165 Washington Ave | Northern Burner Supply Redevelopment | Portland

They had a couple of neighborhood meetings, and they were mixed due to lack of parking provided. The development does meet the 2020 ordinance requirements passed by the city council that any residential complex located within 1/4 mile of a bus line does not need parking. Plus, businesses located on Washington Ave were worried that they would take the parking away, now wouldn't you want boots on the ground to go to your restaurants, shops, etc? foot traffic is better than car traffic. I also heard a rumor that someone was also eyeing the parking lot next to JJ Nissen as a residential development. If the building is built at 165 Washington Ave, 20 spots will be gone for the AMVETS across the street. They are also looking at selling their property as well.
 
PWMFlyer said:
They had a couple of neighborhood meetings, and they were mixed due to lack of parking provided. The development does meet the 2020 ordinance requirements passed by the city council that any residential complex located within 1/4 mile of a bus line does not need parking. Plus, businesses located on Washington Ave were worried that they would take the parking away, now wouldn't you want boots on the ground to go to your restaurants, shops, etc? foot traffic is better than car traffic. I also heard a rumor that someone was also eyeing the parking lot next to JJ Nissen as a residential development. If the building is built at 165 Washington Ave, 20 spots will be gone for the AMVETS across the street. They are also looking at selling their property as well.
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JJ Nissen is 75 Washington Ave?
 
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Hey, so heard some rumors. Roux needs a hotel near its de facto short-term housing (or is it really short term?) for visiting short term students and faculty for the Washington Ave burner development that Redfern is developing into 300 plus studios and apartments (a de facto dorm). Across the street all 3 properties are for sale, including the Amvets. What about a small micro hotel, a la The Longfellow or Moxy at Thompson's Point? Put a sky bridge or tunnel across and now they have their de facto social dynamic with the Anderson Street offerings below. That would become a cool hang environment, and since all these students are graduate ones, bars and nightlife will be a big attraction. Money. Lars from Sweden is asking. And Ling Ling from China is wanting.
 
This project had its first Planning Board workshop tonight. It went well with most public comments speaking in support. All the old fearmongering about height and shadows and parking were hardly brought up.


Onwards to approval at a Public Hearing and construction!
 
Cosakita18 said:
This project had its first Planning Board workshop tonight. It went well with most public comments speaking in support. All the old fearmongering about height and shadows and parking were hardly brought up.


Onwards to approval at a Public Hearing and construction!
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Do they have to do a second workshop or only one?
 
I think Redfern might be bluffing. Where is Roux going to house their 2,000 plus students in two years? But I agree for them getting an exception on the workforce housing stipulation.
 
TC_zoid said:
I think Redfern might be bluffing. Where is Roux going to house their 2,000 plus students in two years? But I agree for them getting an exception on the workforce housing stipulation.
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Hard to say ... building is going to become more expensive, esp with the current administration.

Roux may have it's own plans or could partner with other groups.

Also, I drove down Winter Street yesterday and Redfern's build-out looks so frigging good!
 
100% not bluffing and wouldn’t do that. Not giving up hope though because it’s a phenomenal project. We thought we had a creative solution to cover the delta but not panning out. Having the most stringent IZ regs in the entire country pulled the plug on housing creation in Portland. It’s so clear and obvious 5 years later. White Papers and books on how it’s not a great policy now exist with real data. Uber wealthy, educated communities like Atherton CA are trying to pass same 25% IZ as a way to block new housing construction. It’s morphed into NIMBY tool as studies have shown it’s negative affect on housing creation. Layer on new federal admin not conducive to planning given the ups and downs. Fielded “tariff implication” emails all week from subs. Hopefully people in the correct places are realizing how bad for housing the GND actually is - which is why folks who worked in real, government funded affordable housing - including housing our most vulnerable - never supported it and spoke out against it and asked people not to vote for it. In meantime we are continuing to clean up/prep/specify internally so in the event something breaks loose so we are ready to go! ~ C
 
…..also. We’ve never had a project not go like this. There was one we worked on in Kennebunk but knew was an insane longshot and we didn’t go nearly as far as we’ve gone on this one. It’s a terrible feeling. The amount of work people have put in and then to say pencils down was stomach churning for me personally. Never had to do it. It sucks. I know it’s biz and these things happen. But I personally don’t like it! ~C
 
You will not hear it admitted, but I'll bet many with owned property on the peninsula carry an inner smile when they hear of large housing project proposals being cancelled. Their property values keep going up and up and up. I recently read that (sorry, forgot where) Portland's luxury housing square footage cost was now second highest in the country, between NYC and S.F. Is that accurate? I know that a 3-story modern and small/narrow house (ordinary inside) was built next to Luminato not long ago, and it was on the market for $2.7 million. It's no longer for sale, I've noticed. Is that the model to build now? Narrow 3-story modern and Green single-family residence on the peninsula? $3 million? $4 million? I was looking on Expedia for a place to stay for a week on OOB (for some NYC friends) this summer and simple homes on the beach to rent are over $1,000 a night. One was newer, but nothing special, and $1,600 per night! And it's not the holiday weekend rate either. I think many or some Mainers are smiling at the slowdown in housing. They probably think that the occupants won't look and act like them. I travel all around the country for my work, and I think I'm objective (or now) describing Portland as the best city in the country to live, work, and play (together, that is) without the fear of being mugged or killed. I do think that too much affordable housing built will dramatically change the city's dynamics though. We all know that.
 
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Redfern said:
…..also. We’ve never had a project not go like this. There was one we worked on in Kennebunk but knew was an insane longshot and we didn’t go nearly as far as we’ve gone on this one. It’s a terrible feeling. The amount of work people have put in and then to say pencils down was stomach churning for me personally. Never had to do it. It sucks. I know it’s biz and these things happen. But I personally don’t like it! ~C
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Call it an extended stay hotel with 30-day option guaranteed renewals focused on Roux students. Jim Brady did that with the Weldon. That's no hotel--in name only, really.
 
Redfern said:
100% not bluffing and wouldn’t do that. Not giving up hope though because it’s a phenomenal project. We thought we had a creative solution to cover the delta but not panning out. Having the most stringent IZ regs in the entire country pulled the plug on housing creation in Portland. It’s so clear and obvious 5 years later. White Papers and books on how it’s not a great policy now exist with real data. Uber wealthy, educated communities like Atherton CA are trying to pass same 25% IZ as a way to block new housing construction. It’s morphed into NIMBY tool as studies have shown it’s negative affect on housing creation. Layer on new federal admin not conducive to planning given the ups and downs. Fielded “tariff implication” emails all week from subs. Hopefully people in the correct places are realizing how bad for housing the GND actually is - which is why folks who worked in real, government funded affordable housing - including housing our most vulnerable - never supported it and spoke out against it and asked people not to vote for it. In meantime we are continuing to clean up/prep/specify internally so in the event something breaks loose so we are ready to go! ~ C
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Isn't the 5-year window on IZ up this year? Can city council amend or end it?

Ezra Klein is hawking a new book but some of his points about housing and public transit in liberal places is well taken here. He may be right that housing is easier to build, more plentiful and thus less expensive in a place like Houston but public transit certainly isn't any better in red states.

 
I think that the Democratic idea is an unspoken one, to offset this population loss with the new immigration numbers. They are not counted in the census. I've read and seen evidence firsthand that in LA County and Orange county, it's nearly 3 million people not counted in the census, unless there is one somehow taken to estimate it all. But yes, with educated working Americans, it's time to leave the blue states. But not Maine and MA, thank God.
 
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