937 Condominiums

937 Condominiums  The 937 Condominiums is based on fractal geometry, the idea of similarly shaped elements repeating throughout a visual landscape. It's seen in nature, in elements like ponds and ferns - where bubbles and fronds are repeated, smaller and irregularly, inside the shape of the whole - and in the condominium design, it takes shape as an imperfect pattern of windows and solid space.

The mixed-use, 16-story tower occupies the half-block site at NW Glisan Street between NW Ninth Avenue and NW 10th Avenue, replacing an existing commercial retail building. Retail space is on the ground floor, with two levels of parking below and 114 condominium units above. The building stands 170 feet tall, and have a floor-area-ratio of 9-to-1.

The retail level is glass and pre-cast concrete, meant to give the impression of massive display boxes marching down the street. The geometry of the upper levels is carried out in wheat-colored stack-bonded brick, glass, steel and rain screen stucco. The building's balconies, enclosed in wine-colored glass, are stacked in vertical rows of various heights. 

John Holmes and the team at Holst Architecture created the 937 design, with Ankrom Moisan adding detailing and acting as the architect of record. Holmes and Mack Selberg worked together at Holst for four years, and Mack said joining forces was a natural.

The building is tracking for a "no-sweat" LEED Silver rating but Gold is within reach - maybe even Platinum.  A 300 square foot eco-roof covers the podium helping with storm water retention and filtration.

 Sales Update:  February, 2009

The building is completed and 25% of the units have been sold.

Location  The 937 Condominiums is located at NW Glisan Street between Ninth and 10th Avenues.
Developer  W&K Development.  W&K also developed the Thurman Street Lofts in Northwest Portland.
Construction Type  A new building.
Number of Units  Sixteen stories and 114 living units. 
Style  Contemporary.
Green  The target of the design is a Gold LEED from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
Pricing  $300,000 to $2.2 million.
Parking  Underground.
Square Foot Price  $400.
Sales Office  937 NW Glisan Street, Portland OR 97209.  Telephone 503.248.9371.
Completion Date  Late 2008 - the building is now completed.

Pearl District Condos Currently for Sale  Pearl District Condos.

The Encore

The Encore  Hoyt Street Properties announced in early 2006 that it is going ahead with its latest project between Northwest Ninth and 10th avenues north of Overton Street - a 15-story condo project called the Encore - designed by Boora Architects.

The June 15th edition of the Daily Journal of Commerce report this information about the Encore: The 175-foot building will be a gateway development from the existing Pearl to what's expected to rise in the next decade, said John Spencer, a planning and urban design consultant who worked on the master plan.  "One of the big concepts" in the master plan, Spencer said, are "buildings that have thin towers facing north with a lot of emphasis on glass and transparency and views of the river, and the parts that face back toward the Pearl District would be designed to be more contextual with the built neighborhood."

It will be the first structure in the Pearl to be built in a semicircle on one face.  It will be "the first project with eyes on the park," referring to a to-be-designed city-owned park between Northwest 10th and 11th avenues and Overton and Pettygrove streets.

 Sales Update:  June of 2008

It is estimated that about 25 units have been sold.

Location  Between NW 9th and 10th Avenue and north of NW Overton Street.  The 16-story building rises next to land that will become the Pearl's largest park.  The Encore is on the Portland Streetcar line.  See map of downtown - PDF format.
Developer  Hoyt Realty Properties. Other projects that Hoyt Realty Group has done include Bridgeport Condos, The Lexis, Park Place Condos, The Pinnacle, Streetcar Lofts, and Tanner Place.
Construction Type  New building.  Construction will begin in August 2006.
Number of Units  The Encore will be a 15-story building that is the first structure in the Pearl to be built in a semicircle on one face.  Their will be 177 units to include lofts, one and two bedroom, townhomes, and penthouses. 
Style  Traditional.
Green  To be announced.
Pricing  Pricing is moderate and less than the Metropolitan.
Square Foot Price   Most likely in the $400 plus.
Parking  To be announced.
Sales Office  Hoyt Realty Group, 1130 NW 10th Avenue, Portland, Oregon.  Telephone: (503) 227-2000.  Showroom and sales office open daily 10-6 Monday-Friday, 11-5 Saturday and Sunday.
Reservations  Subscribe by clicking here.
Completion  Construction is expected to start in the summer of 2006 and the completion date is scheduled for the fall of 2008.

Park Avenue West

Park Avenue West, nicknamed PAW, is a high-rise building that started construction in the spring of 2008. When completed it will stand at a height of 515 feet and become the third tallest building in Portland behind the Wells Fargo Center and the US Bancorp Tower.

Park Avenue West is scheduled to be completed in 2010 and is being developed by Tom Moyer (TMT Development). The tower will have a total of 32 floors and offer retail space, office space and 85 housing units.  The plans call for the top 12 floors to be condos. It will also have a five floor underground garage with 315 parking spaces. The roofline will be at 476 feet, but the building will have two twin spires at the top, which put the building at a height of 515 feet. The twin spires are expected to be lit up at night.

According to the plans, the parking garage will connect to the parking garage under Park Block 5 (adjacent on the south side), which also connects to the Fox Tower.

The new Simon and Helen Director Park is located just east of the Park Avenue West Tower (South Park Block 5).  Phase 2 construction begun in 2008.  A second restroom has been added to the cafe building design because of the projected number of cafe patrons. The second restroom will open to the interior and is anticipated to serve cafe activities. The building will extend 3.5 more feet to the north, but views from the corner into the park have been preserved. The cafe leasing process resulted in the selection of Dwayne Beliakoff who will open a cafe, named Viola after the stringed instrument, in April 2009.

 April 2009:  Park Avenue West Construction Suspended

Tom Moyer, one of Portland's most successful real estate developers, halted work on April 13, 2009 on Park Avenue West. Moyer's decision to pull 350 workers off the Park Avenue West is a stunning sign that no city, no person and no block is spared from this recession. Park Avenue West is anchored on prime downtown land. The building, originally scheduled to open in 2011, already was more than half leased by a law firm and a Nike store.

TMT Development, the Moyer's company that is building Park Avenue West said that construction financing could not be found. Lenders have tightened their requirements on loans and cut the amount of debt that borrowers can incur. In past years, lenders would allow developers like Moyer to borrow up to 75 percent of a property's value. Now, it's 45 percent. 

At the job site on Friday, April 10, the concrete, mechanical and iron workers left the site about 3 p.m. with the building 15 percent finished. It remains just a parking garage, about three floors below ground.

Location    431 S.W. 12th Avenue.  See map of downtown - PDF format.
Developer  Tom Moyer and TMT Development Company.  It falls just a few blocks from Moyer's previous downtown tower, the Fox Tower and the 1000 Broadway building.
Construction Type  New construction.
Green  They are shooting for a LEED designation.
Number of Units  85 condominiums on 12 floors. 
Style  Unknown.
Prices  Unknown.
HOA Fees  To be announced later.
Parking  Parking spaced available.
Sales Office  Unknown.
Reservations  Unknown.
Completion Date  2011.

Downtown Condos Currently for Sale  Downtown Condos.

Maps of Downtown Portland

• Downtown Buildings and Projects  Map showing the location of major buildings, condos, projects under construction, and planned projects as of August 2005

• Public Transportation in Downtown  Map showing the MAX light rail route, streetcar route, and bus routes in the downtown area.