Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland articles from March 2005

Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland archives from March 2005

ODOT to increase workforce diversity requirements.
March 1, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough In what transportation officials are saying is an effort to ensure a sufficient supply of skilled labor, the Oregon Department of Transportation has announced that it will increase diversity requirements on its...

Portland-area's Metro auditor releases grant programs report.
March 1, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough Metro Auditor Alexis Dow released a report last week recommending the regional government improve its procedures on how to create, manage and control its community enhancement grant programs. Metro has awarded about...

Portland denies developer's appeal of East Side Big Pipe project selection.
March 2, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough Impregilo/Healy/Obayashi Corp., the joint venture that filed an appeal with the city of Portland after not being selected to build the $500-million East Side Big Pipe project, received a letter from the city's...

City of Bend, citizens at odds over Newport Bridge design.
March 2, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl After a fourth and final public planning meeting, city of Bend staff members are standing firm on their conceptual design for a replacement of Bend's oldest bridge, but the future of that design is uncertain. ...

Grant awarded to help Oregon State Univ. diversify nuclear engineering.
March 2, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough The American Nuclear Society announced last month that it has awarded the Oregon State University student chapter of the organization a $1,000 Nuclear Engineering Education for the Disadvantaged grant. The NEED...

Harley-Davidson dealership in Gladstone nets awards for design.
March 2, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough More than a year after the project was completed, the Latus Motors Harley-Davidson dealership, located in Gladstone, is still winning awards for the design and construction work that went into the project. The...

Army Corps to dredge six Oregon coast ports in summer.
March 2, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will dredge six shallow draft ports along the Oregon coast beginning early this summer. Work on projects in the Siuslaw River, Rogue River at Gold Beach and Depoe Bay, which were...

Heavy equipment thieves 'getting more brazen'.
March 3, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl John Huddleston had heard a lot of crazy stories as a superintendent for Wildish Standard Paving and was willing to believe anything. Still, even he was shocked when he showed up for work one Monday morning and...

Oregon's State guidelines for Measure 37 answer key questions.
March 3, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough The Office of the Governor and the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development released additional guidelines this week for state agency directors, local governments and legislators on the implementation...

Construction of The Strand at RiverPlace underway in Portland.
March 3, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough Construction recently began on a $110 million mixed-use development in Portland expected to enhance the RiverPlace community and play a key role in the redevelopment of the North Macadam Urban Renewal Area. The...

Seattle-based HomeStreet Bank announces second annual housing awards.
March 3, 2005... Byline: DJC Staff HomeStreet Bank launched the second annual HomeStreet Community Housing Awards on Tuesday. The program will grant seven $10,000 awards to nonprofit community organizations serving housing-related needs. The HomeStreet...

ShoreBank Pacific opens new office in Federal Way, Wash., adds vice president.
March 3, 2005... Byline: DJC Staff ShoreBank Pacific announced the opening of a new lending office in Federal Way, Wash., on Feb. 15 and the addition of Randal Shipley as vice president, banker, to lead the office. Shipley, a 25-year veteran of the...

City of Portland names manager of River Renaissance Initiative.
March 3, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl The city of Portland has named Michael J. Montgomery the first manager of its River Renaissance Initiative. Montgomery has participated in river revitalization efforts as the deputy secretary of commerce for the...

Metro council, City of Portland's joint initiative unveils food waste program.
March 4, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl A joint initiative by the regional council Metro and the city of Portland's Office of Sustainable Development should reduce the amount of food waste sent to landfills and could also impact competition among the...

2005 Governor's Occupational Safety and Health Conference workshop deals with aging workforce issues.
March 4, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough More than 1,800 people crowded into the Oregon Convention Center this week to learn about workplace health and safety issues at the 2005 Oregon Governor's Occupational Safety and Health Conference. The...

Oregon real estate firm Norris, Beggs & Simpson names top producers.
March 4, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl The commercial real estate firm Norris, Beggs & Simpson recognized seven individuals last month as its top producers at the firm's annual awards banquet. Chris Johnson, Jack McConnell, Charlie Kleier, Mark Friel...

Recommendations coming for Portland-area transportation projects.
March 4, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough Metro's Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation is expected to make its recommendation on March 17 on which projects will be selected for federal funding under the Metropolitan Transportation Improvement...

Don Mazziotti to leave Portland Development Commission.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough Don Mazziotti, the executive director of the Portland Development Commission since May 2001, has announced he will be resigning from his position as head of the city's influential urban renewal agency. Mazziotti...

Gresham industrial park project takes top honors at Oregon's SIOR awards.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl A Gresham industrial park was the big winner at Friday's presentation of the 2004 SIOR Transactions of the Year. The Oregon chapter of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors named the Commons at...

Washington State DOT Vancouver HOV lane report now online.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl The sixth evaluation report for the Washington State Department of Transportation's Interstate-5 Vancouver high-occupancy vehicle lane pilot project is now available online for public viewing. Data for the sixth...

Portland chapter of American Council of Engineering Companies plans green building panel.
March 7, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl The Portland chapter of the American Council of Engineering Companies will host six sustainability advocates this week at a panel discussion addressing green building's impact on consulting engineers. The March...

Second appeal filed with city of Portland over East Side Big Pipe project.
March 8, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough After having their first appeal denied, Impregilo/Healy/Obayashi, the joint venture that placed second in the selection process to build the $500 million East Side Big Pipe project, has filed a second appeal, this...

U.S. House committee approves $2M for engineering work for Portland's Sellwood Bridge.
March 8, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives last week approved $2 million for preliminary engineering efforts to determine the future of Portland's Sellwood Bridge. If...

Sparling acquires Seattle-based acoustical engineering team.
March 8, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough Sparling, a specialty electrical engineering and technology consulting firm, has acquired the entire team from the Seattle-based acoustical engineering firm Michael R. Yantis Associates Inc. With the deal,...

City of Gresham seeks community input on stormwater management.
March 8, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl The city of Gresham's Stormwater Division is working in tandem with community members to improve flood protection and preserve and restore area waterways. The city's five-year plan for stormwater management is in...

Portland-area projects to benefit from federal funding package.
March 9, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough The Port of Portland was one of the primary beneficiaries when the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved $45 million in federal funds for transportation projects in the Portland area last week....

Oregon State University's outreach program benefits Portland students.
March 9, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough An outreach program working with Portland Public Schools has been nationally recognized for its success in building bridges between natural resources issues, urban youth and the need to encourage more young students...

Portland General Electric increases its support for the Oregon Building Congress.
March 9, 2005... Byline: DJC Staff The Oregon Building Congress, a non-profit organization dedicated to attracting a diverse workforce to the building industry, has won the praise and increased support of Portland General Electric for its Student...

Pape Machinery Inc. expands territory with purchase of Nortrax West.
March 9, 2005... Byline: DJC Staff In a move that will substantially increase the territory of Pape Machinery, the company announced it has purchased the assets of Nortrax West, a John Deere construction and forestry equipment dealer with eight locations...

Leadership Skills for Crew Leader training comes to Portland.
March 9, 2005... Byline: DJC Staff A Leadership Skills for Crew Leader class will be hosted in Portland, March 31 through April 1. This professional development program for utility construction foremen and entry-level field managers provides new and...

Portland Planning Commission briefed on Lovejoy project.
March 10, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough Members of the Portland Planning Commission on Tuesday got a look at what the Pearl District will look like as it continues to extend north past Northwest Lovejoy Street. At the commissioner's afternoon meeting,...

Portland's Meier and Frank redevelopment open house scheduled.
March 10, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough The anticipated renovation of downtown Portland's Meier and Frank department store will be the subject of a public open house to be held on Monday from 5 to 7 p.m. in the 10th floor auditorium of the downtown Meier...

U of Oregon professors win Oregon Academy of Science awards.
March 10, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl Two University of Oregon faculty members have received top awards from the Oregon Academy of Science. Geologist Ewart M. Baldwin and physicist Richard M. Taylor have been named the 2005 Outstanding Scientist and...

Portland Development Commission briefed on progress of high profile projects.
March 11, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough The progress of two high-profile projects that have garnered the city's attention over the past couple of months were the focus of two separate briefings held at the Portland Development Commission's regularly...

Transportation symposium features Dell 'evangelist'.
March 11, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl A self-proclaimed "supply chain evangelist" will headline an upcoming transportation symposium in Vancouver, Wash. Mike Gray, a senior manager of supply chains for the personal computing giant Dell Inc., will...

Port of Portland Commission approves transportation plan.
March 11, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough At a regularly scheduled commission meeting earlier this week, the Port of Portland Commission approved the 2005 Port Transportation Improvement Plan, which outlines and prioritizes marine, road, rail, transit,...

Portland-based DL Design Group expands scope of services.
March 11, 2005... Byline: DJC Staff DL Design Group Inc. has added planning and environmental disciplines to its lineup of consulting engineering and design capabilities. Gary Darling and Irina Leschuk gained experience at David Evans and Associates...

Bend Skyliner/Mount Washington project among paving award winners.
March 11, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl The city of Bend's efforts on last year's Skyliner/Mount Washington project have earned its Public Works Department an award from the Asphalt Paving Association of Oregon. The association selected the Bend...

Consultants' work leading to fewer leaking buildings in Portland's Pearl District.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl Lon Shiiki can't believe how many buildings his firm has repaired that have had their exteriors decay just five or six years after construction. But with construction methodologies changing, those projects might not...

Hewlett Packard-Corvallis, Wallowa-Whitman join EPA program.
March 14, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl Hewlett Packard-Corvallis and the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest are the latest Oregon facilities to join the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Environmental Performance Track program. The...

Anti-crime partnership honors Pacific NW's contractors and officers.
March 15, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough Law enforcement officers and contractors gathered Friday at Portland's Multnomah Athletic Club to recognize the top construction industry crime prevention efforts of 2004 at the Construction Industry Crime...

Portland office of J.E. Dunn Construction awarded state computer facility contract.
March 15, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough The Portland office of J.E. Dunn Construction, a member of the J.E. Dunn Group, recently announced that the company has been awarded the contract to build the State of Oregon's Department of Administrative Services...

Portland-based Johnstone Supply continues to expand its operations.
March 15, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough Portland-based Johnstone Supply Inc., a cooperative distributor of HVAC/R parts and products with 294 independently owned stores nationwide, celebrated the grand opening of its newest distribution center in...

Newcomers bring different touch to Portland's Parade of Homes.
March 16, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl Back for just his second of the 28 Parade of Homes shows held annually in Clark County, Wash., Rick Grams is already approaching veteran status. Despite building a home for the show just once before 2005, Grams...

Portland's River Renaissance Initiative continues to move forward.
March 16, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough Both the east and west sides of Portland will better connect to the Willamette River when the city's River Renaissance Initiative is completed years from now, city officials said at a media briefing last week. ...

Oregon OSHA to offer vehicle safety workshop.
March 16, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough In an effort to create safer workplaces for workers who drive as a part of their job, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division has announced it will introduce a training workshop called Managing Your...

Central Oregon green building directory gets update.
March 16, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl The Building Green Council of Central Oregon recently completed phase one of its Building Green Directory overhaul, and more changes are on the way. The directory, an Internet catalog of Central Oregon green...

Industry members help build Vancouver GATE House.
March 17, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough After years of moving from one temporary home to another, the Vancouver School District's Gateway to Adult Transition Education program in Washington state should have a permanent home when the next school year...

Renewable energy alliance puts spotlight on Central Oregon.
March 17, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl At a forum last week at the Oregon State Capitol Building, legislators hailed a recent report that ranks Oregon ninth nationally among states that benefit from solar-manufacturing-related businesses. Good, but...

NECA-IBEW Electrical Training Center hosts field hearing.
March 17, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl NECA-IBEW administrators last week used a Business Labor and Consumer Affairs Committee field hearing to engage in the legislative process and show off their Electrical Training Center. The committee met March 11...

Oregon State Univ. student engineering team wins national awards.
March 17, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough A team of construction engineering management students from Oregon State University won the first-place awards in two different national competitions, marking the first time that the same engineering school has won...

Port of Portland committee working to attract new carrier service.
March 18, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough About a month after the inaugural meeting of the Port of Portland's Columbia River Service Committee, port and committee officials are optimistic about the prospect of attracting new carrier services to Portland....

Portland school, clinic take different tacks to obtain solar arrays.
March 18, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl As science teacher Dan Evans showed off his school's new 1,050-watt array of solar panels in Northeast Portland, across town Larry Reed prepared for an informal demonstration of his medical clinic's own new solar...

U.S. Rep. Blumenauer to moderate Portland State Univ. sustainability forum.
March 18, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer will moderate a forum on sustainability next week at Portland State University. Blumenauer will moderate the panel discussion featuring five experts on sustainability at the March 23...

Wildish Standard Paving picked to rebuild Washington County bridge.
March 21, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl Eugene-based general contractor Wildish Standard Paving Co. has been selected to rebuild Washington County's deteriorating Phillip Harris Bridge. The Oregon Department of Transportation posted a notice of intent...

Community members make design suggestions for Columbia River Gorge-area projects.
March 21, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough More than 400 Columbia River Gorge-area residents recently gathered for a series of community meetings regarding how design guidelines should be shaped for a series of transportation improvement projects that will...

American Institute of Architects Seattle plans medical design forum for April 7-8.
March 21, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl As the health care industry evolves, so too does medical design. An April forum coordinated by AIA Seattle will address changes in both fields. The forum, which will feature speakers from both the medical and...

Benson Tower construction back on track in Portland.
March 22, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough Construction work finally got under way earlier this month on a needle-thin condominium tower in downtown Portland's West End that was originally scheduled to be completed a couple of months from now. The Benson...

U.S. DOT seeks research proposals from small businesses.
March 22, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl The U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced that it will make available $3.5 million in funding for innovative research that will help enhance the safety and efficiency of the U.S. transportation system,...

ODOT fined $14,000 for alleged DEQ violations.
March 22, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality last month fined the state's Department of Transportation more than $14,000 for alleged wastewater discharge in Milwaukie. The Department of Transportation had until...

Despite added costs, Portland officials optimistic about tram.
March 23, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough About a week after announcing that construction costs for the Portland Aerial Tram project have risen from $28.4 million to $34.2 million and that the opening of the tram will be delayed for about six months,...

Port of Portland, airline turn periodicals into teaching aides.
March 23, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough Lufthansa German Airlines, Evergreen Eagle and the Port of Portland's Aviation Environmental Department have announced they have teamed up to turn leftover periodicals from the airline's nonstop Frankfurt-Portland...

Sherwood-based Colamette Construction wins Albany Aquatic Center contract.
March 23, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough Sherwood-based Colamette Construction Company Inc. recently announced it was awarded a contract to construct the Albany Aquatic Center for the Parks and Recreation Department of the city of Albany. Designed by...

Prevailing wages required on Portland's Civic Apartments project.
March 24, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough In a recent decision by the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, the Housing Authority of Portland has learned that construction activities on its redevelopment project of the Civic Apartments are subject to...

First round of Columbia River Estuarine Coastal Fund grants awarded.
March 24, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl Fourteen projects in or near the Columbia River Estuary are the recipients of the first round of grants from the Columbia River Estuarine Coastal Fund. Recipients of the grants, which range from $5,000 to...

Mahlum Architects' design proposes greenest building in Olympia School District.
March 24, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl Mahlum Architects' design of a new Washington Middle School in Olympia, Wash., imagines a building that will be the greenest in its school district when it's completed in July 2006. The school will be the first...

Lawsuit against Oregon Electric Construction settled.
March 24, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough The Seattle office of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently announced that it has settled a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit against Portland-based Oregon Electric Construction Inc., a large...

Portland's Bureau of Development Services hopes to streamline services with new fee.
March 25, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough Days after minor amendment changes were made during a public hearing before the Portland City Council, officials from the city's Bureau of Development Services are optimistic that their proposed Development Services...

Energy industry, efficiency advocates meet at forum held at Portland State Univ.
March 25, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl Energy industry representatives and efficiency advocates shared a podium - and often the same hopes for the industry's future - at a Wednesday forum at Portland State University. U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer...

Portland's Businesses for an Environmentally Sound Tomorrow to host awards breakfast.
March 25, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl Portland Mayor Tom Potter and environmental author Bill McKibben have been tabbed to appear at the 13th annual BEST awards breakfast. Kibben, author of nine books and a former staff writer for The New Yorker...

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to repair Fern Ridge Dam in summer.
March 28, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl An unusually dry winter has frustrated many Oregon residents, but 2005's low level of precipitation is in some ways a blessing for those preparing to repair the Fern Ridge Dam later this year. The U.S. Army Corps...

AMEC's Portland office awarded Salem firing range contract.
March 28, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough The Portland office of AMEC, an international engineering and project management company, recently announced the firm has been awarded a $2.5 million base contract to design and construct two indoor firing ranges at...

Washington company faces fines related to worker's death.
March 28, 2005... Byline: Justin Stranzl The Washington Department of Labor and Industries last month fined a Morton, Wash., company in response to what it alleges were workplace safety violations that contributed to an employee's death. NW Forest Fibre...

Real Estate 2000 joins Windermere Real Estate network.
March 28, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough Windermere Real Estate, one of the largest residential real estate company's in the western United States, recently announced that Real Estate 2000 in Roseburg will join the Windermere network on April 1. The...

Portland resolution could benefit small businesses.
March 29, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough Small businesses across Portland, including many in construction-related fields, could get a much needed boost tomorrow morning when Portland City Council considers a resolution that could help business districts...

Washington County approves Measure 37 rule.
March 29, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough The Washington County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a procedure earlier this month to deal with claims filed under Measure 37, the statewide law approved by voters last November. Measure 37 allows...

Portland's Metro program moves to create 'transit villages'.
March 30, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough With projects such as The Round in Beaverton, Buckman Terrace in Portland and Central Point in Gresham as showcases for what the program can do, the regional government Metro's Transit Oriented Development program...

Oregon OSHA to offer safety training workshops.
March 30, 2005... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division recently announced that it will be offering two free training sessions to employers and workers in Salem on April 21 at the Labor and Industries...

TriMet operating budget advances rail projects.
March 31, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough The construction industry had reason to celebrate last week as various aspects of several large transportation projects that will eventually lead to the creation of numerous construction jobs were included in...

TriStar Transload PNW expands at Port of Vancouver.
March 31, 2005... Byline: Cody McCullough TriStar Transload PNW, a company that transloads finished lumber and a variety of other products from truck to rail for the building materials industry, began construction for expanded operations at the Port of...