Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland articles from November 2007

Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland archives from November 2007

Nonresidential construction spending hits record in September.
November 1, 2007... Byline: DJC staff Total construction spending rose and private nonresidential construction hit an all-time high in September, the U.S. Commerce Department said Wednesday. Total spending reached $1.16 trillion, up 0.3 percent over...

Portland Family of Funds creation gets $65M in New Markets credits.
November 1, 2007... Byline: DJC staff A Portland Family of Funds entity, National Community Fund I, was awarded $65 million in federal New Markets Tax Credits, Portland Family of Funds said Wednesday. National Community Fund I was formed by Portland...

Commentary: Get property onto the National Register.
November 1, 2007... Byline: Art DeMuro The current discussion of the vision for Centennial Mills is possible only because the Pearl District Neighborhood Association, the historic preservation community and our mayor and City Council halted the threat of its...

Commentary: Create more than landmark by examining community.
November 1, 2007... Byline: Tiffany Sweitzer Since the inception of the Hoyt neighborhood, I've watched a retired industrial yard transform into a vibrant, multiuse neighborhood. The Pearl District has become a model studied by developers and urban planners...

Commentary: Three rules will guide smart state transportation overhaul.
November 1, 2007... Byline: Larry Hannan Transportation: Without question, this subject is one of the most important public policy issues facing this state and nation. A fully-functioning, well-maintained, multi-modal system of transportation can stimulate...

Oregon's Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects hires new staff.
November 1, 2007... Byline: DJC staff Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects has hired Melissa Eby as an interior designer, Terry McDonald as a drafter and Rebecca Rickabaugh as administrative staff. In addition, it has hired Anthony Martinez and Kristen...

Construction lobbyist runs for Oregon House.
November 1, 2007... Byline: Libby Tucker Construction industry lobbyist Jessica Adamson today will announce her candidacy for the Oregon House of Representatives. Adamson, 29, has worked for eight years as a lobbyist for the Oregon-Columbia chapter of...

Portland's Centennial Mills' neighbor a Fields of dreams.
November 1, 2007... Byline: Tyler Graf The long-awaited redevelopment of the historic Centennial Mills is eliciting elation but also anxiety over how it's restored and how it changes the northern edge of the Pearl District. And key to its success is...

Portland's 52 Limited hires Ashley Findley and Gabrielle Morgan.
November 1, 2007... Byline: DJC staff 52 Limited has hired Ashley Findley as an administrative assistant. Findley previously worked in administration at a Southern California group home for troubled youth. Prior to that, she was assistant director at a...

Oregon's Galbraith & Associates hires Tina Beaver.
November 1, 2007... Byline: DJC staff Galbraith & Associates has hired Tina Beaver. Beaver holds a Bachelor of Arts in landscape architecture from the University of Oregon. She researched and designed an Alzheimer's garden for Asante's Heathstone and the...

Seattle-based Flexcar obtained by competitor.
November 1, 2007... Byline: Nathalie Weinstein Cambridge, Mass.-based Zipcar, an urban car-sharing company, will absorb Seattle-based Flexcar by the end of this week, the companies' executives said Wednesday. The merger will create a company triple the...

Oregon's Dunn Carney hires John Miller, Laura Althouse, Kim Allen.
November 1, 2007... Byline: DJC staff Dunn Carney has hired John Miller to its business group. Miller holds a Juris Doctor from Willamette University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from Gonzaga University. Dunn Carney has hired Laura Althouse to...

Associated General Contractors to award 2007 winners of Skill Integrity and Responsibility (SIR).
November 2, 2007... Byline: Libby Tucker It's the construction industry's biggest problem, four veteran contractors agree: Young workers don't want to work hard, sacrifice and just plain get their hands dirty - the essentials of a construction career. ...

No place like Portland for natural homes.
November 2, 2007... Byline: Alison Ryan Oregon plays a starring role in the pilot for a new green TV show - and the Portland producer of the venture thinks that'll be a boost as he works to sell the series. The fact that Portland is constantly referred to...

Portland-based Bradshaw Advertising promotes Bambusch, Browning.
November 2, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Bradshaw Advertising has promoted Angela Bambusch to production manager and Christina Browning to assistant account executive. In addition, it has hired Jillian Forni as an executive assistant and account...

President of Bluestone and Hockley Real Estate Services in Portland awarded CCIM designation.
November 2, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Bluestone and Hockley Real Estate Services has announced that Cliff Hockley has been awarded the Certified Commercial Investment Member designation by the CCIM Institute. The designation is given to real estate...

Landau Associates promotes Kruczek.
November 2, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Landau Associates has promoted Jessica Kruczek to senior project engineer. Kruczek has nine years of experience in project management, design, construction oversight and operation of site investigation and...

Commentary: Interviewing? Stay out of the forbidden zone.
November 2, 2007... Byline: Rich Meneghello Problem: Interviewing potential employees is like driving down a highway filled with potholes - there's danger at every curve, and sometimes it isn't visible until it's too late. Sometimes an interviewer -...

Miracle on Portland's Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
November 2, 2007... Byline: Tyler Graf Northeast Portland's Miracles Club has helped recovering addicts battle their demons for 15 years. Housed in an unassuming building on a blighted industrial strip of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, the organization...

Central Wash. wind farm adds test solar panels.
November 2, 2007... Byline: DJC staff Puget Sound Energy's new Wild Horse Solar Facility began producing electricity this month at its Wild Horse Wind Facility. The 229-megawatt wind farm, located in Central Washington, completed construction this month...

AEC arts patrons take honors at Nov. 15 event in Portland.
November 2, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Northwest Business for Culture & the Arts will hold the Arts Breakfast of Champions on Nov. 14 at the Portland Art Museum to honor local companies that have made significant contributions to arts and culture in the...

Portland-based Sera Architects hires new staff.
November 2, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Sera Architects has hired Cassandra Tyler, Andrea Schultz-Winter, Russell Holzinger, F. Jordan Kiel, Kim McGhee, Gauri Rajbaidya and R. Sean Darnell to its staff. Tyler holds a Master of Architecture from the...

Portland attorney Anne Talcott appointed to Defense Research Institute committee.
November 2, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt has announced that Anne Talcott has been appointed to the Defense Research Institute's Annual Meeting and Diversity steering committees. Talcott is a shareholder in the Portland...

Oregon-based Perkins and Co. names Sullivan a shareholder.
November 2, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Perkins and Co. has named Dave Sullivan a shareholder in the firm. Sullivan joined the firm in 2000. He previously held various management, marketing and business development positions and spent 10 years in the...

Portland-based wood company opens British Columbia mills.
November 2, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Portland-based pulp and wood product business Pope & Talbot Inc. announced this week it would re-open three sawmills in British Columbia. The saw mills, located in Grand Forks, Castlegar and Fort St. James,...

Portland-based Neil Kelly Co. hires Atkin.
November 5, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Neil Kelly Co. Design/Build Remodeling has hired Suzie Atkin as a designassociate. Atkin holds a degree in interior design from Brigham Young University at Idaho. She worked in design and helped manage a kitchen and...

Portland-based ICPS/Corfac International hires Livesay.
November 5, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff ICPS/Corfac International has hired Ryan Livesay as a broker. Livesay previously worked at West Side Advisors as an assistant trader. He is a graduate of the University of Tulsa.

Portland office of Roggenkamp Erickson & Associates hires McFarlin.
November 5, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Roggenkamp Erickson & Associates has hired Beth McFarlin as a financial administrator. McFarlin has 21 years of experience in accounting, office management and human resources.

Ore. Chapter of Meeting Professionals International certify two new members.
November 5, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff The Oregon chapter of Meeting Professionals International has announced that Andy Frezza and Stacie Bushaw have become certified meeting professionals. The CMP program is designed to increase the professionalism of...

Fortress to fall: New look is ahead for Federal Reserve Bank building in Portland.
November 5, 2007... Byline: Alison Ryan Walk on by: Other Portland buildings may try to pull in pedestrians, but the Federal Reserve Bank building wants people to keep moving. And that was the idea, said Joseph Readdy, who led Portland State students in...

Portland equity firm buys Olympia timber company.
November 5, 2007... Byline: DJC staff Obsidian Finance Group LLC, a Portland-based private equity firm, has purchased Aloha Lumber Corp., an Olympia, Wash.-based timber company. The purchase was made though an affiliate of Obsidian. Aloha Lumber owns...

Olympic Mills in Portland grinds away at leasing.
November 5, 2007... Byline: Tyler Graf With its unmistakable banana-peel yellow facade, Olympic Mills looms over the Central Eastside. On its inside, however, the structure exudes the intangible green hue of a sustainable building. So, does Olympic Mills,...

Portland's Benson Polytechnic High School head plays Benson principal for a day.
November 5, 2007... Byline: Libby Tucker Paul Scarlett doesn't usually eat his lunch at the Benson Polytechnic High School cafeteria. But last Tuesday the Portland Bureau of Development Services director dined with a group of Benson freshmen. The way I'd...

New construction starts down 11 percent from '06.
November 5, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff New construction starts fell 9 percent in September and 11 percent year-to-date, according to a report released by McGraw-Hill Construction. Nonbuilding construction plunged 27 percent, down from a strong August that...

Builders' hourly wages drop but total pay rises in U.S.
November 5, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Average hourly earnings in construction fell 4 cents for the month to $21.05 but rose 4 percent in the last year, the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. Total compensation for construction workers...

Design jobs rise, construction jobs fall in October.
November 6, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Nonfarm payroll employment rose 166,000 in October and rose 1.2 percent in the last year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. Unemployment rates held steady at 4.7 percent. Architectural and...

Penske opens new Portland truck facility.
November 6, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Penske Truck Leasing opened a new facility last week in Portland at 4110 N.W. Saint Helens Road. The $7.6 million 14,000-square-foot facility has 27 employees and offers commercial and consumer truck rental services,...

Gas prices climb to summer levels.
November 6, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Retail gasoline prices have rebounded to summertime levels following the five-week bull run that lifted crude oil prices above $96 per barrel, according to retail surveys released this week. The 17 percent jump in...

Berger/ABAM Engineers in Portland hires Ashburn.
November 6, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Berger/ABAM Engineers Inc. has hired Tyler Ashburn as a structural engineer at its Portland office. Ashburn holds a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Oregon State University and is working toward...

Hickok named members' chairman of North American Reliability Corp.
November 6, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff The Bonneville Power Administration has announced that Steve Hickok has been elected by the Member Representatives Committee of the North American Electric Reliability Corp. to serve as the members' chairman for 2008. ...

Oregon raises a glass to energy efficiency.
November 6, 2007... Byline: Libby Tucker Oregon beer makers have a new brew - energy efficiency. As three Portland-area microbreweries open or expand, they're finding new ways to save energy in the heat-intensive brewing process - and helping grow...

Small lots mean big opportunity for little firms.
November 6, 2007... Byline: Alison Ryan Seed Architecture Studio has plenty of projects - mostly sleek residential remodels - in its portfolio. But the young firm's thinking ahead, too. We're viewing competitions as a way to get our foot in the door,...

Portland Development Commission plans Interstate rezoning to bring high-density to N. Portland.
November 6, 2007... Byline: Tyler Graf In North Portland, light rail has glided along for three years, fulfilling a promise by the city to expand high-density public transportation northward. Unfulfilled, however, has been the promise of high-density...

Portland Commissioner Saltzman wants to raise park system development charges.
November 6, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Portland Parks & Recreation will hold a series of public meetings throughout November and into December regarding increasing park system development charges. System development charges are one-time fees assessed to...

Roggenkamp Erickson & Associates hires Metteer.
November 6, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Roggenkamp Erickson & Associates has hired Amy Metteer as an administrative assistant. Metteer has nine years of experience in various industries, including real estate appraisal and construction.

Commentary: Private firms face new accounting challenge.
November 6, 2007... Byline: Scott Remington In recent years, companies have had to intensely scrutinize their own income tax planning and reporting efforts. They've faced numerous new challenges related to income tax compliance: electronic filing, Schedule...

Portland Historic Landmarks Commission changes course and Oks Mercy Corps HQ.
November 7, 2007... Byline: Alison Ryan Modern design in historic districts got a boost Monday as the Portland Historic Landmarks Commission approved designs for Mercy Corps' new Old Town headquarters. The Thomas Hacker Architects team fought hard for...

Portland's pilot program will track and relay real-time information about parking locations.
November 7, 2007... Byline: Tyler Graf A blaring car horn. Tires screeching through stop-and-go traffic. Befuddled, confused lane switching. A quick, blurry outstretched middle finger. These are the unmistakable sights and sounds of congested urban traffic....

Kansas architect in Portland as part of University of Oregon's John Yeon lecture series.
November 7, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Architect and professor Dan Rockhill will speak Thursday in Portland as part of the University of Oregon's John Yeon lecture series. Rockhill, a proponent of regional and sustainable architecture, will present...

Greenbuild opens today in Chicago.
November 7, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Greenbuild, the world's largest conference and exposition on green building, opens today in Chicago. Former President Clinton will open the expo with a keynote speech. The conference runs through Friday. It...

William Kaven designers talk 'Space' at Portland State University.
November 7, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Daniel Kaven and Trevor William Lewis of William Kaven will give a lecture today titled Space as part of Portland State University's Praxis series. The talk, at 5:30 p.m. in the Unitus Building at 2121 S.W....

National engineering firm URS Corp. looking to buy U.S. competitor.
November 7, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report National engineering firm URS Corp. is trying to buy competitor Washington Group International, Reuters reported this week. Each firm has an Oregon presence: URS Corp. has an office in Portland, and Washington...

Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt in Portland hires Connie Kong.
November 7, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt has hired Connie Kong as an associate. Kong was previously an intern for Robert Jones in the U.S. District Court of Oregon and clerked for Bullivant Houser Bailey. She holds a...

Oregon-based Buena Vista Custom Homes hires Martin.
November 7, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Buena Vista Custom Homes has hired Terry Martin as a customer service representative. Martin previously operated a trim company and owned his own general contracting firm.

Grand Heritage Hotels hires new staff members.
November 7, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Grand Heritage Hotels has hired Chris Di Stefano as its regional director of engineering and Angela Loggins as its regional controller. Di Stefano will supervise the engineering departments at the Avalon Hotel...

Builder, owner settle suit over ethanol plant in Boardman.
November 8, 2007... Byline: Libby Tucker General contractor Parsons RCIE has settled a suit against Sacramento-based Pacific Ethanol for unpaid work on the developer's 40 million gallon ethanol plant in Boardman. The plant, Oregon's first large-scale...

With Measure 49 in Oregon in bag, Stacey vows to 'improve' planning.
November 8, 2007... Byline: Tyler Graf Growth-limiting Measure 49 passed Tuesday with nearly 62 percent of the vote. The controversial legislation will do away with Measure 37, which eased the regulatory impact of Oregon's land-use laws. Since its passage in...

Milwaukie woman joins Metro, says growth a concern.
November 8, 2007... Byline: Tyler Graf Metro Council voted unanimously Tuesday to appoint Carlotta Collette to serve as councilor for District 2, a position vacated by Brian Newman, who resigned his post to take a job with Oregon Health & Science University....

Portland City Council changes time for hearing on parks SDC.
November 8, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff City Council has rescheduled a Nov. 12 hearing on a proposal to increase park system development charges. The DJC reported last week that the hearing would be held at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 12. The hearing has been...

Portland-based Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt hires Fujii.
November 8, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt has hired Mami Fujii as an associate. Fujii was a summer associate for Schwabe. She has taught race and ethnicity education and directed social science research projects. She is a member...

Portland Regional Arts and Culture Council board elects Morse.
November 8, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff The Regional Arts & Culture Council board of directors has elected Carole Morse as its board chairwoman. Morse is the president of the Portland General Electric Foundation and manager of community investment...

Oregon Gov. Kulongoski appoints Yorke to Ore. Construction Contractors board.
November 8, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Gov. Ted Kulongoski has appointed Rob Yorke to the Oregon Construction Contractors Board. Yorke will represent builders of large commercial structures. He co-owns Yorke & Curtis Inc., a commercial construction...

Commentary: Vote not just about land but soul.
November 8, 2007... Byline: Ed Sullivan I wrote this article before the results of the vote on Measure 49 were known. Attempts at prescience are risky; however, it's helpful to concentrate on the themes used by the two campaigns to reach voters and...

George McMath, father of preservation in Portland, dies at 76.(Obituary)
November 8, 2007... Byline: Alison Ryan George McMath spent his life standing up for Portland's built environment. Born Feb. 28, 1931, McMath graduated from Grant High School and then from the University of Oregon, where he earned a bachelor's degree in...

Bike crashes in North Portland prompt call for new engineering measures.
November 8, 2007... Byline: Tyler Graf In light of another severe bike accident in North Portland, at the same intersection at which a cyclist died two weeks ago, Commissioner Sam Adams and the city continue to wrestle with issues of safety on busy corridors...

Commentary: Daily Journal of Commerce, still growing strong.
November 9, 2007... Byline: Brian Hunt I know, 135 years isn't necessarily a big entry in the book of recognized anniversaries. Truthfully, we thought it would be some interesting fun to take a look back in the midst of so much change to our region's...

Commentary: After 11 years, it's time to say good-bye.
November 9, 2007... Byline: Tammy Bachofner November brings brightly colored leaves, dynamic contrasts in weather and, of course the warmth of the holiday season. It's a wonderful time of year. And a perfect time to say good-bye. As many of you know,...

Kimberly Fuhrer obtains property manager designation.
November 9, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report NAI Norris, Beggs & Simpson has announced that Kimberly Fuhrer has obtained her certified property manager designation from the Institute of Real Estate Management. Fuhrer joined Norris, Beggs & Simpson's...

Portland-based Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt hires Crippen.
November 9, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt has hired Tim Crippen as an associate. Crippen previously worked for an intellectual property firm in Houston, for Columbia Legal Services and at Catholic Charities Immigration...

Portland-based McDonalds Jacobs PC hires Strawbridge.
November 9, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report McDonalds Jacobs PC has hired Jody Strawbridge as a staff accountant.

Portland-based McDonald Jacobs PC hires Huynh.
November 9, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report McDonald Jacobs PC has hired Jim Huynh as a staff accountant.

Cast from the past: Historic iron vs. modern-day design in Portland.
November 9, 2007... Byline: Alison Ryan When anybody who was anybody in 1800s Portland built a building, it had to have a cast iron facade. Showy and sexy, the frontages shouted status. Today, the showpieces known as the Ladd Cast Iron Collection are...

Then and now: Portland projects make the news.
November 9, 2007... Byline: Libby Tucker Much has been built in Portland in the 135 years that the Daily Journal of Commerce has been covering the local built environment. The projects that have made headlines this year also give some insight into the city's...

A conversation with David Hunnicutt about Oregon voters rescinding Measure 37.(Interview)
November 9, 2007... Byline: Tyler Graf When Measure 37 passed in 2004, it promised to protect the value of Oregonians' land from regulatory taking - a direct counter to the state's unique land-use laws, which place limitations on property development. But it...

Construction delayed on University of Portland's School of Engineering building.
November 9, 2007... Byline: Libby Tucker Work on the University of Portland's School of Engineering building is being delayed until February, according to general contractor Turner Construction Co. The $20 million renovation of Donald P. Shiley Hall, the...

Oregon-based New Tech wins national Independent Electrical Contractors award.
November 9, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report The Independent Electrical Contractors has awarded New Tech Electric its Excellence in Electrical Construction award for the company's work upgrading critical power systems on the Xerox campus in Wilsonville....

Portland featured in sustainability documentary.
November 9, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Documentary film-maker Eric Stacey will premiere his film A Passion for Sustainability at The Hollywood Theatre, Wednesday at 7 p.m. The film consists of interviews with Portland businesses that are members of...

Metro Council goes forward with HQ hotel study.
November 9, 2007... Byline: Tyler Graf Metro Council on Thursday voted to spend more than $600,000 on a feasibility study for the proposed convention center hotel. Metro will pay developers Garfield Traub and Ashforth Pacific $600,000 for the feasibility...

Daily Journal of Commerce: 135 years of Portland prosperity.
November 9, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff DJC 135 November 8, 2007 * All in the family The DJC has gone through changes over the years, but its main mission has always remained on course. * Blast from the past Thumbing through the DJC archives...

Oregon History Project: Citizens that paved the way.
November 9, 2007... Byline: Tyler Graf Ira Keller (1899-1978) As the first chairman of the Portland Development Commission, Keller was praised by business leaders for revitalizing downtown business sectors and older neighborhoods. He was also a...

Oregon-based organization says companies should be sure what they're buying is the real deal.
November 13, 2007... Byline: Alison Ryan Green fever's raging. Buying carbon offsets to make up for the gases emitted by energy use is one of the biggest trends in eco-friendly business practices. And the options for committing to carbon-free existence are...

Ore. wants to make sure its businesses can compete with cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.
November 13, 2007... Byline: Libby Tucker Tough carbon regulations are coming and businesses should be ready, investors say. As more states look for strategies to cut the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change, Oregon wants to make sure its...

Commentary: Carbon and the Pacific Northwest, effective emissions control.
November 13, 2007... Byline: David M. Einholf Growing concerns over the level of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide, has led to calls for Pacific Northwest governments to consider some form of emissions reductions. In California, this concern has...

Portland General Electric continues to expand its renewable energy resources.
November 13, 2007... Byline: Tyler Graf Ask the typical Portland-area power consumer where he gets his electricity and he'll probably reply with a pat answer: Portland General Electric, of course. But that doesn't explain exactly where the energy comes from....