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The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency wants to move their Portland offfices from the Pearl District to a building on the South Waterfront. The agency would expand the new building to about twice its size so it could also accomodate temporary holding cells for people detained for criminal or other violations related to immigration. The South Portland Neighborhood Association has raised objections and is appealing to city council to conduct further review of the building's proposed use and whether or not it would be appropriate for the location.
This is just one in a long line of hiccups in the development of the west side of the Willamette River south of the Ross Island Bridge.
Development on Portland's South Waterfront began in earnest in 2003, though negotiations and real estate wrangling began well before that. Developer Homer Williams, along with Gerding Edlen and others, lead the charge from the private sector, while then-Mayor Vera Katz and the Portland Development Commission spearheaded the city's task of providing transportation and other infrastructure in what was essentially an industrial wasteland. Oregon Health and Science University was also instrumental to the vision of the area and has continued to invest in property along the waterfront.
All of this came on the upswing from the last recession (remember the early 2000s?), when condos seemed like a hot commodity. When the economy took another, deeper plunge in 2008, Portland's condominium market dried up, throwing a wrench into residential — and, by extension, commercial — development on the South Waterfront.
Do you live in one of the condos or apartment buildings on Portland's South Waterfront? Do you run a business there? Has the area lived up to your expectations? What are you hoping for from the future? How does the South Waterfront serve as an economic barometer for the rest of Portland and Oregon?
Tagged as: development · economy · housing · politics · real estate
Photo credit: Lucas Jans / Creative Commons
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It is interesting in a Pioneer Western state, being a pioneer once meant surveying the land, clearing forests, killing and dressing game, growing and pickling and preserving food, living without running water, hot water, central heat and air. NO shopping, no Fred Meyer, no freeway, no streetcar, no gondola, no REI, no video rental, no high speed ISDN, no Starbucks.
Now being an 'Urban Pioneer' means moving into a condo with a waterfront view and easy access to bars, shopping centers and a doorman.
Keep wearing that Daniel Boone Coonskin Cap, Red Checkered Woolen Pendleton shirt, and pre-torn jeans! Don't spill your Frappachino soy latte.
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Who are the ad wizards who came up this one?
Hilarious post jacob.
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We worked for a long time to get a lease and invest in a startup business in the South Waterfront. When we began the effort, there was no park but just a muddy field; condos had sold previously but the newer buildings were not selling, and meanwhile more units were under construction. Retail leases were not being signed. You had to visualize the potential, and it wasn't always easy. The local developers who had created that vision ceded ownership to out-of-state investors with no connection to Portland or the neighborhood.
Today, however, things are looking brighter, and we're glad we continued to see the potential and went ahead with our business. The park finally opened and is well used. At least one local investor has bought a bloc of commercial space and been able to negotiate leases to bring in several new services and businesses. The attractive Mirabella continuous care community has opened and is steadily filling its residences and beginning its health services for those who need it. The John Ross is sold out, and rental apartments are over 90% occupied in the large buildings south and southeast of the park. The newest residence, the Matisse, claims to be doing well also. The community garden was a place of beauty and abundance last summer. Young families are seen more often now, a nice complement to the predominantly older residents. More and more people (and dogs) are out on the sidewalks and walking the paths and plazas. Cultural events and other activities are more frequent. OHSU has taken an important next step in its goal of developing new facilities north of the bridge. The South Waterfront population is taking on an international flavor, which is only one dimension of what's proving to be a very diverse and interesting community of people.
We're very much looking forward to the coming months and years. Like Portland as a whole, the South Waterfront faces challenges ahead but is a special place that will continue to attract people who enjoy each other and the place they live.
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I am the parent of a child attending Southwest Charter School. Our expected move-in date to 680 Bancroft was August/September 2010. The interior is beautiful and mostly complete! I am eagerly awaiting a move-in date from our contractor, Stuart Lindquist.
We have a very unique school: our students are out exploring the community and natural world daily. South Waterfront is a great location and has much to offer our school community:
- The new Caruthers Park (5-10 minute walk north).
- Park and bioswale space along the river (5-10 minute walk north).
- Portland streetcar stop (1 block north). Our students often take public transportation on their (frequent) field trips.
- OHSU Wellness Center (10 minute walk north).
- Bike path (adjacent to our building). As part of Bike to Learn, our students will learn bike safety and use bikes as a healthy lifestyle and transportation solution for urban expeditions.
- Pair of nesting Osprey (10 minute walk north).
- Cottonwood Bay (5-10 minute walk south). Our students are actively involved in restoration of Cottonwood Bay; we are working towards becoming a stewardship partner with Portland Parks and Recreation.
- When complete, the Gibbs Street Pedestrian Bridge (10 minute walk north).
I can't wait to be neighbors!
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With a school planned to move into this neigthborhood, aren't there zoning rules to protect students from possible criminals? Has this been reviewed by the city council? I think a charter school will make a much better neighbor than a detention center.
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It has always been a disappointment that Portland seems to not use the river at all, the only thing that seems to define it are its bridges. Without the bridges many of us would not even realize the river exists. Most of the riverbank seems to be cut off from the rest of the city by roads, so it makes it difficult to get to. When I heard they were developing the south waterfront I was thrilled, but it was a short-lived excitement.
The development is aesthetically hideous! It is an appallingly generic, unsophisticated, styless place. The whole development looked dated from the beginning. What a total waste! And bad aesthetic decisions like these ruin it for future development. Did any of these, architects, planners and designers ever go to Vancouver (Canada of course) to see what a modern skyline could look like. None of the buildings at the south waterfront are stepped-back at all, so from many angles it looks like an ugly mass, because you can’t see between the buildings. But, that is only one of the problems, the buildings are poorly designed to begin with, their overall aesthetics are at best mediocre. How could this monotonous blob have happened in this city? And what is that awful particle board color that appears on so many of the buildings. It would be hard to imagine that this development could have been more badly done.
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It would be interesting if we could use the river more for transportation. How about a river bus that goes from somewhere down by Sellwood all the way up to St. Johns with stops along the way?
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My wife and I just moved in this past month. The area seems like it is starting to come to life. We are excited to see what new commercial businesses move into the area. I think that this area has a lot of potential for growth.
As of now the venues for night life in the area have yet to be opened. Most of the businesses close by about 9PM. However, there is quick access to downtown and the inner eastside. Both areas boast a wealth of restaurants, bars, and shops.
The demographic in the area is very diverse, with the age group leaning towards the later 20s/early 30s. It will be interesting to see how the area develops in the coming years.
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I think any discussion of South Waterfront liveability needs to include a discussion of the dog ownership issue. The neighborhood caters to dog owners; there is a very high density of dog owners in an area of relatively little open space and grass. We have a young daughter, and have lived in the neighborhood for about a year and a half. We were so excited at the prospect of the park opening, and that has been really positive. However, the park, as well as every bit of open space around the neighborhood, is pretty much covered in dog poop. We basically feel like the neighborhood has chosen dog rights over family liveability.
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It's odd that this is a dog-owner mecca. I just can't imagine having a dog in one of those high-rise condos. Maybe a very small one. Seems like a cat would be a better choice of pet in that kind of enviornment.
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I rarely, if ever see any dog poop in the parks or on the waterfront. With a few minor exceptions, everyone seems to clean up after their pets here. It's certainly no worse than where I lived in the suburbs. I also think it's a great dog mecca - there's tons of green space, great walking paths, and even a "private" dog park (anyone can join, but you have to pay a fee for upkeep - it's not city sponsored).
I think that as more people come to live in the SWF, we just get more people who are "hypersensitive" to dogs and see as much waste as they want to - ignoring when the parks are clean and emphasizing any discrepancies.
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I suppose that ICE ideally ought to move their facility to be nearest to the people and businesses who hire illegals and where illegals work, so that they can easily observe new and unchecked people and check them. So people who can afford to pay for lawn care and maintenance would qualify for at least a substation. And new developments could have substations to check on illegal construction workers.
I don't know if the South Waterfront area qualifies for that.
Go where the problems are, doesn't that make sense?
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Having worked in that area 30+ years ago, having studied the hystorical use of the area, having a good idea of the levels of and what the polutants were then and likely are today; why would anyone ever want to live there and how can any governmnet allow a school there...
It seems to me that a detention facility is a far better use then residential.
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It is important to note that within a few months, SW Charter School will be moving within 100 feet from the proposed ICE Detention Center.
I have 3 small children who attend this school. Because there seems to be so many unknown variables, including detainees being held for sexual violations, I think it would be extremely unfortunate and unwise for the city to allow this!
Who can imagine a city allowing a a detention center for criminals being within 100 feet of an elementary school?
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Unfortunately, I have been very concerned for the last several months that a “High Security” detention facility with accessory office use would be very close to my new peaceful condo home.
I moved to South Waterfront community to have a more peaceful and secure life. I never dreamed that the high security jail would be the South “gateway” to my community.
My specific concerns are as follows:
- I am afraid of traffic congestion and safety issues at the corner of Bancroft, Moody and Macadam. The only entrance to the proposed jail right now is on Bancroft Street, which has only one lane for each direction. “With more than 54,000 square feet of planned parking on the site, traffic could be heavy in mornings and evenings, especially with fast-moving traffic on Macadam Avenue, which runs perpendicular to Bancroft.”
- I understand that the proposed jail is located less than 100 feet of the Discovery Center which is now planned as a charter school, a facility that is much needed in our community. Will we lose the charter school because it would be less than 300 feet from the jail?
- The jail is inconsistent with approved affordable housing to be constructed diagonally across the street on Moody and Bancroft.
Above all, I am greatly afraid that the entire South Waterfront future development might be hindered by the jail because the jail could be an immediate serious turn-off to potential developers, investors or homebuyers.
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Portland is often its own worst enemy, there is no middle ground, unfortunately almost every development that actually happens ends up being done by the people who are persistent. And persistent people don’t always have the best taste. Everyone is in opposition to everything in Portland---everyone is a critic (me too). In order to get by the forces of evangelical environmentalism or evangelical anti-commercialism you have to be average and half-baked so you don’t ruffle any feathers. What we are left with is the wrong people, doing the right things, wrongly. They are the only people that have the patience and the political savvy. We have democratized aesthetics, and aesthetics don’t work well that way, unless you want average results. It is interesting how a city that is presented as being a creative place, often ends up stifling creativity by the lopsided ideologies of its residents. It is kind of like this idea generally proposed by liberals, that they don’t want to have kids, so what you end up with is all the wrong people giving birth---it’s self-defeating. Someone needs to build things, someone needs to develop things, and someone is going to anyway, so why not encourage development that does happen, to be edgy, not just in ideology, but in its aesthetics.
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There is already a school in this neighborhood. My daughter goes to the new Montessori School in the John Ross building. I love the feel of the neighborhood with it's urban vibe and beautiful parks, open spaces and river views. I was not really familiar with the neighborhood before we started at the school but have been very happy to feel like a part of it now. I live across the river in Sellwood. This new proposed building does not sound like the best direction for the neighborhood.
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Affordable housing and a "Greenway" are two separate issues, there is no need to muddle answers to why there is no affordable housing in the "sowhat" district with different projects. Fact is, there is no affordable housing there. The city requires a percentage of new housing to be low-income housing and there was a promise from developers to provide it.
Am I also to believe that the permitting process is holding up affordable housing? Really? A dozen or more buildings have been erected in this time. Also, the entity that issues the permits is holding up the construction by essentially the same entity?
That is bureaucracy at it's finest.
The city is blaming the city, but a different part of the city government?
The city that works? Really?
How much has this cost me as a taxpayer?
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The South Waterfront is prime for success. With the new South Waterfront Transportation Management Association and the work of South Waterfront Community Relations, residents and employees will know what is going on in their community - check out: http://www.southwaterfront.com/
The community is wonderful down here. Resident driven programs like the community garden, dog park, CSA program, knitting group, and various committees - all make the South Waterfront special.
If you are interested in follow up information, contact South Waterfront Community Relations.
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As an African-American, I have visited South Waterfront on many occasions via streetcar. And diversity is scarce to say the least, I would consider living there. Hopefully with affordable housing this will change, and I hope it won't scare the woman if she see's me in the lobby or in the park.
Also have your producer, eliminat the "ums" from her dialogue it can be very irritating. Love your programs, very insightful.
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It would be great to include more diversity in the SWF (and, for that matter, all of Portland). I hope you would consider moving here, and I think you will find the residents unlikely to be scared of you because many of the residents know each other and I'm sure we'd get to know you, too.
(and I agree - too many "ums". Definitely needs to be addressed for someone working in radio)
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It warms the cockels of my heart to know you have created a social and economic enclave at the expense of portlanders who live in neighborhoods without sidewalks, greenways, streetcars and the like. It's so great to know there are white people who want diversity, how pc of you.
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Comments are now closed.
We moved into the South Waterfront right at the start, when they passed out "Urban Pioneer" buttons, they advertized the neighborhood on the radio and we all thought the place would be humming with retail and new buildings in three years. Fast forward to today and maybe we were a bit optomistic. That said, it is a great place to live. There is amazing transportation access (streetcar, Tram, bike paths, busses, freeways). We have a community garden, rotating art installations, spirited small businesses, a fun public park, the river is right there for kayaking and wildlife watching. We have heavy industry, construction jobs (buildings, roads, bridges), a Montessori school and even a farmer growing dahlias to buy on a late summer evening. The people who gravitate here span a broad range of socio-economic, cultural, educational, occupational, age, family size and other parameters. We've seen a few foreclosures, a lot of short sales, and a lot of residents are trying to make it work, just like the rest of Portland, or maybe America. In short, there is a community here; it has some growing and maturing to do, we're still waiting on the river bank to be improved, a good kayak launch to be built, and much more retail to come in and thrive. The buildings are highly energy efficient, well insulated, warm in winter and cool in summer, and we can be social or not depending on the mood. It may take a few years for the South Waterfront to reach its potential, but it is pretty darn good right now, and will only get better.