Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland articles from July 2008

Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland archives from July 2008

Skanska near finish of Hillsboro school projects.
July 1, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Skanska USA Building is nearly finished with two new elementary school projects in the Hillsboro School District. Work on Free Orchards and Quatama elementary schools will wrap up July 25 after 19 months of work....

Pearl warehouse in Portland to be redeveloped as office, retail.
July 1, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Northwest commercial real estate firm HomeStreet Capital has put up $10.2 million in construction financing to convert a vacant warehouse in Portland's Pearl District to office and retail space. Built in 1923, the...

PNCA exhibit takes glimpse at Portland's future.
July 1, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff The Pacific Northwest College of Art and the Elizabeth Leach Gallery will hold a monthlong exhibit focused on the future design of Portland. The PDXplore exhibit asked five members of Portland's architecture and...

Reynolds school board changes plans.
July 1, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff The Reynolds District School Board has decided not to refer to voters this November a $98 million bond to fund district building projects. The board last week voted four to three against referring the bond, which...

Voters to decide $100 million Tualatin park bond.
July 1, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff A $100 million bond measure to improve parks facilities in Tualatin will go on the ballot in November. The Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District Board decided last week to bring the 20-year bond to voters; the...

California company eyes Vancouver site.
July 1, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff A vacant ex-Fred Meyer store at Fourth Plain and Grand boulevards in Vancouver is being looked at for potential redevelopment by California-based S.J. Amoroso Properties Co. S.J. Amoroso has a contract to purchase the...

Davis Wright Tremaine in Portland hires Tufty.
July 1, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Davis Wright Tremaine has hired Duke Tufty as an associate practicing hospitality and business law. Tufty will advise clients on issues pertaining to structuring and maintaining food and beverage venues and services,...

Louis rejoins Neil Kelly Co. in Portland.
July 1, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Neil Kelly Co. has announced that Paul Louis has rejoined the firm as a project manager. Louis spent 11 years with Neil Kelly Design/Build Remodeling, beginning as a college intern and moving up to project manager. He...

Portland General Electric charges up for plug-in hybrid cars.
July 1, 2008... Byline: Libby Tucker Portland General Electric has begun leading the charge for mass adoption of plug-in hybrid-electric cars in Oregon. The utility plans to install 12 electric-vehicle charging stations in Portland and Salem by...

China earthquake draws engineers from Washington.
July 1, 2008... Byline: Sam Bennett A few days after the Sichuan earthquake on May 12, H. Kit Miyamoto and two other engineers with his firm ventured into the earthquake zone in central China. They were on an earthquake research mission, but that...

Scandinavia: Vision of Portland's future?
July 1, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf A group of 40 Portland ambassadors has returned from its whirlwind, weeklong tour of Scandinavia, during which its members studied issues pertaining to transportation and sustainability. The trip is expected to shade...

Boring work proceeds on I-205 project in Portland.
July 1, 2008... Byline: Dan Carter A boring machine from DJ Boring Inc. tries to get through rock and dirt to drill 11-foot deep holes for light poles for TriMet's Interstate 205 Light Rail Project. The $163 million project, dubbed the Green Line, will...

High-tech scheduling aids Genentech project in Oregon.
July 2, 2008... Byline: Libby Tucker When Rich Edwards was hired last year as the first project scheduler for Rosendin Electric's Portland operation, he knew he'd face some resistance from his new colleagues. General contractor Hoffman Construction...

Dangerous road in Oregon gets federal safety audit.
July 2, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf Too much traffic, too many crashes and too few solutions: That's the consensus for Cornelius Pass Road, running through Washington and Multnomah counties, which this week will undergo a safety audit by the Federal...

Granite business in the Northwest keeps owner traveling.
July 2, 2008... Byline: Sam Bennett Though he hasn't lived in his homeland for more than a decade, Peter Pental always finds time to get back to India. These days, it's usually business that takes him home. As the owner of Pental Granite & Marble,...

Complex near Portland State University, light rail fetches $1.8M.
July 2, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report A 21-unit apartment complex near Portland State University has been sold for $1.8 million. Portland-based CV Newton Co. brokered the sales of The Altamont Apartments, a 1904 complex at 506 S.W. College St., in...

Plan for Portland rental bicycles put on hold.
July 2, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report City officials have canceled an eight-month contract-review process to find a company to maintain a fleet of rental bicycles in Portland. The plan would have been similar to one currently used in Paris, where a...

Salem condos converted to apartments.
July 2, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report A recently renovated condominium complex in Salem has been converted back to apartments after disappointing sales. The Spanish-style units at 2401 N.E.Wayside Terrace were being marketed as condos after the...

Associated General Contractors Oregon-Columbia chapter hosts evening golf tournament.
July 2, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report The Associated General Contractors Oregon-Columbia chapter will hold a Night at the Driving Range on July 10 at Red Tail Golf Center. The event will include an evening on the driving range, as well as hors...

Portland's Old Town shouldn't get taller, says group.
July 3, 2008... Byline: Sam Bennett Although an increase in building heights could spur development in Portland's Skidmore/Old Town Historic District, a city committee earlier this week recommended not allowing taller buildings there. The Portland...

How high will budget rise for proposed hotel at Portland Convention Center?
July 3, 2008... Byline: Libby Tucker On Tuesday, developers of the proposed publicly-owned Westin hotel at the Convention Center presented a final budget estimate to the Metro council, citing skyrocketing construction costs and an expanded scope of work...

Hillsdale housing project will be redeveloped by Housing Authority of Portland.
July 3, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report The Housing Authority of Portland is currently taking design bids to redevelop a dilapidated housing project in Hillsdale. Hillsdale Terrace, which houses 60 low-income families, is facing problems such as...

Vancouver hospital plans $12M expansion.
July 3, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report A $12 million expansion has been planned at Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital in Vancouver. The three-year old hospital plans to build out its vacant sixth floor, following an increase in hospital profits and...

Bike access will be easier through Rose Quarter in Portland.
July 3, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Cycling through the Rose Quarter just became a lot easier with a decision by TriMet to make bike access through the area permanent. TriMet worked with the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, the city of Portland...

Commentary: Safety simply must come first.
July 3, 2008... Byline: Mike Salsgiver The recent rush of news about construction accidents around the country provides an unfortunate - but important - opportunity to pause and reconsider the reasons safety should be among the highest priorities for our...

Building efficiency fund in works for Portland?
July 7, 2008... Byline: Libby Tucker The Portland Office of Sustainable Development is formulating a proposal to create a fund with public and private financing that would pay for widespread energy efficiency upgrades in the city's residential and...

Corridor plan upsets Portland residents.
July 7, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf After nearly two years of work, the Portland Planning Bureau this week released its North Interstate Corridor Plan, which proposes zoning changes for the busy North Portland arterial along the MAX light-rail yellow line....

Portland Public School District proposes solar array for Hillsdale.
July 7, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff The Portland Public School District, working with the city of Portland, is considering installing a solar array that would serve district schools in the Hillsdale area. The array, which would provide 100,000 kilowatt...

Multnomah county reopens rural east county road.
July 7, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff The upper section of Larch Mountain Road in rural east Multnomah County has been reopened. Multnomah County closes public access to recreation areas off upper Larch Mountian Road each winter by installing a snow gate....

North Bend airport terminal opens next week.
July 7, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff A new airport terminal at Southwest Oregon Regional Airport in North Bend will hold its grand opening celebration Monday. The Coos County Airport District and SkyWest Airlines plan to offer service from North Bend...

Portland's fuel standard marks one year.
July 7, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff The Portland Bureau of Development Services will hold a birthday party on Thursday to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Portland's renewable fuel standard. Last year, Portland city council put into effect a law...

A mammoth new library for Tualatin.
July 7, 2008... Byline: Nathalie Weinstein Standing 8 feet tall and 12 feet long in life, the partial skeleton of a mastodon discovered in Tualatin in the 1940s isn't the only big thing happening at the Tualatin Public Library. P&C Construction Co. is...

Commentary: The long, strange trip continues.
July 7, 2008... Byline: Rich Meneghello Problem: Several weeks ago, the Oregon Court of Appeals dealt a blow to employers fighting medical marijuana in the workplace, letting stand an administrative decision that had granted a victory to a medical...

Education subcommittee in Portland eyeing South Waterfront.
July 7, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf For the last several years, the Oregon Health & Science University has tried to figure out what to do with the Schnitzer Campus, the nearly 20 acres of undeveloped brownfield property it owns south of the Marquam Bridge,...

Gresham to build its 'living room'.
July 7, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf Though it is Oregon's fourth largest city, Gresham has never had a town plaza that draws residents and visitors like Portland's Pioneer Courthouse Square. Now Gresham will finally get its living room. Designed...

Wrangling neighbors, building condos in Portland.
July 7, 2008... Byline: Libby Tucker Emerick Construction Co. doesn't usually build condos. But in February the company's special projects group began building its second condominium project, even as other developers converted new units throughout the...

Two Bend firms merge to form BBT Architects.
July 7, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Bend architectural firms BBT Architects and Stevens Architect have announced the merger of their two companies. Retaining the name of BBT Architects, the new firm is one of the largest architectural firms in Central...

MLK Jr. Boulevard plan in Portland available for public comment.
July 7, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff The Portland Development Commission has released its concept master plan for the Gateway and Heritage Markers Project on Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The plan would redevelop the gateway site into...

City bureau team in Portland inducted into SHARP.
July 7, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Portland's Bureau of Environmental Services' construction field operations will be inducted into OSHA's Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program during a presentation on July 24. The SHARP program encourages...

Portland's South Waterfront forges an identity.
July 8, 2008... Byline: Sam Bennett On the Fourth of July, Norm Whitlatch helped throw a party for a couple hundred friends and neighbors. Dubbed the South Waterfront Neighborhood BBQ and Potluck, it was the second annual Independence Day get-together...

Affordable housing project rising in North Portland.
July 8, 2008... Byline: Dan Carter The Patton Park Apartments in North Portland are taking shape. When completed in winter 2009, the affordable mixed-use project at the corner of North Interstate Avenue and Emerson Street will have 54 units as well as...

Coalition asks Portland City Council to reject crossing plan.
July 8, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff The Coalition for a Livable Future this morning will hold a meeting asking Portland City Council to reject a $4 billion plan to replace and expand the Interstate 5 crossing over the Columbia River until further analysis...

Mt. Hood Community College sustainable building program continues.
July 8, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Mt. Hood Community College this October will again offer a class focused on applying sustainable concepts to the design, development and construction of buildings. The Sustainable Building Advisor Program lasts nine...

Oregon firms take home Gold Nugget Awards.
July 8, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Oregon construction, planning and design firms took home awards at the 45th annual Gold Nugget Awards, held June 26 in San Francisco as part of the PCBC homebuilding tradeshow and conference. The awards recognize...

Washington County moves forward with road realignment.
July 8, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Washington County has awarded Eagle-Elsner Inc. of Sherwood a construction contract to realign 175th Avenue and Roy Rogers Road north of Scholls Ferry Road. Once completed, the $4.25 million project will replace a...

Engineering phase next for Portland's Burnside/Couch Street Project.
July 8, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf Street-level surveying for the Burnside Couch Street Project, which will turn those major roads into one-way couplets, has completed, and now the fast-tracked project is rushing into the engineering phase. That...

Swiss team's "solar taxi": Driven by the sun - and a cause.
July 8, 2008... Byline: Libby Tucker A Swiss team touring the globe in a solar-powered car visited Portland on Monday to promote solar energy as a viable solution to oil dependence and climate change. The solar taxi, a three-wheeled electric car that's...

Bids received for Sherwood's Adams Avenue project.
July 8, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Twelve firms have submitted proposals for engineering and planning services for the construction of Adams Avenue North in Sherwood. The project involves engineering design and preparation of documents for the...

City of Troutdale discussing new police station.
July 8, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff The City of Troutdale City Council will hold a work session tonight at 7 o'clock to discuss plans for a new police station. Dave Nelson, chief of police for the city, will discuss the current need for space, design...

Beaverton Round sued for overdue utility payments.
July 8, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff The city of Beaverton Wednesday filed a lawsuit against The Round at Beaverton Central owners association for $861,562 in overdue heating and cooling payments. The amount includes $40,461 in interest charges accrued since...

Portland's Capital Pacific Bank hires Jason Hilton.
July 8, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Capital Pacific Bank has hired Jason Hilton as vice president and client services officer. Hilton has 11 years of banking and leasing experience. He previously served as general manager and director of credit in the...

Portland's Tonkon Torp LLP hires Gwendolyn Griffith.
July 8, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Tonkon Torp LLP has hired attorney Gwendolyn Griffith to join its tax practice group. Griffith's practice focuses on closely held businesses in matters of taxation, succession and estate planning, and the formation,...

East-side infill project in Portland is Gerding Edlen's first.
July 9, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf Known for its developments in the Pearl District and South Waterfront, Gerding Edlen Development is now planning to take on another challenge: inner east-side infill. The company has finished demolishing and clearing...

Construction wraps up on downtown Portland transit mall.
July 9, 2008... Byline: Libby Tucker Heavy construction on the downtown transit mall ended last week, freeing traffic along the full lengths of Fifth and Sixth avenues for the first time in 30 years, according to TriMet. Workers building the new MAX green...

Summit in Portland identifies infrastructure issue.
July 9, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf What can Oregon, and the nation as a whole, do to beef up roads and ports? For Rep. Earl Blumenauer, it boils down to more money, and a better investment of that money. At a summit Monday at Portland State...

Portland Development Commission's Kadri, Rosenbaum step down today.
July 9, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Today marks the final day for Portland Development Commission Chair Mark Rosenbaum, who's headed the agency's five-member volunteer board of commissioners since July 11, 2006. Rosenbaum made his resignation...

City of Portland partners with Home Builders Association for green building project.
July 9, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report The City of Portland and the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland are looking for home builders to participate in their Green Building Pilot Project, which is set to start late this summer. HBA...

Irvington seeks historic district designation.
July 9, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report The Irvington Community Association and its historic preservation committee are seeking architecture buffs and photographers to aid in an effort to secure a National Historic District nomination for the Irvington...

After three years, chair of Portland Development Commission board moves on.
July 10, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf Looking back three years ago on his first six months as the chair of the Portland Development Commission board, Mark Rosenbaum admits that the tenor and temperament between Portland City Council and the PDC were nearing...

For sale in Portland area: big-dollar dream homes.
July 10, 2008... Byline: Libby Tucker Portland's housing market may have slipped substantially this year, but luxury home builders that will be showcased in the Home Builders Association's Street of Dreams tour next month say they're managing to avoid the...

Local designers share hopes, dreams for Portland.
July 10, 2008... Byline: Sam Bennett A group of local designers has taken artistic license with the city of Portland. Michael McCulloch, an architect, said he and four other designers hatched an exhibit of their visions for Portland by thinking like...

Portland State plans in-fill bike parking project.
July 10, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report An in-fill tenant improvement project for an indoor bicycle parking facility has been announced by Portland State University. The project is a partnership between the university and TriMet to encourage multimodal...

Cities of Portland, Gresham apply for JAG funds.
July 10, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report The City of Portland, Multnomah County and the City of Gresham this week applied for $269,422 in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance. The BJA has released funds...

$47.3M bond for Independence schools on ballot.
July 10, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report The Central School District Board has decided to place a $47.3 million bond on the November ballot. The bond would fund major renovations at Central High School, in Independence. Renovations include adding an...

University of Oregon planners seek alley for new arena.
July 10, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report University of Oregon planners are asking the Eugene City Council to relinquish public right-of-way of an alley and a portion of East 13th Avenue in order to construct its new, $200 million basketball arena. The...

Lebanon schools to propose new construction tax.
July 10, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report The Lebanon Community School District will hold a hearing in August to gather public comments on whether it should pursue a tax on new construction. The board members' decision to bring the question to the...

Bauman Lumber Mill in Lebanon rebuilt and reopened.
July 10, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report A rebuilt mill in Lebanon has opened, after crews demolished the original Bauman Lumber Mill and replaced it with a new, 110,000-square-foot facility. The former mill, owned by Weyerhaeuser, was replaced with a...

Salem dedicates $1 million toward workforce housing.
July 10, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Salem city leaders have agreed to provide $1 million in federal funds to Salem-Keizer Community Development to push forward a proposal to build 40 units of downtown workforce housing at 260 State St. The...

Oregon's Bureau of Labor and Industries investigates union apprenticeship program.
July 11, 2008... Byline: Libby Tucker Just as a Northwest College of Construction apprenticeship program passed muster, the Bureau of Labor and Industries is launching an investigation of a competing union program. The college's open-shop tile setting...

Developers vie for Eugene property.
July 11, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf In 1993, the property was considered a prime location for the new Eugene Public Library. But that project finished years ago - on an adjacent parcel of land. So now the vacant, city-owned property that's near the...

Portland examines ways to upgrade park.
July 11, 2008... Byline: Sam Bennett Cathedral Park, once a landing site for Lewis and Clark, has become a popular spot for concerts, boating and festivals. But the park, at the east end of the St. Johns Bridge, is in need of a makeover, according to...

Solarworld to recruit workers from Portland Community College.
July 11, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Solarworld, the largest photovoltaic manufacturer in the U.S., has partnered with Portland Community College's microelectronics program to develop graduates who specialize in solar cell manufacturing. The solar...

Portland City Council approves site for affordable housing project.
July 11, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Portland City Council on Wednesday approved a resolution to use the site of the Jerome F. Sears U.S. Army Reserve Center in Southwest Portland for an affordable housing complex. Owned by the Department of Defense, the...

Vancouver growth at 11.5 percent since 2000.
July 11, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff The city of Vancouver has maintained steady growth since the turn of the century, according to a recent Census Bureau report, and is still the fastest-growing large city in the state of Washington. The city grew 11.5...

Portland's WRG Design Inc. promotes Samantha Bianco.
July 11, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff WRG Design Inc. has promoted Samantha Bianco to land survey project manager. In addition, it has announced that Ryan Parmenter and Tamara Thordarson have passed the Oregon Professional Engineering exam and are now...

Portland's Opus NW hires Joe Peragine.
July 11, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Opus Northwest has hired Joe Peragine as its manager of design and architecture for Opus Architects & Engineers Inc. in Portland. Peragine will develop design options and find sustainable solutions for development...

Murray, Smith & Associates adds three to board of directors.
July 11, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Murray, Smith & Associates Inc. has added principal engineers Kyle McTeague and David Stangel, and controller Celeste Alvarez to its board of directors. McTeague manages water, wastewater, storm water and roadway...

Portland's Amplify Interactive hires Blu Drobushevich.
July 11, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Amplify Interactive has hired Blu Drobushevich as director of search marketing. Drobushevich has 11 years of internet marketing experience and is the co-founder of search-engine marketing organization SEMpdx. He will...

Commentary: Ensuring care facilities get paid.
July 11, 2008... Byline: Gabriela Sanchez As America's population ages, paying for long-term care is becoming an ever-increasing problem. In Oregon, long-term care includes a variety of options ranging from adult day care to nursing home facilities....

Portland's Bradshaw Advertising hires Joe Radloff.
July 11, 2008... Byline: DJC staff Bradshaw Advertising has hired Joe Radloff as vice president of client communication integration. Radloff previously worked for Mandala in Bend. He has worked with clients such as Warn Industries, the Portland Trail...

Portland makes push for more green buildings.
July 14, 2008... Byline: Sam Bennett The city's new green building policy may cost some developers more money, but it is designed to curb climate change, improve people's health and boost the local economy, according to city officials. The policy...

Vancouver Land Bridge spans highway and time.
July 14, 2008... Byline: Sam Bennett The Vancouver Land Bridge is more than just a way to cross State Route 14, east of downtown Vancouver, Wash. The bridge, which will be dedicated in August, is a symbol of the ties forged between local Native...

Rezoning expected to help Killingsworth.
July 14, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf Business owners and developers have complained for years that the three-block expanse of Northeast Killingsworth Street from 14th to 17th avenues represented the worst kind of development purgatory: It was zoned for...

Park Apartments in Portland are on the rise.
July 14, 2008... Byline: Dan Carter The Park Apartments project in Portland's Northwest neighborhood is starting to come out of the ground. The six-story building with a large central courtyard on the corner of Northwest Glisan Street and 19th Avenue will...