Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland articles from September 2007

Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland archives from September 2007

Green growth means bump in business for consultants in Portland.
September 4, 2007... Byline: Alison Ryan Brightworks does zero marketing - and, founder Scott Lewis says, the company really doesn't need to. "Business is booming," says Lewis of Brightworks, a consulting company that targets the ever-expanding market for...

Portland Pacesetters: September 4, 2007.
September 4, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff ENGINEERING The Tualatin Valley Water District has hired Mark Knudson as its chief engineer. Knudson has served as the director of water practice for the Northwest for Carollo Engineers and previously spent 20 years with...

State construction employment flat in 3rd quarter in Oregon.
September 4, 2007... Byline: Libby Tucker Oregon construction employment remains flat despite overall job growth in the state this quarter, according to a quarterly economic forecast released Friday by the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis. Oregon employment...

Staffing cuts may slow office development in U.S.
September 4, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff The commercial real estate market is doing well, but recent cuts in real estate and financial employment could spell trouble for office construction, according to a market analysis released this week by Ken Simonson,...

Oregon BetterBricks pushes award deadline to Friday.
September 4, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff The deadline for BetterBricks Awards nominations has been extended to Friday. The awards honor supporters of sustainable, high performance commercial buildings. Winners will be recognized during a breakfast ceremony on...

City of Portland transfers look at FAR to another planning review.
September 5, 2007... Byline: Alison Ryan City staff says an upcoming planning process will mean an in-depth look at Portland's floor-area-ratio transfer system. But members of a work group created to look at the FAR issue say it passed through their hands with...

'Shift happens': Builder sells green cars in Portland.
September 5, 2007... Byline: Libby Tucker One of Portland's largest home builders has a new addition to its sprawling suburban construction business: eco-friendly car sales. Don Morissette is opening Ecomotion, a car dealership at 1625 N.E. Sandy Blvd. in...

Portland Construction Briefs: September 5, 2007.
September 5, 2007... Byline: Dan Carter A building constructed in the early 1970s as a scuba training center will soon be a pet daycare center. Play n' Chase will be the new tenant in the 5,000-square-foot building at 7660 S.W. Barbur Blvd. in Southwest...

Portland Real Estate Transactions: September 5, 2007.
September 5, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff OREGON // LEASE // Industrial *Brickman Group has leased 1,000 square feet at Cascade Business Center, 10575 S.W. Cascade Blvd., in Portland, from CH Realty III and Portland Industrial LLC. Scott Maclean and Michael...

Portland Pacesetters: September 5, 2007.
September 5, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT Jeanne Lawson Associates has hired Eryne Kehe as a project manager. Kehe has nine years of city planning and public outreach experience and was recently a long-range planner and assistant to the city...

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality fines Hwy. 20 contractor $240K for stream spills.
September 5, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality on Tuesday said it fined California-based Granite Construction Co. $240,000 water quality violations during its work on the U.S. Highway 20 Pioneer Mountain to Eddyville...

Portland advisory panel to unveil picks for Big Pipe money.
September 5, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff The city of Portland has designated $2 million for projects to benefit neighborhoods affected by the construction of the East Side Big Pipe. Construction is affecting neighborhoods from Sellwood north to Hayden Island....

Norris, Beggs & Simpson Real Estate Capital buys complex in Phoenix, dumps office in Boise.
September 5, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Norris, Beggs & Simpson Real Estate Capital on Tuesday said it had acquired the Parkwood Apartments, a 160-unit complex in Phoenix, for $8.66 million. The property includes nine, two-story buildings and is 99.38 percent...

Developer: City of Portland stole my idea with downtown energy plan.
September 6, 2007... Byline: Libby Tucker Portland's Office of Sustainable Development this month will hire a contractor to study what would be a monumental task: heating and cooling all of downtown Portland's office buildings with renewable energy. But the...

Report: Oregon's economy improves but not home market.
September 6, 2007... Byline: Nathalie Weinstein The Oregon economy improved in July, according to a report by the University of Oregon. The University Of Oregon Index Of Economic Indicators gained 0.6 percent in July, rising to 103.6 and rebounding from two...

Commentary: For builders, integrity is a code.
September 6, 2007... Byline: Craig Honeyman "Integrity" is more than just a simple noun to the members of the Oregon construction industry. It is an action word, a code, a state of being. Indeed, contractors are born with a strict moral compass, and integrity...

Portland Real Estate Transactions: September 6, 2007.
September 6, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff OREGON // LEASE // Industrial *American Elite Gymnastics has leased 11,430 square feet at I-84 Corporate Center, 831 N.W. Corporate Drive, in Troutdale, from Meier I LLC. Jerry Matson of Colliers International represented...

Coos Bay LNG terminal, pipeline closer to reality.
September 6, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Plans to develop a liquified natural gas import terminal and pipeline near Coos Bay advanced Wednesday when the projects' developers filed applications with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Jordan Cove Energy...

AIA Portland seeks firms' 'green champs'.
September 6, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff AIA Portland's Committee on the Environment is looking to identify a "green champion" for every Portland architectural firm. Identifying a sustainable point-person will let the committee build a resource for sustainable...

Fitness company expands Wash. headquarters.
September 6, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Precor, a fitness equipment company, has expanded its Woodinville, Wash., operations to five buildings, adding 95,000 square feet for a total 270,000 square feet. Precor employs over 500 people at its headquarters and...

Gore to close national American Society of Landscape Architects conference.(Conference news)
September 6, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff A speech by former Vice President Al Gore will close the general session of the American Society of Landscape Architects' 2007 Annual Meeting and Expo, scheduled for Oct. 6-9 in San Francisco. The event, dubbed...

Potter won't run for mayor again.
September 11, 2007... Portland Mayor Tom Potter on Monday said he would not seek reelection in 2008. Potter, a former Portland police chief who turns 67 on Wednesday, defeated then-City Commissioner Jim Francesconi for the mayor's post in November 2004. ...

Wash. developer acquires hotel in Kansas City.
September 12, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report The Edmonds, Wash.-based Hotel Group has acquired the 388-room Radisson Hotel and Suites in downtown Kansas City, Mo. Upon acquisition, the 28-story hotel was re-branded as a Crowne Plaza. The hotel...

University of Oregon students take national ASLA honor award.
September 12, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report A collaboration by two University of Oregon students has won an honor award from the American Society for Landscape Architecture, ASLA announced Tuesday. Landscape architecture student Anna Hook and...

DeMuro takes reins of Portland Historic Landmarks Commission.
September 12, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report The Portland Historic Landmarks Commission during its Monday meeting elected Art DeMuro chairman and Carrie Richter vice chairwoman. DeMuro a Portland developer who heads Venerable Properties, previously served...

Survey: Portland financial firms likely to grow.
September 12, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report The hiring of full-time accounting and finance professionals in the Portland area is expected to increase in late 2007, according to the recent Robert Half International Financial Hiring Index. Nine percent of...

As foreign stocks zig, you don't need to zag.
September 12, 2007... Byline: Linda Stern Investors have been told for years they should put a portion of their money into foreign stocks as a way of balancing the U.S. market. The theory behind that advice was: When U.S. stocks zig, those foreign stocks zag....

Portland-based Tonkon Torp hires Simson.
September 12, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Tonkon Torp has hired Leon Simson to its business department. Simson is an experienced corporate and business restructuring attorney and has practiced law in Portland for 30 years. He has been a partner at Ball...

Portland-based Art4orm hires Cavanell.
September 12, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Art4orm has hired Zachary Cavanell as its production graphic designer. Cavanell has worked as a graphic designer for the Portland Tribune and The Gap Inc. and served as a pressman at The Gap, running projects...

The Columbia River Economic Development Council hires Ashe and Mobely.
September 12, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff The Columbia River Economic Development Council has hired Jeanie L. Ashe as its director of business recruitment and Pat Mobley as its manager of investor relations. Ashe will be responsible for developing and...

Oregon's big energy companies could leave startups in the dark.
September 12, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report As Oregon's renewable energy sector matures, the lights will go out for some small businesses forced to compete with new, larger players, analysts say. But the increased competition in the growing energy sector,...

Portland home builder hopes to hit green middle ground.
September 13, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report The four-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom home tucked onto a gracefully treed infill lot in Southwest Portland isn't the greenest home in Portland. It's also not tack-on-an-efficient-dryer token green. But it's been created...

Oregon-Columbia chapter of Associated General Contractors kicks recruiting effort into high gear.
September 13, 2007... Byline: Daily Journal of Commerce Staff In the midst of a sustained statewide construction boom, Oregon contractors are desperate to find skilled workers. And some have turned to unusual places to recruit new hires. A conversation...

Speculative industrial project could be first to earn LEED certification in Oregon.
September 13, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Birtcher Development and Investments says its three industrial and distribution buildings under construction in Fairview will be Oregon's first speculative industrial buildings to earn Leadership in Energy and...

Rental complex in Kirkland, Wash., sells for $24.5 million.
September 13, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Security Properties Inc. of Seattle has acquired the 200-unit Totem Lake Apartments in Kirkland, Wash., for $24.5 million. Ken Mattheis of Maverick Capital brokered the transaction. SPI acquired the property in...

Oregon Convention Center to play host to N.W. Solar Expo.
September 13, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report The Northwest Solar Expo will take place this weekend at the Oregon Convention Center. The expo will showcase solar technologies and be attended by residents and business owners, along with solar consultants,...

Carmel Partners buys 2 properties in Seattle suburbs.
September 13, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Western real estate developer Carmel Partners Inc. has acquired two properties in suburban Seattle for $55.2 million. Skyline Park, located in Kent, Wash., was acquired for $21.2 million and includes 192 units...

Commentary: For Measure 37 claim valuation, it's showtime.
September 13, 2007... Byline: Edward J. Sullivan By the time you read this column, the Oregon Court of Appeals will have heard argument in one of the most important cases construing Oregon's Measure 37. For those living on Jupiter the last two years,...

Commentary: Card check campaigns are un-American.
September 13, 2007... Byline: Tammy Bachofner Just 10 days ago we celebrated Labor Day, recognizing and paying tribute to American workers and their tremendous contributions to society. But by some people, one group went unnoticed: the construction industry's...

Portland Real Estate Transactions: September 13, 2007.
September 13, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report OREGON // LEASE // Office *Saint Andrew Legal Clinic has leased 1,513 square feet at the Promenade Building, 421 High St., in Oregon City, from Eton Lane LLC. Jeff Borlaug of Norris, Beggs & Simpson represented...

Construction jobs in U.S. decline in August.
September 14, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Nonfarm employment in August dropped for the first time in four years, falling by 4,000 jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Construction employment also fell over the month by 22,000 jobs with...

Interview with Gregg Mindt: Lobbyist for the hotel industry.
September 14, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report After decades of talk about building a headquarters hotel for the Oregon Convention Center, Portland took a step toward action Wednesday. The Metropolitan Exposition and Recreation Commission, which manages the...

Rags-to-Register story for Brookman house in Portland.
September 14, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Grace Kern never finished the Portland Heights home she began building in 1954. Kern, a descendant of the family that founded Kernville, commissioned architect Herman Brookman to design the symmetrical, curved...

Oregon Gov. Kulongoski asks carmakers to cut carbon emissions.
September 14, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Gov. Ted Kulongoski and 12 other governors Thursday sent a letter to carmakers asking the industry to support the governors' commitment to address climate change. The states involved include Oregon, Washington,...

Nonresidential work up through 1st half of 2007.
September 14, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report The value of nonresidential construction starts from January through August 2007 climbed 19 percent from the same months in 2006, Reed Construction Data reported Thursday. Nonresidential building construction...

Portland-based Columbia Forest Products closes Canadian plant.
September 14, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Portland-based Columbia Forest Products said Wednesday it will shut down its Hearst particleboard plant indefinitely, effective Nov. 12. Columbia Forest Products cited energy costs, low product prices, exchange...

Portland-based Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects hires new staff.
September 14, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects has hired senior urban designer Jeff Mitchem, drafter Tony Agee, graphic designer Andrea Schwoebel, IT staffer Dave Torres and administrative staffers Allison Klubert and Nick...

Portland attorney included in Best Lawyers of America list.
September 14, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Fisher & Phillips has announced that Corbett Gordon has been included in The Best Lawyers in America 2008. Gordon is the founder of the firm's Portland office and has practiced labor and employment law in...

Portland-based Aequitas Capital Management hires MacRitchie.
September 14, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Aequitas Capital Management has hired Andrew MacRitchie as executive vice president of its financing practice, focusing on the energy sector. MacRitchie will oversee infrastructure financing and private equity...

Construction jobs decline in August.
September 14, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Nonfarm employment in August dropped for the first time in four years, falling by 4,000 jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Construction employment also fell over the month by 22,000 jobs with...

Portland office of Northwestern Mutual promotes Fiala and Knutson.
September 14, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Northwestern Mutual Financial Network has promoted Lauren Fiala and Erica Knutson. Fiala has been promoted to director of the client relations center. She holds a degree in biochemistry from Willamette...

Seatle office of Murase Associates hires Tschida and Carnay.
September 14, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Murase Associates has hired Jamie Tschida as a landscape designer and Eleanor Carnay as a marketing assistant in its Seattle office. Tschida holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of...

Potland-based Tonkon Torp hires Perkins.
September 14, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Tonkon Torp has hired Alan C. Perkins to its immigration practice group. Perkins will focus on employment-related immigration and naturalization matters. He practiced corporate immigration law for eight years...

Portland-based CMD Agency promotes Reilly.
September 14, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report CMD Agency has promoted Phil Reilly to president. Reilly was promoted from chief operating officer. Previously, he marketed packaged goods for RJR Nabisco and has represented Pepsi-Cola, Cadbury Schweppes,...

Portland Design Commission takes emerging district in different direction.
September 17, 2007... Byline: DJC/Staff Both proposed South Waterfront projects the Portland Design Commission saw Thursday are towers on podiums - but building type aside, the two hit different design goals. SERA Architects' 250-foot tower, planned for...

Two state groups take national efficiency awards.
September 17, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff The Northwest Food Processors Association and the Eugene Water & Electric Board will receive energy-efficiency awards from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy at its annual conference Oct. 2 in Berkeley,...

Interior design forum slated for Thursday in Portland.
September 17, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff The International Interior Design Association will hold its September forum Thursday with guest speaker Mark LaCroix, vice president of global sustainability with InterfaceFabric. The event, titled "Complex Choices:...

Bicycle Transportation Alliance says bike challenge participation up 42 percent in '07.
September 17, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff The Bicycle Transportation Alliance says participation in its Bike Commute Challenge is up with 780 companies participating in 2007 after 550 took part in 2006. To compete in the challenge, riders log their bike...

Portland practice inks pact with China law firm.
September 17, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt has entered into a cooperative agreement with Stephenson Harwood & Lo, a Chinese international law firm. The two firms will remain separate entities but contribute talents and resources to...

Commentary: Less is more in today's architecture.
September 17, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Today's city planners are terrified by the prospect of a blank wall. They, along with their micromanaging brethren on civic design-review boards, would much rather see a pastiche of meaningless fakery than an honest piece...

Portland office of Lease Crutcher Lewis hires Armendariz.
September 17, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Lease Crutcher Lewis has hired project manager Henry Armendariz and project engineer Kelley Heskew. Armendariz has 38 years of construction experience and has knowledge of high- and mid-rise buildings in the central...

Portland office of Northwestern Mutual hires Easterly.
September 17, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Northwestern Mutual Financial Network has hired Jake Easterly as a financial representative. Easterly will be associated with NMFN's Pawlowski Financial Group. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Portland....

Oregon Trial Lawyers Association selects D'Amore.
September 17, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff The Oregon Trial Lawyers Association has selected Tom D'Amore to its executive committee. In addition, the American Association for Justice has elected D'Amore to serve as chairman of the national Motor Vehicle Collision,...

Marcus & Millichap hires Holcomb.
September 17, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Marcus & Millichap has hired Whitney Holcombe as an investment specialist. Holcombe will focus on investment sales of multi-family housing in Southwest Portland. She graduated from the Rober D. Clark Honors College...

Oregon Supreme Court could open door to defect lawsuits.
September 18, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff The Oregon Supreme Court will soon decide if builders can be sued for construction defects after a property changes hands. The Supreme Court last week heard attorneys' final arguments in the case of Harris v. Suniga,...

Reed hired to fill newly formed position of downtown retail advocate in Portland.
September 18, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff The Portland Business Alliance, in partnership with the city of Portland and the Portland Development Commission, has hired Allyson Reed to the newly formed position of downtown retail advocate. Reed will coordinate...

Portland-based Guardian Mgmt. wins award for Crane Building.
September 18, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Portland real estate developer Guardian Management LLC won the 2007 Project of the Year Award from Multifamily Executive in its Adaptive Reuse category. The award-winning project is the firm's $22.3 million...

State of Wisconsin begins work on update to '05 electrical code.
September 18, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff The Oregon Building Codes Division seeks proposals to amend the 2005 Oregon Electrical Specialty Code. Beginning next month, a committee, appointed by the Building Codes Division, will review proposed changes as part...

Portland's Harsch renovates historic San Fran property.
September 18, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Portland-based Harsch Investment Properties is renovating the 26-story 450 Sutter Building in San Francisco. The building will undergo a three-year renovation that calls for cleaning and repair of the Mayan-style...

Portland office of NAI Norris, Beggs & Simpson hires Shreves.
September 18, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff NAI Norris, Beggs & Simpson has hired Eric Shreves as a member of its investment sales division. Shreves specializes in multifamily properties and will work with Robert Black on the sales and investment activity of...

Clackamas office of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage hires Varcak.
September 18, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Wells Fargo Home Mortgage has hired Andrew Varcak as the manager of its retail store in Clackamas. Varcak will manage a team of seven home mortgage consultants. He joined Wells Fargo in 1998 as a credit manager and...

Portland-based Neil Kelly hires Duncalf.
September 18, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Neil Kelly Design/Build Remodeling has hired Travis Duncalf as a project manager. Duncalf has 20 years of experience in the construction industry. He is in charge of a wide range of projects, coordinating carpenters,...

Portland office of ProlabWest hires Pearlman.
September 18, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff ProlabWest has hired Brad Pearlman as its senior account executive. Pearlman will be responsible for the development of key accounts in the Portland area. He has 20 years of experience in the graphic arts and was...

On Broadway, lights and signs shimmer brighter in Portland - by design.
September 18, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Pop Art's not a newcomer to downtown Portland's Broadway. But the Internet services and consulting firm's presence at street level is about to get a whole lot brighter. A vertical march of bold type flanks a...

Portland office of Northwestern Mutual Financial hires Kirchhofer.
September 18, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Northwestern Mutual Financial Network has announced that Mary Kirchhofer has qualified for membership in the Million Dollar Roundtable. Kirchhofer is a financial representative with NMFN's The Dalles office....

A look at some of the stories featured in September 1995 issues of the DJC.
September 18, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff This month we look back at stories from 1995, when Portland elected to employ the construction manager/general contractor delivery system for the first time, hoping to save as much as $1 million on a structural upgrade of...

Oregon Department of Transportation takes small contracts statewide.
September 19, 2007... Byline: Libby Tucker With a $2 billion state highway contracting budget, the Oregon Department of Transportation is one big project pie, and yet small contractors don't often get a bite of the work. So ODOT this week launched a...

Oregon's construction workers' comp rates plummet.
September 19, 2007... Byline: DJC staff Oregon's workers compensation rates will drop 2.3 percent in 2008, continuing an 18-year streak of no rate increases, the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services said Tuesday. The construction industry...

Portland retail center sells to pro athlete.
September 19, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Marcus & Millichap has arranged the sale of the Concordia Retail Center, a multi-tenant shopping center in Portland, for $2.6 million. Joe Blatner and Tony Cassie of the Portland office of Marcus & Millichap...

Seattle to build streetcar and light-rail lines.
September 19, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report The Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel will reopen Monday, after two years and $94 million in construction costs to prepare for future light-rail trains, The Seattle Times reported Tuesday. The light-rail trains...

NBS sells Nevada investment for $38.25 million.
September 19, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Norris, Beggs & Simpson Real Estate Capital, in partnership with Capstone Partners, has sold its investment in Museum Tower, a 12-story office building in downtown Reno, Nev. The building sold for $38.25...

Commentary: Some gifts keep on giving to grandchildren.
September 19, 2007... Byline: Linda Stern Being able to spend money on your grandchildren is truly one of life's great pleasures, according to a new survey by the AARP. The stereotype of the doting grandparent is by and large true, said Nancy Smith of AARP...

Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects hires Dan George.
September 19, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects has hired Dan George as an intern architect. George has 25 years of design and architectural experience with an emphasis on retail and corporate projects, including work for...

Wolfe returns to Columbia River Bank's Newberg branch.
September 19, 2007... Byline: DJC Staff Report Columbia River Bank has announced that Ron Wolfe has returned to its Newberg branch after a year away from the branch. Wolfe began working at Columbia River Bank in 2002. He is a graduate of George Fox...