Smart Park garage condo tower scam implodes
Here's a surprising press release from the Portland Development Commission:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 19, 2007OMG! Did someone in the city government actually say no to a greedy developer? Heads will roll, people.Contact: Dave Logsdon
503-823-695810th AND YAMHILL SMARTPARK GARAGE PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE CANCELLED
City Cancels Recent RFP for Garage Redevelopment(Portland, OR) The City of Portland and the Portland Development Commission have cancelled the public open house on the redevelopment of the 10th and Yamhill SmartPark garage that was scheduled for Thursday, March 22, 5:30-8:30 PM in City Hall Council Chambers.
The City has cancelled the Request for Proposals for the 10th and Yamhill SmartPark Garage Redevelopment (RFP No. BGS023). Both proposals submitted in response to this RFP included purchase of the 10th and Yamhill property. The RFP was specific in its criteria that the SmartPark garage was to remain under City management and ownership.
The City intended originally to improve the property and remodel the ground floor retail space, and continues to remain interested in this as well as exploring the potential of a new development above the garage.
The City will offer to debrief with all of the proposers who were qualified in the initial phase of this process, exploring the potential for an alternate project where the City retains ownership of the garage.
| Posted at 3:03 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (9)
Thank you Jack for helping to expose yet another example of The Sopranos, oops, I mean our city government at work.
Posted by Bad Brad | March 20, 2007 3:16 PM
This is quite a roll today.
Next thing we'll hear is the Port of Portland has decided to move forward and build the new headquarters at the Airport to replace their nearly new building downtown. All that extra money laying around needs to be spent somehow.
Posted by Steve | March 20, 2007 3:24 PM
You know they're going to do that.
One of the condo boys will get their Old Town building for a dollar. I'm sure they're writing up the environmental problems now.
Posted by Jack Bog | March 20, 2007 3:27 PM
Did someone say no, or merely let's find someplace private to dicuss this further?
Posted by Bark Munster | March 20, 2007 4:13 PM
Does this have anything to do with the huge tower Moyer wants to build a block or two to the east? I wonder what that will do to Mt. Hood and city views from the Smart Park tower?
Could it be that the proposals didn't favor the "right" developers? No money for Homer or GE? Maybe developers are getting smart and slowing down the frenzy...
Posted by nwjg | March 20, 2007 5:17 PM
I wonder if the reason the City has to maintain ownership is because the revenue from that garage is pledged against revenue bonds for the streetcar. I am not sure how that works, but if they don't have the asset generating income, then the money to operate the streetcar would ahve to come out of the General Fund.
Posted by John Capradoe | March 20, 2007 6:59 PM
The name of PDC's spokesman is seriously Dave Logsdon? As in the University of Minnesota's profligate expert? HAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHA!
Posted by Matt | March 20, 2007 11:42 PM
Dave Logsdon works for Portland, the Dept of Transportation, not PDC. The Star Park people who run the garages report to him.
Posted by Dave Lister | March 21, 2007 5:04 PM
The operative words are in paragraph 4:
"as well as exploring the potential of a new development 'ABOVE' the garage."
AKA, A new RFP is on the way. (to match the offers no doubt).
Imagine:
1. A new development constructed above the garage,
2. Who will be allocated the garage spaces that do appear? The Public? Fat Chance!
Posted by sj meit | March 22, 2007 1:38 AM