Good riddance to rat-ridden rubbish.

Following the 'bites the dust' headline, I expected to find THIS

You get one more, Matt, and then you're gone again, o.k.? Then you and your friends can go whine about it on your site.

Isn't that where they're dropping the Ladd Carriage House?

What part of your comments policy did Matt's comment violate? It seems like a straightforward (albeit contrary to your own opinion) on-topic comment with no attacks towards you. It sounds like the kind of thing you might even say, although obviously not about this particular building.

It was argumentative tripe, not part of any sort of civil conversation. If you'd like to bump ahead of him on the new banned list, just argue with me about it.

That's not where they are dropping the Ladd. It's the same block from which they are moving the Ladd.

With all the alleged support for affordable housing, they've just demolished what should have been a historic structure, and one of the few like is left in downtown, which provided affordable housing, to build what was going to be condos but now will be "just" expensive apartments instead.

So, that's one giant step AWAY from affordable housing in downtown Portland.

And all done by a freaking CHURCH, for crying our loud. Very Christian of them.

Ah, urban renewal. Thank goodness each individual plan is unique. A rainy version of somewhere else? Why Jack, you can't tell the difference between Bridgeport Village and downtown Lake Oswego, Bellevue and Nanaimo BC? The difference is obvious--they're 200 miles apart. Okay, enough sarcasm. But when I saw my new neighborhood laid out identially in 3 sites, I got sick. I wonder who their local versions of Homer Williams and Erik Sten are?

At least in rural-blighted areas of East Oregon, the original charm can still be renovated.

MJH

b!X: the money raised from this will help the church pursue it's core mission of helping the poor people. Maybe they'll build some affordable housing for them or something.

Matt Davis and "no one in particular" I think you need to understand that this is more of a forum - a discussion of ideas, a disagree without being disagreeable format. I enjoy reading a well thought out, possibly documented rebuttal or alternate opinion to Jacks but "Good riddance to rat-ridden rubbish" to me sounds to much like a childish, go home poopy pants kind of retort. Did this particular dwelling have a rat problem? Did it not have any redeeming architecture that contributed to the neighbor hood? Have similar places been successfully rehabilitated? Do you have and in depth contributions to make to the topic?

Thanks for the defense, but that's enough about Matt Davis for one day. For one week, even.

As the pastor of the church stated "we're not in the business of saving buildings, we're in the business of saving souls" I guess you need a 4 story underground parking garage to save those souls, that is the only reason this quality historic building is being demolished. The building could easily fit on the quarter block that housed the nasty church annex. Sad day.

I'm sorry to see this place go. When I first started my company at 11th & Salmon Streets, I used to walk the neighborhood a lot anf got to know where most of the more affordable rentals were. I see many of them getting "redeveloped" and the entire CoP nonsense about keeping "affordable" housing here a real fraud. I predict that in another 5-7 years most lower cost rentals in or near downtown Portland will be gone forever.

I predict that in another 5-7 years most lower cost rentals in or near downtown Portland will be gone forever.

That sure is optimistic. No, I'm not being sarcastic, either.

when a building is razed in Portland is there any attempt to recycle all the building materials or does it all just go to a landfill? I would bet there would have been some pretty cool stuff to retrieve before demolition.

when a building is razed in Portland is there any attempt to recycle all the building materials...?

Often there is for interior materials - check out the recycling center on N Mississippi, if you want to see what sort of things are reclaimed. But you can't save much of the outer structure, and it's a shame that we don't place any value on the significance of the outer structure's architecture unless it's on the Historic Register. This building was a treasure, now lost forever except in pictures.

The good majority of the brick in the Rosefriend will be salvaged and resold. Also, the wood will be sorted and turned into chipboard. Aurora Mills Salvage, the ReBuilding Center, and others removed the hardwood floors, radiators, doors, etc. for resale. The entry arch (sans poorly-built columns,) entry transom window, lobby French doors, and (hopefully) some of the tin gable roof will be reincorporated into the new building.

Also, tomorrow morning when the Carriage House moves (approx 8:30AM) there’ll be people at the Friends of Ladd Carriage House booth (SW Park and Columbia) on hand to talk about the history of both buildings, as well as the reincorporation of the Rosefriend elements.

Yes, reincorporating them into a soulless, cookie-cutter condo tower that is another giant step toward making Portland just like everywhere else. This is what passes for our city's urban planning "genius" nowadays. Depressing.

Reincorporating some of the history might be one small way to make the building less soulless. Obviously displaying/reincorporating a few artifacts of the past aren’t going to change people's opinion on the building, but I'd like to think it's better than nothing. Also, most of what's being saved wasn't a product of the design process but of volunteer efforts over the last few months.

I think Howard Roark had the proper solution to souless housing complexes.

Some photos of the teardown at http://www.flickr.com/photos/41894180030@N01/sets/72157600375745003/