Wednesday.
July 18, 2006... Byline: Libby Tucker The Portland City Council on Wednesday will vote on a neighborhood proposal to rezone the Linnton Village industrial sanctuary to allow for commercial and residential uses. The highly charged issue has been debated...

Portland-based Hunter-Davisson Inc. receives SHARP distinction.
July 18, 2006... Byline: Libby Tucker Hunter-Davisson Inc. was presented Friday with the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration's top safety distinction. The heating ventilation and air conditioning contractor is now one of nine construction...

Toyota's vehicle distribution center in Portland earns environmentally friendly designation.
July 18, 2006... Byline: Alison Ryan Last week, Toyota's vehicle distribution center at Terminal 4 became the first industrial site in the nation to earn certification from the Portland-based nonprofit Salmon-Safe. It's a designation that had previously...

Portland City Council votes to extend the Central Eastside URA until 2018.
July 18, 2006... Byline: Kennedy Smith Portland City Council voted last week to extend the Central Eastside Urban Renewal Plan for 12 years and an additional $51 million in tax increment resources over the next 12 years. Although the vote passed, Mayor...

Realtors hope that trading in their cars for hybrids will lead to larger client base.
July 19, 2006... Byline: Kennedy Smith The National Association of Realtors hasn't heard anything about it, not even anecdotally. Neither has the Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors (PMAR), nor the American Automobile Association, Fannie Mae, nor...

Hybrid house-hunting.
July 19, 2006... Byline: Kennedy Smith

Group Mackenzie adds landscape architecture.
July 19, 2006... Byline: Alison Ryan Group Mackenzie's multidisciplinary approach to architecture and engineering formally added another facet last week - landscape architecture. With the addition of landscape architect Dan Jenkins, who will lead the...

Portland's American Institute of Architects ask members for ideas for Center for Architecture.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Alison Ryan Right now, anything could happen within the four walls of 403 N.W. 11th Ave. - and the potential for unbounded thinking within those boundaries is what AIA Portland and AIA Oregon are counting on. The Portland...

By architects, for architects.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Alison Ryan

Trammell Crow buys out Bechtel's stake in Portland's Cascade Station.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Kennedy Smith After inking deals with Ikea and Costco Home, both of which are slated to build at Portland's Cascade Station, Trammell Crow Co. last week purchased Cascade Station Development Co. (CDSC) from Bechtel Enterprises. ...

Port of Portland gets bulk of ConnectOregon funds.
July 20, 2006... Byline: Libby Tucker The Oregon Transportation Commission on Wednesday approved a list of 44 projects across the state that will receive $100 million through the ConnectOregon initiative. The 2005 Oregon Legislature approved the...

A conversation with Samir Mokashi and Todd Alsdorf.
July 21, 2006... Byline: Kennedy Smith As high-tech firms in Oregon expand their business, questions arise about how they can expand within their current spaces - turning unused office space into scientific laboratories, for example. That's where...

Oregon residents and industry lobbyists remain gridlocked over housing's role in a city's redevelopm.
July 21, 2006... Byline: Libby Tucker In a marathon five-hour session Wednesday night, residents and industry lobbyists remained gridlocked over housing's role in the redevelopment of Linnton Village, delaying a planned Portland City Council vote and...

A regional Oregon contractors Association wins 2005 NUCA Chapter Awards of Excellence.
July 21, 2006... Byline: Daily Journal of Commerce Staff The National Utility Contractors Association of Oregon and Southwest Washington has been awarded the 2005 NUCA Chapter Awards of Excellence for its Web site and leadership. Chapter Awards of...

Biofuels facilities in Oregon need a land use fix.
July 24, 2006... Byline: Libby Tucker Investors interested in building alternative fuel production plants in Oregon could hit a snag because of the state's strict land use laws, Oregon lawmakers say. Current laws restrict the construction and operation...

Eugene officials give LEED a public push.
July 24, 2006... Byline: Alison Ryan The Eugene City Council gave sustainability a boost earlier this month, adopting the city's first formal green building policy for city owned and occupied buildings. The policy, passed July 10, requires use of...

NorthWest Crossing in Bend was first to accept Earth Advantage standards.
July 25, 2006... Byline: Alison Ryan Building green residences isn't just a home-by-home endeavor anymore. In Oregon, larger scale developments - including one of the largest LEED for Homes pilot program participants in the United States - are popping up...

As Portland's apartment market tightens, condo-conversion craze subsides.
July 26, 2006... Byline: Kennedy Smith In a city where condominiums in the Meriwether, the John Ross, the Civic and a host of other high-rises have sold for upward of a million dollars, who can really blame apartment-owners-turned-condo-converters? But...

Nutter Corp. begins clearing massive Ikea site in Northeast Portland.
July 26, 2006... Byline: Libby Tucker Long before Tuesday's groundbreaking ceremony for Ikea in Northeast Portland, construction crews had begun clearing the way for what will be Portland's largest retail store when it opens next summer. Vancouver,...

Portland's development incentives may be outside the bull's-eye.
July 27, 2006... Byline: Libby Tucker A recent change in the city of Portland's development incentives signals the Potter administration's shift in focus to building outside of the central city when the central city plan is reconsidered next year. The...

Portland Development Commission bids farewell to two commissioners.
July 27, 2006... Byline: Kennedy Smith Mayor Tom Potter, former mayor Vera Katz and past and present commissioners on the board of the Portland Development Commission gathered Wednesday to say goodbye to commissioners Eric Parsons and Doug Blomgren. ...

Dalles-based Columbia Bancorp earnings up in Q2.
July 27, 2006... Byline: Justin Stranzl The Dalles-based Columbia Bancorp on Wednesday posted a 5 increase in quarterly earnings bolstered by new retail stores in Central Washington. The financial holding company for Columbia River Bank said...

Integrating stormwater into streetscapes becoming more popular with city designers.
July 31, 2006... Byline: Alison Ryan Landscape architects have always kept an eye on rain's progress, from the sky to the gutter. But a tendency to hide stormwater away from public view traditionally meant designers were the only ones watching. Now,...

AIA billing index negative again.
July 31, 2006... Byline: DJC Staff For the second consecutive month, the American Institute of Architects' billing index posted a negative score. The June billing index rating was 49.2, just below May's 49.6 rating. Any score below 50 indicates a drop...

Report: Contractors pay lower premiums than expected.
July 31, 2006... Byline: Libby Tucker Oregon contractors on average pay about $1,700 a year for liability insurance, according to a preliminary report presented Wednesday to a state-commissioned construction claims task force. And the average premium...