Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland articles from October 2008

Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland archives from October 2008

Portland considers a restart for sewer-line project.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf Constructed in 2000 at an overall cost of $18 million, the city-funded Fanno Basin Pump Station pressure line at Garden Home, which transports sewage, has never worked properly. Hampered by leaks and construction...

Sustainability experts work on study to provide pricing info., strategies for living buildings.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Sam Bennett To create a living building, Steve Clem of Skanska USA Building said developers and architects may have to bend, if not break, a few rules. Some of the designs that Clem and a team of specialists are considering...

Oregon OSHA revision simplifies safety rule.
October 1, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff A revision to a rule requiring all employers to have a safety committee in order to involve employees in addressing workplace safety concerns will make the process easier for small firms. Oregon OSHA revised the rule,...

It's official: Portland's White Stag Block remodel earns LEED gold.
October 1, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff The historic remodel of the White Stag Block has earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for developer Venerable Group. The three-building property...

Portland's TriMet announces Transit Investment Plan is available for viewing online.
October 1, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff TriMet has announced that its Transit Investment Plan is now available for viewing online. The TIP covers how TriMet plans to expand its service in the next five years with regard to investments in service, capital...

Shareholder of Oregon's Jordan Schrader Ramis PC designated as LEED accredited professional.
October 1, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Jordan Schrader Ramis PC has announced that shareholder John H. Baker has been designated as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design accredited professional. Baker has 30 years of construction industry...

Oregon's Jordan Schrader Ramis hires Damien R. Hall, Holly P. Iburg.
October 1, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Reports Jordan Schrader Ramis PC has hired Damien R. Hall as an attorney and Holly P. Iburg as a paralegal in the firm's dirt law practice group. Hall specializes in urban planning policy and land use cases. In...

Roman D. Hernandez elected to head Hispanic National Bar Association.
October 1, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff The Hispanic National Bar Association has elected Roman D. Hernandez as president-elect. Hernandez is a shareholder with Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt. His practice focuses on employment law and business litigation. He...

CB Richard Ellis hires four in Portland office.
October 1, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff CB Richard Ellis has hired Preston C. Greene, Michael Thrift and Tyler Honzel as sales professionals in its Portland office, and Troy Martinson as a research coordinator in its Portland office.

Bonds away: City helps Portland State University pay off $43M loan.
October 2, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf The city will issue $52 million in bonds to pay off Portland State University's $43 million variable-interest-rate loan for its Broadway Building project, a plan more than seven months in the works. The city passed...

The Boiler Room pub in Portland: New life for old plumbing fixtures.
October 2, 2008... Byline: Sam Bennett Jeff Allen collected old plumbing fixtures for years. The fixtures gathered dust and rust at his home and warehouse, waiting for the right project to come along. When he heard that the McMenamins' Kennedy School old...

Kruse Oaks III office building continues to rise in Lake Oswego.
October 2, 2008... Byline: Dan Carter Work on Kruse Oaks III in the Kruse Woods Corporate Office Park in Lake Oswego is proceeding. When completed in spring 2009, the five-story, 108,000-square-foot office building will have a two-story main lobby with...

Pearl Design Center in Portland welcomes new tenant.
October 2, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff The Pearl Design Center has welcomed a new tenant, Craft & Design Components for Living. A subsidiary of Maritime Service Corp., Craft & Design Components for Living offers interior design consultation, custom countertops...

Lake Oswego firm signs deal to build 10 new barges.
October 2, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff The Greenbrier Cos. of Lake Oswego recently signed a contract with Vessel Management Services to have its Gunderson Marine Division in Portland build 10 heavy lift series deck cargo barges. Gunderson previously built...

Meetings in Portland to focus on preservation of buildings.
October 2, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Residents concerned about the preservation of historic buildings in their neighborhoods should attend a series of meetings held by the Bosco-Milligan Foundation, beginning this month. The architecture foundation, with...

Catholic church renovations continue in Corvallis.
October 2, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff The interior of a Catholic church in Corvallis is currently being renovated by Greenberry Construction of Corvallis. The $1.4 million renovation of the 15,000-square-foot St. Mary's Catholic Church addressed changes...

Eugene tour puts green buildings on display.
October 2, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff A tour of some of Eugene's greenest buildings will be offered on Sunday as part of the 2008 Eugene Area Solar & Green Building Tour. Sponsored by the city of Eugene, EWEB, and the Northwest Energy Education...

Bond measure would fund Corvallis senior center, parks.
October 2, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff A $13.61 million bond for improvements to a Corvallis senior center and 10 city parks will go before voters next month. Measure 02-65 would raise money for the renovation and expansion of the Chintimini Senior and...

PAE Consulting Engineers in Portland promotes three.
October 2, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff PAE Consulting Engineers has promoted Jeff Becksfort, Robert Smith and Nedzib Biberic to project engineer. Becksfort is a mechanical engineer who specializes in commissioning and energy modeling. His projects include...

Group Mackenzie in Portland hires Curry.
October 2, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Curry has 25 years of experience and will focus on the firm's higher education and sustainability projects. A recipient of the BetterBricks Architect Award for sustainable practices, he is also a former chairman of the...

Commentary: Venturing outside the comfort zone.
October 2, 2008... Byline: Katherine Robinette We've all heard the statistic that public speaking is the No. 1 fear, surpassing snakes and even death. Given that deeply-rooted fear, it is understandable that most folks avoid presentation opportunities like...

Oregon business associations look at ballot measures.
October 3, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf Representatives of Oregon's four biggest business organizations convened Thursday morning to unveil their unified positions on a number of measures on November's ballot. Representatives from Associated Oregon...

New program aims to get Oregon students interested in engineering.
October 3, 2008... Byline: Sam Bennett A year ago, Cal Jackson was content with teaching geometry and advanced algebra to Lincoln High School students. But when he saw an opportunity to teach engineering at the Harriet Tubman Leadership Academy for Young...

Salem contractors honored for efforts.
October 3, 2008... Byline: Nathalie Weinstein Salem's most talented general contractors were recognized at the 2008 Salem Contractors Exchange Craftsmanship Awards banquet at Chinook Winds Casino in Lincoln City last month. The membership-supported plan...

Report says Oregon land-use plan is working.(Report)
October 3, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff A new report by the Institute of Natural Resources at Oregon State University says Oregon is on track in regard to effectively protecting farm and forest lands and controlling urban sprawl. Prepared at the request of...

Portland-based consulting firm Cardno WRG performs LEED work abroad.
October 3, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Portland-based consulting firm Cardno WRG is currently working abroad on several projects in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. WRG is managing the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design documentation process for the...

AECOM companies open office in Portland.
October 3, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff ENSR and EDAW have opened a Portland office at 333 S.W. Fifth Ave., Suite 225. ENSR provides consulting, engineering, remediation and environmental health and safety management solutions. It serves industrial and...

Commentary: E-Verify: Immigration solution or problem?
October 3, 2008... Byline: Rich Meneghello Most employers are looking for solutions to the immigration problems that plague their workforces: undocumented workers leading to fines, raids, arrests and liability; the paperwork nightmare that comes with I-9...

Light rail in Portland goes green, will include 22 wind turbines.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Sam Bennett When Hennebery Eddy Architects first began working on the Jackson South Terminus light-rail station in 2006, designers knew they wanted a project packed with green features. But they weren't certain that the technology...

Melvin Mark buys Bailey Building in Portland.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf In the mid-1980s, Melvin Mark President Jim Mark bought the 4800 Building along then-bustling Macadam Avenue. In the mid-1990s, amid a slowdown in the area, he made one of the few decisions he regrets: he sold the...

Ex-condo project CYAN/PDX in Portland will be apartments.
October 6, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report A Gerding Edlen condo project in the South Park Blocks has become the sixth condominium project in Portland to convert to apartments since spring 2007, when the condo market began to slow. The development...

Portland Bureau of Development Services seeks comments on mixed-use building proposal.
October 6, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report The city of Portland's Bureau of Development Services land-use services division is accepting design review comments on a 140,000-square-foot mixed-use building to be located on North Interstate Avenue between...

Public art returns to Portland Transit Mall.
October 6, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Stacy & Witbeck Construction will work with TriMet and the Regional Arts and Culture Council beginning this week to reinstall several large, outdoor sculptures along the Portland Transit Mall. The sculptures,...

University of Oregon to host energy law symposium on Friday.
October 6, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Secretary of State Bill Bradbury will speak in Eugene on Friday at a symposium titled Living on a Finite Earth: Energy Law and Policy for a New Era. The event will address energy technology and policy during...

Portland attorney Jan Kitchel inducted into American College of Trial Lawyers.
October 6, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt has announced that shareholder Jan Kitchel was recently inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers. The ACTL is comprised of the best of the trial bar from the U.S. and Canada...

Portland-based Apex Real Estate Partners hires Jim Carver.
October 6, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Apex Real Estate Partners has hired Jim Carver. Carver has 13 years of commercial real-estate experience and specializes in office/flex leasing, sales and landlord representation in the Portland and Vancouver...

T.Y. Lin International promotes Alice Brown.
October 6, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report T.Y. Lin International has promoted Alice Brown to associate. As T.Y. Lin's Northwest district marketing manager, Brown manages the firm's marketing development in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. She has 30 years...

Portland Parks & Recreation cancels solicitation for bids to redevelop park.
October 7, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf Last week, Portland Parks & Recreation canceled its solicitation for bids to redevelop the former site of McCall's Restaurant at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, located at 1120 S.W. Naito Parkway. The cancellation...

Oregon School of Design alum Pamela Webb dies.
October 7, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Local self-employed architect Pamela Webb has died. She was 65. A Harvard graduate and a member of the Oregon School of Design's first class, she designed or helped design several projects in Oregon, including the...

Portland's Construction Specification Institute meeting will focus on green design, construction.
October 7, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff The October meeting of the Portland chapter of the Construction Specification Institute will focus on how new regulations and design incentives affect businesses. The meeting, Recycle to Full-cycle, will feature a...

City of Portland seeking 12 for Community Involvement Committee.
October 7, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff The city of Portland is seeking 12 community members to serve on its Community Involvement Committee for the Portland Plan, a three-year planning project led by the city's Bureau of Planning to develop policies for...

Historic Lake Oswego furnace will be restored.
October 7, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff A remnant of Lake Oswego's booming iron industry, a 44-foot-tall iron furnace, is set to be repaired and restored. The Oswego Furnace was built in 1867 for the Oregon Iron Company, whose investors included Henry...

Hillsboro bridge ready for replacement.
October 7, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff River Road Bridge in Hillsboro is set to be replaced with a new concrete structure. Washington County is currently looking for a contractor for the replacement project, which would include road improvements on River...

Kiewit Pacific Co. expands Vancouver office.
October 7, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff An expansion of Kiewit Pacific Co.'s Vancouver office will be performed by Vancouver contractor RSV Construction Services. The $5 million, 25,000-square-foot addition will include office space for 70 employees, as...

Historic house near Newburg moved to Parrett Mountain Farm.
October 7, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff A nearly 150-year-old home near Newburg was hoisted onto a Northwest Structural truck on Thursday to be moved to a new home at Parrett Mountain Farm. The Henry Parrett House, once renovated, will be the centerpiece of...

Economic crisis leaves some general contractors in Portland anxious about future.
October 7, 2008... Byline: Sam Bennett As the nation's economy weakens and the cost of borrowing money increases, some local general contractors are growing anxious about the effects a recession will have on future projects. Contractors and building...

Oregon-based WRG Design Inc. promotes Tony Roos.
October 7, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff WRG Design Inc. has promoted Tony Roos to director of transportation. Roos has been with WRG for six years and in his new position will lead a team to provide transportation design services for public and private...

Linda Barber named chair of Washington Credit Union Foundation.
October 7, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff The Washington Credit Union Foundation has named Linda Barber its chair. Barber is senior vice-president of member services and human resources at iQ Credit Union and has 30 years of financial service experience. She...

Vancouver residents look for construction of Hiddenview Park to begin soon.
October 8, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf The residents of the Carter Park neighborhood of Vancouver have been waiting for a new two-acre community park for years. Money and wherewithal, however, have stood in their way, they said. But next Tuesday,...

University of Portland gets tower.
October 8, 2008... Byline: Sam Bennett Plans for a campus bell tower had been in the works at the University of Portland for more than a decade. This winter, the tower will finally begin taking shape. We've worked really hard for 10 years to bring...

Oregon AG candidate to address public on environment.
October 8, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Oregon Attorney General candidate John Kroger will speak at a forum on the environment on Saturday in Southeast Portland. The public forum, organized by Eric Miller, is an opportunity for the public to discuss...

Portland director's film focuses on green building.
October 8, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report A film by Portland native Curt Ellis focusing on the construction of a green building in South Boston is playing at the Hollywood Theatre through Sunday. The Greening of Southie tells the story of the Macallen...

Portland's TriMet honored for Westside Express Service brochure.
October 8, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report The American Public Transportation Association has awarded TriMet an AdWheel Award for its Westside Express Service spinner brochure. The award recognizes public transportation systems and APTA business members...

Portland event will look at Northwest real estate markets.
October 8, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Unico Property president Dale Sperling will discuss the differences between doing business in Portland and Seattle at a Commercial Association of Realtors breakfast on Oct. 16. Northwest Real Estate Markets:...

Portland architects among those feeling economic crunch.
October 9, 2008... Byline: Sam Bennett In tough economic times, Gary Reddick said there is little room for error. As president of Sienna Architecture Co., Reddick recently came to the conclusion that he couldn't afford to keep some of his staff. I've got...

Dining on restaurant construction in Portland.
October 9, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf In the early 1980s, Portland general contractor Tom Nesbit was looking to break into the restaurant construction business. But even though he'd been working as a contractor since graduating from high school, he found...

TriMet's Portland-to-Wilsonville Westside Express Service is delayed.
October 9, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf The company responsible for manufacturing TriMet's new commuter trains, Colorado Railcar Manufacturing, is six months behind schedule, which means the Portland-to-Wilsonville Westside Express Service will not start...

Trade center in downtown Portland gets a new roof.
October 9, 2008... Byline: Dan Carter After 30 years, the Three World Trade Center building in downtown Portland is getting a new roof. After the old roof was removed down to the concrete deck, a new state-of-the-art hot rubber waterproofing system is being...

The Oregon Convention Center is recertified LEED silver.
October 9, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff The Oregon Convention Center has been recertified as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver in the Existing Buildings category. Upon completion of the center's expansion in 2004, the center was rated...

Tektronix Beaverton, Wilsonville campuses architect dies.
October 9, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff The architect behind the Tektronix Beaverton and Wilsonville campuses, Raymond Arthur Boucher, died of a prolonged illness last month. He was 70. Born in New London, Conn., Boucher graduated from the University of...

Portland electrical contractor opens office in Eugene.
October 9, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff E C Company, an electrical contractor headquartered in Portland, has opened a new office in Eugene. The contractor held a grand-opening celebration last month for the new branch, which will expand the company's...

Task force to present update in Portland on Sellwood Bridge.
October 9, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff A community task force for the Sellwood Bridge Project will meet Monday to give an update on the project. The task force will identify a preferred alternative for a long-term fix to the deteriorating bridge and...

Eugene street bond would help failing road infrastructure.
October 9, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff A $35.9-million bond to fix ailing city streets in Eugene will be on the November ballot.Eugene currently has a backlog of $173 million in repair work, and the amount of funding for street maintenance and reconstruction...

Corvallis strengthens goals with Energy Star partnership.
October 9, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff In order to reach its goal to enhance organizational stability, the city of Corvallis has partnered with the Energy Star program for buildings and plants. Though Corvallis city staff has tracked its electricity,...

Commentary: Need exists for fair housing laws.
October 9, 2008... Byline: Edward Sullivan and Carrie Richter Recent events in Milwaukie demonstrate both the need, and the effect, of federal legislation prohibiting discrimination in the provision of housing to the disabled. The Clackamas County...

Giffin Bolte Jurgens Architecture in Portland hires three.
October 9, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Giffin Bolte Jurgens Architecture has hired Patti Miles as a senior project manager, David Henry as a senior architectural designer and Patrick Sullivan as an intern architect. Miles has 20 years of design experience...

Portland office of McDonald Jacobs PC hires Rinella.
October 9, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff McDonald Jacobs PC Certified Public Accountants has hired Daniel J. Rinella as an audit manager.

Portland office of Winterbrook Planning hires Robertson.
October 9, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Winterbrook Planning has hired Christine Robertson as assistant planner. Robertson is experienced in working with local, state and regional governments on environmental issues and green development and design. A...

Portland office of Barran Liebman hires Dudrey.
October 9, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Barran Liebman LLP has hired John B. Dudrey to its employment and labor law firm. Dudrey previously served as head law clerk for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon. In his new position, he will...

Fujii appointed to Friends of the Children-Portland board.
October 9, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Friends of the Children-Portland, a nonprofit that provides at-risk children with long-term mentors, has appointed Mami Fujii to its ambassador board. Fujii is an associate with the Portland office of Schwabe,...

Norris, Beggs & Simpson in Portland hires Jordan.
October 9, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Norris Beggs & Simpson Real Estate Capital LLC has hired Rob Jordan as a financial analyst. Jordan holds a bachelor's degree in finance and real estate from the University of Northern Iowa. He recently completed a...

Oregon Building Congress banquet honors educators, leaders.
October 10, 2008... Byline: Sam Bennett When Orlando Zurita-Rodriguez learned that he would be attending the Academy for Architecture, Construction and Engineering, he said he felt both scared and thrilled. I never had an opportunity like this before,...

Vancouver church to be modeled after 'old school' design.
October 10, 2008... Byline: Tyler Graf They don't make them like the Church of the Holy Redeemer anymore. The $8 million Vancouver-based Catholic church, being built by Precision Construction, has been in the works for five years. And the project's...

North Portland hospital site work starts.
October 10, 2008... Byline: Dan Carter A crew from Coffman Excavation has started site work for a new 425-space parking structure at Legacy Emanuel Hospital and Health Center. Demolition will soon begin on the one-story building on the site that was the home...

NW 23rd garage appeal rejected by Portland City Council.
October 10, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Portland City Council voted down an appeal Wednesday that could have stopped the development of an 87-space parking garage behind Papa Haydn restaurant on Northwest 23rd Avenue. The Northwest District Association's...

Astoria riverfront visioning process continues.
October 10, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff The city of Astoria's riverfront is currently undergoing a visioning process, the most recent effort of which is a map defining different sections of the waterfront. Created by consultants hired by the city, the map...

University of Portland residence halls get $6 million gift.
October 10, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Two new residence halls currently being constructed on the University of Portland campus have received a $6 million gift from Suzanne and Fred Fields to help finance the buildings' construction. The residence halls,...

Commentary: Taking a look at changes in tax laws for 2008.
October 10, 2008... Byline: Heather A. Kmetz As the Dow Jones industrial average plummeted to levels not seen in five years and the American economy shed jobs for the ninth consecutive month, Congress passed the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008....

New Wyndham WorldMark building will be a first for Portland's Pearl District.
October 14, 2008... Byline: Sam Bennett The new Wyndham WorldMark building at Northwest 14th Avenue and Northwest Irving Street will be a first for the Pearl and a first for Wyndham. Still in the design stage, the Wyndham WorldMark will be the company's...

25 years and a new name for Thomas Hacker Architects in Portland.
October 14, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report To mark the anniversary of its 25th year of business, Thomas Hacker Architects will change its name to THA Architecture. Located at 733 S.W. Oak St., in Portland, THA provides design services for libraries,...

Portland City Council approves John Ball School site lease.
October 14, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Portland city council last week agreed to lease the former John Ball School site to a nonprofit who hopes to build an intergenerational residential development there. Despite opposition from the Portsmouth...

Young contractors shoot pool at Associated General Contractors Billiards Tournament in Portland.
October 14, 2008... Byline: Dan Carter Steven Parish watches Michael Parrish line up a shot that is headed for a side pocket at the annual Associated General Contractors Billiards Tournament Thursday evening. This was the first tournament for the brothers who...

BetterBricks names award winners for 2008 event in Portland.
October 14, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report Mark Edlen of Gerding Edlen Development Co. thinks people who only see gloom and doom when they glance at the current state of the building industry in the Portland area need to take a second look. When it comes to...

Cannery site developers to give public proposal in Sherwood.
October 14, 2008... Byline: DJC Staff Report A proposal to redevelop the former Cannery Site in Old Town Sherwood will be presented to the public on Oct. 29. Developer Capstone Partners LLC entered into an agreement with Sherwood's Urban Renewal Agency to...