Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland articles from March 2009

Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland archives from March 2009

Restoration of Portland landmark continues.
March 2, 2009... Byline: Justin Carinci The Ladd Carriage House has been a stable presence on Southwest Broadway Avenue in downtown Portland since 1883. Except for that one time it strayed. In 2007, the historic building was moved a few blocks away...

First and Main building in Portland tops off.
March 2, 2009... Byline: Tyler Graf A year before the First and Main building - located at the western base of the Hawthorne Bridge - is scheduled to open its doors, its developers at San Francisco-based Shorenstein Company still don't have an anchor...

Input sought for light-rail station in Vancouver.
March 2, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff TriMet on March 10 will hold a neighborhood workshop to hear input about the design of a new light-rail station that would be constructed in downtown Vancouver, Wash., as part of the Columbia River Crossing project. ...

Seminar in Oregon City to look at benefits of swales and rain gardens.
March 2, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff A local engineer, a landscape architect and an environmentalist will team up on Wednesday to present a seminar on swales and rain gardens. Green From the Ground Up: Swales and Rain Gardens will discuss the economic...

Bonds sold for new schools in Salem-Keizer area.
March 2, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Four new schools are scheduled to be built for Salem-Keizer Public Schools, according to a report by the (Salem) Statesman Journal. The school district last week raised $178.7 million by selling construction bonds...

State of Oregon approves federal stimulus projects.
March 3, 2009... Byline: Justin Carinci Contractors will get to work on dozens of new highway projects this summer, thanks to the federal stimulus package. The Oregon Transportation Commission on Friday approved a list of 40 projects that will be under...

Sustainability conference comes to Portland.(Conference news)
March 3, 2009... Byline: Sam Bennett The upcoming Living Future conference in Portland will give local designers a chance to share their innovations and also learn new techniques from specialists around the country. This is the third Living Future...

Plenty of room for growth: Aloha church is getting a 21,400-square-foot addition.
March 3, 2009... Byline: Dan Carter Work on a major addition to the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Aloha is moving along. The new building at 18865 S.W. Johnson St. will have 21,400 square feet, including seven classrooms, an auditorium, a community room and...

Land-use reviews' expiration dates in Portland may be extended.
March 3, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Due to the difficult economic situation faced by developers and homeowners, the Portland bureaus of development services and planning and sustainability are currently working to create a proposal that would extend...

Seminar in Portland aims to help firms make most of stimulus.
March 3, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Law firm Lane Powell on March 20 will hold a breakfast seminar on how businesses can benefit from federal and state stimulus programs. The program will focus on recent developments in the American Recovery and...

University of Oregon assistant professor honored for green planning.
March 3, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff The American Planning Association's Federal Planning Division has given University of Oregon assistant professor Mark Gillem a design award for sustainable planning. Gillem received the 2009 Outstanding Sustainable...

Tigard looks to lock down Capital Improvement Plan list.
March 3, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Public comment is being sought by the city of Tigard in regard to its 2009-2014 Capital Improvement Plan. The five-year plan details a list of proposed improvements to city streets, storm drainage, sanitary sewer,...

Vancouver, Washington works to remove obstacles to development.
March 3, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff The city of Vancouver, Wash., and Clark County recently completed a joint study of code and regulatory barriers to the development of sustainable, affordable housing within Vancouver. Today, the city will hold an open...

Vancouver-based Mackay & Sposito promotes Schauer to president.
March 3, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff MacKay & Sposito Inc. has promoted Tim Schauer to president. Schauer previously served as senior vice president of the firm. A registered professional engineer, he has been with the firm for 18 years and specialized...

Portland financial advisor named top financial advisor by Barron's magazine.
March 3, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Ragen MacKenzie and Wells Fargo Investments LLC have announced that Jeff Wirth has been named one of the top 1,000 financial advisors in the country by Barron's magazine. Advisors were chosen based on their assets under...

Commentary: Madoff scandal teaches valuable lesson.
March 3, 2009... Byline: John Wyckoff Last year saw more than its fair share of upsetting financial news. On Dec. 11, 2008, Bernard L. Madoff was arrested by federal agents - a day after his sons turned him in for running what they said their father called...

Mixed-use project in Independence aims for LEED's highest score.
March 4, 2009... Byline: Sam Bennett When finished in 2010, Independence Station will represent a feat in green building engineering, but also an accomplishment in perseverance. Developer Steven Ribeiro of Aldeia LLC, who in 2004 bought the property...

Oregon continues to lose construction jobs.
March 4, 2009... Byline: Justin Carinci If there's a positive spin on Oregon's latest construction employment numbers, it's that the state has plenty of available workers. In fact, 2,100 more just became available. One tiny measure of good news, at...

Financial expert speaks in Portland: Lenders, developers adjust to market changes.
March 4, 2009... Byline: Tyler Graf Until recently, real estate has seen unprecedented growth in the last 16 years. So, many Portland real estate professionals are experiencing their first full-blown recession, according to Wells Fargo Vice President Nelda...

Architecture Foundation of Oregon hands out 2009 grants.
March 4, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff A total of $23,500 was recently awarded by the Architecture Foundation of Oregon to numerous architecture organizations throughout the state. AFO grants are awarded annually to individuals and organizations that...

Portland architect Belluschi's widow dead at 88.(Obituary)
March 4, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff The widow of celebrated Portland architect Pietro Belluschi has died. Marjorie Belluschi passed on Feb. 24 at age 88. Belluschi worked as a secretary at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and became...

Port of Vancouver forms partnership with Grady Britton.
March 4, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff The Port of Vancouver has chosen Portland public relations agency Grady Britton as its agency of record for the next three years. Grady Britton will work with the port to promote its upcoming projects and its role in...

House bill in Oregon aims to clarify who are dislocated workers.
March 4, 2009... Byline: Tom Henderson If you're out of a job, you're probably distressed. But are you an economically distressed worker? It depends on the definition. Oregon legislators seek a precise definition in House Bill 2624, unveiled...

Green center study in Portland goes to Gerding Edlen.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Sam Bennett The team of Gerding Edlen Development Co., SERA Architects and GBD Architects has been selected to perform a feasibility study for the Sustainability Center of Excellence in Portland. Damin Tarlow of Gerding Edlen said...

Hydrophix sponges are being used at Portland parking lot to reduce river pollution.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Tyler Graf When storm-water runoff in parking lots and construction sites generate river pollution, everyone's health suffers. But a new type of spongy filter, created for large-scale oil-spill remediation, could be the next...

Brooklyn Yard commercial project in Southeast Portland will feature 24 Hour Fitness.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Dan Carter Work on the Brooklyn Yard commercial project in Southeast Portland is finishing up. The two buildings totaling 53,000 square feet at 1300 S.E. Holgate will house a 24 Hour Fitness and retail businesses. General...

AIA Oregon asks for help with Capitol displays.
March 5, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff The American Institute of Architects Oregon has issued a request for proposals for its 2009 Day at the Legislature, where displays of high-performance projects and building concepts will be presented on the ground floor...

Professionals in Portland sought to aid people in crises.
March 5, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff A nonprofit organization is looking for construction experts, water/sanitation specialists and logistics professionals to aid people in foreign countries who are threatened by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters...

Owner of painting company in Portland receives national honor.
March 5, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff David E. Siegner of Siegner and Company has received the 2009 Richard A. Liddeke Distinguished Service Award from the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America. The award recognizes PDCA members who demonstrate...

University of Oregon expands music facilities with BOORA-designed project.
March 5, 2009... Byline: DJC staff A public dedication and open house will be held Friday to celebrate the completion of a $19.3 million renovation and expansion of the music building at the University of Oregon, in Eugene. The first new construction...

Road project's aim is to reduce Kuebler Boulevard congestion in Salem.
March 5, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff A transportation project to reduce congestion at the southbound Interstate 5 off-ramp onto Kuebler Boulevard will soon be under way in Salem. The project will add a westbound lane with a bike lane, curb, sidewalk and...

Albany reviewing plans for new commercial development.
March 5, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff The city of Albany is considering a three-building commercial development in the northern part of the city, according to a report by the Albany Democrat-Herald. Named the Gary Davenport Project, the three buildings...

Commentary: It's time to give credit where it's due.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Hal Brown Much has been written about the breakdown in the national credit markets. Nearly every day we hear that banks are not lending and that credit is nonexistent. As long as the myth of credit unavailability is perpetuated,...

Kennedy/Jenks in Portland hires Yandell.
March 5, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Kennedy/Jenks Consultants has hired Lon Yandell as its client services manager. Yandell will focus on senior technical work, business development and client services. With 25 years of experience, Yandell has managed...

Portland-based NAI Norris, Beggs & Simpson promotes staff.
March 5, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff NAI Norris, Beggs & Simpson has promoted Steve Dodds, Denis O'Neill, Monique Clouser, Kim Kamerer and Tamara Fuller to vice president, Doug Bartocci to senior salesperson, and Traci McCauley to associate vice president....

Commentary: So where will stimulus money go?
March 5, 2009... Byline: Mike Salsgiver Now that President Obama and the 111th U.S. Congress have passed the $790 billion federal stimulus bill, the real work begins. States, communities and businesses around the nation must sift through the 1,073-page...

Habitat for Humanity goes green in Portland.
March 6, 2009... Byline: Sam Bennett Building energy-efficient homes is nothing new for Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East, according to executive director Steve Messinetti. We have been building (highly) energy-efficient homes for 10 years in...

Students in Portland learn to think like brokers and developers.
March 6, 2009... Byline: Tyler Graf For one day, the first-floor space at the Yeon Building was so full it could have been perceived as being completely leased. But the occupants, more than 80 in all, were actually high school students. As part of...

Associated General Contractors of America opens national convention in San Diego.(Conference notes)
March 6, 2009... Byline: Justin Carinci Sessions on meditation don't show up anywhere on the agenda at the Associated General Contractors of America's national convention, taking place this week in San Diego. But that didn't stop incoming AGC president...

Investigation of combined sewer overflows in Portland is over.
March 6, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff After nearly eight years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has decided to cease its investigation of Portland's combined sewer overflows program. The EPA in July 2001 referred a possible enforcement case to...

Workshop in Portland will look at daylighting in architecture.
March 6, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff A continuing education workshop next month at the American Institute of Architects Portland will discuss the design of effective and functional daylighting within a building. Architect Christopher Meek, the primary...

Commentary: Networking Web sites can be snares.
March 6, 2009... Byline: Rich Meneghello It is becoming increasingly common for employers to use social networking sites such as Myspace and Facebook to obtain information about current employees and job applicants in making personnel decisions. Many...

Tualatin firm hooks national award.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Justin Carinci Working seven-day weeks in terrible weather to meet a nearly impossible deadline doesn't appeal to most construction companies. But for the Natt McDougall Co., boredom is worse than taking on stressful projects. ...

Portland Public Schools eager to start repairs.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Tyler Graf Portland Public Schools is looking to renovate and restore buildings within its entire school portfolio over the next several decades. To start, the school district has issued a request for proposals in its search for a...

Pearl District development in Portland is up for design review.
March 9, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff The Portland Design Commission at its meeting on March 19 will review plans for a new six-story, mixed-use development in the North Pearl District designed by Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects. Owner Ed McNamara...

Port of Portland issues request for proposals.
March 9, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff The Port of Portland has issued a request for proposals to establish a pool of qualified firms to perform on-call planning services for short-term projects at the port. The chosen firms would be contracted for three...

Construction leaders in Portland organize outreach event.
March 9, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff The Portland Construction Leadership Council on Tuesday will spend time reaching out to needy families at a homeless shelter in Vancouver, Wash. The CLC will be preparing and serving dinner at the Homestead Shelter...

Myhre Group Architects begins design work for new multihousing housing project in Astoria.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Nathalie Weinstein Myhre Group Architects has begun initial design work for a new multifamily housing project along the Columbia River, in Astoria. Located at the former Englund Marine & Industrial Supply building site on the...

Commentary: No one dares call it nationalization.
March 9, 2009... Byline: William Rutherford As we all know, the Obama administration is wrestling with the banking and housing crises. U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner offered the administration's solution to Congress, but the financial markets were...

Council votes for 12 lanes for Columbia River Crossing in Washington.
March 9, 2009... Byline: Tyler Graf In what Columbia River Crossing Project Council Chair Hal Dengerink called one of the council's most important meetings, the bi-state council that helps oversee the project on Friday voted to recommend a 12-lane bridge...

Oregon gov. is one of 1,700 at author Thomas Friedman's lecture at Portland State University.
March 10, 2009... Byline: Sam Bennett Let the race begin. That is the advice of New York Times columnist and author Thomas Friedman. The race, he said at a lecture Monday, is to devise technologies that will free people from their dependence on fossil...

Building information modeling catching on in construction industry.
March 10, 2009... Byline: Justin Carinci Building information modeling lets members of a project team see nearly every detail of a project in 3-D. But first, team members need to agree how much detail they want, John Tocci Jr. of Gilbane Building Company...

Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project will be updated at open house.
March 10, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff An update on the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project will be presented at an open house tonight, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the St. Philip Neri Church. Scheduled to open in 2015, the Portland-Milwaukie light-rail...

Metro in Oregon seeks applications for grant program.
March 10, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Metro is seeking applications for capital projects that incorporate green design and nature into neighborhoods for the second year of its Nature in Neighborhoods grant program. The program gives money to projects that...

Renovations at two Astoria hotels continue.
March 10, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff The owner of a Portland electrical fixtures company and the owner of a Gearhart construction firm are currently working to restore two historic hotels in Astoria, according to a report by the Coast River Business Journal....

Milwaukie will seek federal funding for transit center work.
March 10, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff The city of Milwaukie has decided to pursue federal stimulus funding for improvements to its downtown transit center. Milwaukie City Council last week approved a resolution to seek federal stimulus-funded street...

Tualatin Historical Society is looking for volunteers.
March 10, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Tualatin history buffs are encouraged to contact the Tualatin Historical Society, which is currently seeking assistance with several projects - including interviews, photos and internet research. Volunteers will...

Vancouver, Wash. adopts citywide sustainability plan.
March 10, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff The city of Vancouver, Wash., has adopted a citywide sustainability plan. The Creating a More Sustainable Vancouver plan was created by a Green Ribbon Panel made up of business leaders, neighborhoods, and citizen and city...

Commentary: It's time for firms to get choosy in their work.
March 10, 2009... Byline: Leo MacLeod It may seem counterintuitive, but now is the time to be choosy about what work you pursue. When times were good, many firms chased work that may not have been the best fit for their capabilities, didn't reflect a...

Portland-based Westlake Consultants Inc. promotes Jariabka, hires White.
March 10, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Westlake Consultants Inc. has promoted Michelle Jariabka to project engineer and has hired Steve White as a senior civil designer. Jariabka joined Westlake in 2002 as a civil designer and was promoted to project...

Portland-based Brown and Caldwell annouces promotions.
March 10, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Brown and Caldwell has promoted Jon Holland to vice president and Jim Harper to associate. In addition, it has hired Krista Reininga as a senior project engineer and has elected Bryan Paulson to its board of directors....

Portland office of Glumac promotes Simkin and Harmon.
March 10, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Glumac has promoted Isaac Simkin to associate principal and Elizabeth Harmon to office manager. In addition, the firm announced that Rick Hartung has received his certification as an ASHRAE Healthcare Facility Design...

Commentary: We need to stop digging a deeper hole.
March 10, 2009... Byline: John Killin They say that when you have dug yourself a hole you should stop digging. It might be time to apply that to the economy. And right now we all need to work together to apply this to our local economy. While I am...

Centennial Mills in Portland faces structural deficiencies.
March 11, 2009... Byline: Tyler Graf Last spring, California-based development firm Lab Holdings won the rights to redevelop the Centennial Mills property, bordering the Willamette River on the periphery of the Pearl District. Since then, developers have...

City of Portland appeals to University of Oregon about sign change.
March 11, 2009... Byline: Sam Bennett For Hannah Fisher, the debate over changing the Made in Oregon sign to say University of Oregon boils down to one issue: fairness. We all need to raise visibility, but it should not be done at the cost of...

Two Oregon firms take top safety awards.
March 11, 2009... Byline: Justin Carinci Two Oregon companies last week received first-place national awards for their efforts to keep employees safe. Portland-based PermaCold engineering and Wildish of Eugene each won Construction Safety Excellence Awards...

Port of Portland is working on deicing system.
March 11, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff The Port of Portland is in the process of enhancing its deicing system, which serves Portland International Airport during cold weather. Airlines regularly apply anti-icing and deicing materials to prevent or remove ice...

Architecture event in Portland will look at value of design.
March 11, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff The Association of Collegiate School of Architecture on March 26-29 will hold its annual meeting in Portland at the Hilton Portland and Executive Tower. The Value of Design will focus on how architecture can become...

East Portland Aquatic Center is ready for summer.
March 11, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Lease Crutcher Lewis has completed construction of the new East Portland Aquatic Center. Designed by SERA Architects, the 25,000-square-foot pool complex includes a lap pool, a leisure pool with a twisting red water...

Commentary: Work may get easier for disabled vets in Oregon.
March 11, 2009... Byline: Tom Henderson Monday turned out well for Sen. Joanne Verger, D-Coos Bay. She found out she still has time to tack her name onto a bill that gives disabled veterans an edge in business. That's great news, said Verger, a member...

Portland Development Commission reorganizes.
March 12, 2009... Byline: Tyler Graf As the Portland Development Commission wraps up some internal restructuring, it's preparing to take on some more - this time, with the Bureau of Housing and Community Development. The PDC this week split into three...

Demolition of old University Place in downtown Portland makes space for a new one.
March 12, 2009... Byline: Dan Carter The University Place apartment building, built 101 years ago in downtown Portland, is now history. The three-story, 28-unit affordable housing complex at the corner of Southwest 13th Avenue and Clay Street has been razed...

Tualatin Valley Highway work from Beaverton to Forest Grove will aid pedestrians.
March 12, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff Construction begins this month on pedestrian improvements at 17 locations along the Tualatin Valley Highway from Beaverton to Forest Grove. TriMet and the Oregon Department of Transportation will make the road and...

Seminar in Portland will look at laws that relate to layoffs.
March 12, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff An American Institute of Architects continuing education course on April 7 will discuss the current laws for workforce reductions, layoffs and unemployment. Force Reductions, Unemployment, and Your Rights as an...

Washougal, Wash., sets sights on code amendments.
March 12, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff The city of Washougal, Wash., has prepared a draft of code amendments to encourage development - green, in particular - in the area. The revisions would increase the number of lots for a short plat from four to nine...

Purchase deadline extended for Eugene redevelopment site.
March 12, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff WG Development has been given a six-month extension to purchase and develop the site of a former Sears store at West 10th Avenue and Charnelton Street, in Eugene. WG Development and Opus Northwest each responded to a...

Ex-railroad bridge to serve cyclists, pedestrians in Salem.
March 12, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff General contractor Carter & Company Inc. has nearly completed the first phase of the renovation of the historic Union Street Railroad Bridge, in Salem. Built across the Willamette River in 1912 by Southern Pacific...

Economic woes force city of Lebanon to restructure.
March 12, 2009... Byline: DJC Staff The city of Lebanon has reduced or eliminated several building and engineering positions due to financial constraints. The city notified affected employees this month that some positions have been eliminated or...

Portland City Council paves way for Major League Soccer.
March 12, 2009... Byline: Sam Bennett In a narrow vote, the Portland City Council on Wednesday voted to move ahead with forging an agreement to bring Major League Soccer to Portland, making a major improvement to PGE Park and relocating the Portland Beavers...

Commentary: Is the Metolius River Basin special?
March 12, 2009... Byline: Edward Sullivan and Carrie Richter The governor, the Oregon Legislature, the Land Conservation and Development Commission and some environmental and tribal lobbyists are all scrambling to protect the Metolius River Basin. Five...

Engineers in Oregon make most of their 15 minutes.
March 12, 2009... Byline: Tom Henderson Some 40 engineers scurried about the state Capitol on Tuesday, grabbing 15 minutes with every legislator they could. Rep. Betsy Beyer, D-Springfield, was glad to see them. That could be because Beyer, who chairs...

Prevention is stressed at Oregon Governor's Occupational Safety and Health Conference.
March 13, 2009... Byline: Justin Carinci The construction industry has grown safer over the years. But workers are still injured and killed from falls on job sites. That's unacceptable, said Dan Johnson, vice president of operations for Skanska USA. ...

New restaurant now atop Macy's in downtown Portland.
March 13, 2009... Byline: Sam Bennett Departure Restaurant & Lounge is designed to make visitors feel they have arrived. The 9,000-square-foot restaurant and lounge on the penthouse floor of Macy's in downtown Portland, designed by Skylab Architecture,...

Ex-warehouse in Northwest Portland has new look.
March 13, 2009... Byline: Nathalie Weinstein How many nails does it take to transform a turn-of-the-century warehouse into a mixed-use building for artists and commercial tenants? About 150,000 nails, according to Seth Keiser of Todd Hess Building Co. A...