This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on September 20, 2005 12:47 AM.
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Awww come on! I think the metropolitan is actually a pretty decent building (with a rather lame name). Portland needs some taller buildings. Everything in the pearl is the same squat shape. What would you prefer?
I would prefer all the PDC money be spent ripping up those hideous 1970s motel-style apartment buildings blighting large parts of SE Portland. Of course, that's my neighborhood, and so I've got the proverbial vested interest, but still...
This building in particular wasn't funded by PDC. Given, the average price of the metropolitan condos is going to be 800k$ which is a bit rich, but at least its all private money. The metropolitan building is very pedestrian friendly and has a less imposing shape and design than a lot of the buildings in the Pearl. From a design point of view, I appreciate it. Regarding where the PDC should spend its money, I would certainly like the PDC to try to put more emphasis on development of family-friendly units, such as larger apartments and low-income apartments that are actually livable in size. That being said, it is very hard to entice corporations in a capitalist society to do things that are at odds with their profit margin. The market right now is in expensive condos, with buildings still practically selling out before they are built, and that is a hard market force to compete with.
Greg Passmore at September 20, 2005 :
This building in particular wasn't funded by PDC. Given, the average price of the metropolitan condos is going to be 800k$ which is a bit rich, but at least its all private money.
JK:
What about low cost loans and the like? Did they pay a system development charge? (I don't know these answers)
If it is in the Urban Renewal district, they probably got their streets and other infrastructure paid for by tax incriment financing which forces the rest of the city to pay for their basic services.
Greg Passmore at September 20, 2005 :
. . .with buildings still practically selling out before they are built. . .
JK:
Does anyone know how many units are bought by speculators, instead of to live in?
I don't know the answers to these questions, but I know that regarding condos, you typically can not have over 30% renters, and its quite difficult to get enough rent from an 800k condo to pay the mortgage, so I would assume most of the people buying these at least intend to live there some of the time.
Charamba, Douro 2008
Horse Heaven Hills, Cabernet 2010
Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills Pinot Grigio 2011
Avignonesi, Montepulciano 2004
Lorelle, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2011
Villa Antinori, Toscana 2007
Mercedes Eguren, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Lorelle, Columbia Valley Cabernet 2011
Purple Moon, Merlot 2011
Purple Moon, Chardonnnay 2011
Abacela, Vintner's Blend No. 12
Opula Red Blend 2010
Liberte, Pinot Noir 2010
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Indian Wells Red Blend 2010
Woodbridge, Chardonnay 2011
King Estate, Pinot Noir 2011
Famille Perrin, Cotes du Rhone Villages 2010
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14 Hands, Hot to Trot White Blend
Familia Bianchi, Malbec 2009
Terrapin Cellars, Pinot Gris 2011
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2009
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Ravenswood, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2010
Waterbrook, Reserve Merlot 2009
Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills, Pinot Grigio 2011
Tarantas, Rose
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La Vielle Ferme, Rose 2011
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Nobilo Icon, Pinot Noir 2009
Lello, Douro Tinto 2009
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Chateau Ste. Michelle, Cabernet, Indian Wells 2009
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14 Hands, Hot to Trot Red 2009
Rodney Strong, Cabernet, Sonoma 2009
Abacela, Vintner's Blend #11
Portuga, White 2010
La Bourgeoisie, Red 2009
Januik, Red 2009
Three Rivers, River's Red 2008
Kirkland, Alexander Valley Merlot 2008
Muga, Rioja Rose 2010
Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2009
Mauro Molino, Barbera d'Alba 2009
Garda Chiaretto Rose
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Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet 2008
Kirkland, Pinot Grigio 2010
Trader Joe's Coastal Syrah 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Merlot 2008
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Maquis Lien 2006
Scott Paul, Pinot Noir, Le Paulee 2007
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Neil Young - Waging Heavy Peace
Mark Bego - Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul (2012 ed.)
Jenny Lawson - Let's Pretend This Never Happened
J.D. Salinger - Franny and Zooey
Charles Dickens - A Christmas Carol
Timothy Egan - The Big Burn
Deborah Eisenberg - Transactions in a Foreign Currency
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. - Slaughterhouse Five
Kathryn Lance - Pandora's Genes
Cheryl Strayed - Wild
Fyodor Dostoyevsky - The Brothers Karamazov
Jack London - The House of Pride, and Other Tales of Hawaii
Jack Walker - The Extraordinary Rendition of Vincent Dellamaria
Colum McCann - Let the Great World Spin
Niccolò Machiavelli - The Prince
Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird
Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus - The Nanny Diaries
Brian Selznick - The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Sharon Creech - Walk Two Moons
Keith Richards - Life
F. Sionil Jose - Dusk
Natalie Babbitt - Tuck Everlasting
Justin Halpern - S#*t My Dad Says
Mark Herrmann - The Curmudgeon's Guide to Practicing Law
Barry Glassner - The Gospel of Food
Phil Stanford - The Peyton-Allan Files
Jesse Katz - The Opposite Field
Evelyn Waugh - Brideshead Revisited
J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
David Sedaris - Holidays on Ice
Donald Miller - A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
Mitch Albom - Have a Little Faith
C.S. Lewis - The Magician's Nephew
F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby
William Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Ivan Doig - Bucking the Sun
Penda Diakité - I Lost My Tooth in Africa
Grace Lin - The Year of the Rat
Oscar Hijuelos - Mr. Ives' Christmas
Madeline L'Engle - A Wrinkle in Time
Steven Hart - The Last Three Miles
David Sedaris - Me Talk Pretty One Day
Karen Armstrong - The Spiral Staircase
Charles Larson - The Portland Murders
Adrian Wojnarowski - The Miracle of St. Anthony
William H. Colby - Long Goodbye
Steven D. Stark - Meet the Beatles
Phil Stanford - Portland Confidential
Rick Moody - Garden State
Jonathan Schwartz - All in Good Time
David Sedaris - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Anthony Holden - Big Deal
Robert J. Spitzer - The Spirit of Leadership
James McManus - Positively Fifth Street
Jeff Noon - Vurt
Road Work
Miles run year to date: 21
At this date last year: 52
Total run in 2012: 129
In 2011: 113
In 2010: 125
In 2009: 67
In 2008: 28
In 2007: 113
In 2006: 100
In 2005: 149
In 2004: 204
In 2003: 269
Comments (12)
And if we need to flee for higher ground, we'll have an aerial tram [rim shot].
Posted by Jack Bog | September 20, 2005 3:41 AM
Oh, come on. You expect a celebrity of that stature to visit Portland?
Posted by Samuel John Klein | September 20, 2005 4:54 AM
Where are the ornery street urchins?
Posted by Jud | September 20, 2005 7:40 AM
This is exciting. Perhaps now the Portland Building will be being completed with the long overdue ears and nose.
Posted by Al | September 20, 2005 7:58 AM
Awww come on! I think the metropolitan is actually a pretty decent building (with a rather lame name). Portland needs some taller buildings. Everything in the pearl is the same squat shape. What would you prefer?
Posted by Greg Passmore | September 20, 2005 8:16 AM
I would prefer all the PDC money be spent ripping up those hideous 1970s motel-style apartment buildings blighting large parts of SE Portland. Of course, that's my neighborhood, and so I've got the proverbial vested interest, but still...
Posted by Dave J. | September 20, 2005 8:21 AM
This building in particular wasn't funded by PDC. Given, the average price of the metropolitan condos is going to be 800k$ which is a bit rich, but at least its all private money. The metropolitan building is very pedestrian friendly and has a less imposing shape and design than a lot of the buildings in the Pearl. From a design point of view, I appreciate it. Regarding where the PDC should spend its money, I would certainly like the PDC to try to put more emphasis on development of family-friendly units, such as larger apartments and low-income apartments that are actually livable in size. That being said, it is very hard to entice corporations in a capitalist society to do things that are at odds with their profit margin. The market right now is in expensive condos, with buildings still practically selling out before they are built, and that is a hard market force to compete with.
-Greg
Posted by Greg Passmore | September 20, 2005 8:40 AM
Why does Vera look like The Joker from Batman?
Posted by Doug | September 20, 2005 10:25 AM
Because most of her tenure in office was a sad joke played on the taxpayers of Portland.
Posted by RAH | September 20, 2005 11:18 AM
Where's the tram???
Posted by Karen | September 20, 2005 1:20 PM
Greg Passmore at September 20, 2005 :
This building in particular wasn't funded by PDC. Given, the average price of the metropolitan condos is going to be 800k$ which is a bit rich, but at least its all private money.
JK:
What about low cost loans and the like? Did they pay a system development charge? (I don't know these answers)
If it is in the Urban Renewal district, they probably got their streets and other infrastructure paid for by tax incriment financing which forces the rest of the city to pay for their basic services.
Greg Passmore at September 20, 2005 :
. . .with buildings still practically selling out before they are built. . .
JK:
Does anyone know how many units are bought by speculators, instead of to live in?
Thanks
JK
Posted by jim karlock | September 20, 2005 8:44 PM
Hi Jim,
I don't know the answers to these questions, but I know that regarding condos, you typically can not have over 30% renters, and its quite difficult to get enough rent from an 800k condo to pay the mortgage, so I would assume most of the people buying these at least intend to live there some of the time.
-Greg
Posted by Greg Passmore | September 21, 2005 11:42 AM