European details inspire North Park Blocks project

POSTED: Thursday, April 19, 2012 at 01:04 PM PT
BY: Lindsey O'Brien
Tags: North Park Blocks, Siteworks Design Build

Tim O'Leary, left, and his wife, Michelle Cardinal, are renovating a 10,000-square-foot building in Portland's Pearl District. The space will feature two ground-floor office spaces, a restaurant and a second-story rooftop bar. (Photo by Sam Tenney/DJC)

Development in the North Park Blocks has been slow relative to the rest of Portland’s Pearl District, but some people say it has finally reached its tipping point.

Recently, a seven-story dormitory building development on Northwest Park Avenue was announced, and Tim O’Leary, CEO of advertising agency R2C Group, and his wife, Michelle Cardinal, are working on their third project in the area. The renovation and addition under way on the corner of Northwest Everett Street and Park Avenue is part of a larger vision to re-energize the North Park Blocks.

“I like and believe in this part of the park (blocks), but it’s been slow to develop,” O’Leary said. “For the first time in 15 years, the pieces are coming into place – and my guess is there will be a time when this area is as good of real estate as there is in Portland.”

O’Leary purchased the building at 235 N.W. Park Ave. about a year ago. The only tenant, Urban Fauna, relocated, and O’Leary then rented out space to production companies shooting scenes for the “Grimm” and “Leverage” TV shows in the U.S. Custom House across the street.

Siteworks Design | Build began renovating the 10,000-square-foot building in March. Crews gutted it and installed a huge structural system featuring steel and concrete. When work wraps up this summer, the space will be divided into two ground-floor office spaces – for Acme Business Consulting and actor representative group Talent Direct – along with a restaurant and a second-story rooftop bar.

Jean-Pierre Veillet, president of Siteworks, likens the project to Davis Street Tavern and Andina, two of his firm’s recognizable efforts on the west side. Siteworks preserved the building’s original heavy timber, added complementary elements of structural steel, and used fasteners and connectors that appear “like they’ve been there forever,” he said.

“The conversation began with, ‘If this was Europe, what would be happening here?’ ” Veillet said.

Similar to a European café, the second story will feature a door that opens the full width of the building, which skirts the tree line. Skylights will frame the views of taller buildings in the neighborhood.

A rooftop bar will be added to the vacant building on the corner of Northwest Everett Street and Park Avenue. It will feature skylights and a wide doorway. (Rendering courtesy of Siteworks Design | Build)

“I’m 100 percent convinced the North Park Blocks will be the next go-to spot, so we’re putting things in place that are in line with that,” Veillet said.

The biggest challenge for the design team, led by Koch Architecture LLC, has been bringing the nearly 100-year-old building up to present codes, according to lead designer Larry Nutt. For instance, usable space on the second floor was limited in order to avoid additional costs related to an elevator installation.

But the open design and unique rooftop bar bolster Nutt’s confidence that the building will be a significant part of what he too predicts will be a major transformation of the North Park Blocks.

“Our grand scheme on this thing is to kind of drag the whole area into a more European feel,” he said. “I really think it’s been quietly ignored, and this development is going to bring a lot of activity.”

The purchase, renovation and tenant improvements total approximately $3 million, O’Leary said. Office tenants are expected to move in this summer, and negotiations are ongoing with a handful of potential restaurant and bar owners.

O’Leary said he may start focusing on plans to bring more retail and dining to the neighborhood, after this property is fully leased.

“I didn’t think it was the right time for that before, but it’s time now,” he said. “There’s a few blighted properties left on the block and something needs to be done with them.”

http://djcoregon.com/news/2012/04/19/european-details-inspire-north-park-blocks-project/