CONSTRUCTION IN FULL SWING ON THE LEMON HOTEL BUILDING

There is a lot of activity going on at the Lemon Hotel Building these days with the new storefront windows being installed, second story addition taking shape, and interior framing going up rapidly.
Here are some photos highlighting the buildings progress.

THE LEMON HOTEL BUILDING PROJECT FEATURED IN DAILY JOURNAL OF COMMERCE

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/

ISITE CONSTRUCTION TIME LAPSE VIDEO

ISITE Design has shared with us the time lapse construction video that was taken for the renovation of an 18,000 sf warehouse in NW Portland into their new headquarters building. Enjoy!

CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY ON ENSO ARTSIT APARTMENTS

Siteworks has begun retrofitting two underutilized retail spaces of the ENSO apartment building in NW Portland, transforming them into 8 ground floor apartments. New entry corridors where created to add security and privacy to the units, while generating gallery spaces and places of interaction. Custom steel wall panels accentuate the raw concrete and glass shell, while fir framed windows provide daylight and add warmth to the interiors. Here are some renderings of the spaces.

nw lobby corridor looking west

interior unit 102

nw lobby corridor looking south

interior unit 103

nw lobby corridor looking north

NEW DEVELOPMENT TO ENERGIZE NW PARK BLOCKS

Siteworks Design | Build is partnering with Larry Nutt Design Service and Koch Architecture to design and renovate a 10,000 sf building on the corner of NW Everett St. and NW Park Ave. A new 2nd story addition and rooftop deck will provide a vibrant outdoor seating area that will make one feel as they are in the canopy of the adjacent trees. Here is a sneak peek at some renderings of the design.

HOPWORKS BIKE BAR LANDS TRAVEL CHANNEL SEGMENT

Portland Business Journal by Suzanne Stevens, Web editor
Wednesday, February 22, 2012

The Travel Channel is back in Portland, this time to feature the city's love of beer, bikes and sustainability.

The show's producers certainly knew where to look to find all three: Hopworks BikeBar on North Williams Avenue.

"Because of our unique position as a place that embodies bike culture, sustainability and craft beer, we're used to travel media coming through," said Bruce Kehe, Hopworks marketing director.

That's not to say having the Travel Channel in the house Tuesday wasn't a big deal. With popular shows like Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations and Adam Richman's Man v Food — both of which have shot segments in Portland — attracting huge audiences, landing a coveted segment can have visitors lining up outside your door.

Just ask the folks at Voodoo Doughnuts. Bourdain's visit back in 2010 helped cement the purveyor of all manner of doughy concoctions as a top stop for Portland tourists.

Hopworks will be featured on a new program called Unpacked, set to debut in April. The Portland segment is slated to air in mid-May.

The show's crew spent about two hours at BikeBar interviewing Brew Master and owner Christian Ettinger. "Of all the spots we've done, this one was one of the best. They had great questions and it went really well. I love being challenged to come up with a good spontaneous reply."

After Hopworks, the crew packed up and headed to Alberta Park to film a game of bike polo — in the pouring rain.

A little rain rarely stops much in Portland. And it apparently hasn't dampened the Travel Channel's taste for the city either.

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/2012/02/portlands-beer-and-bikes-featured-on.html

SITEWORKS CREATES OLUKAI'S TRADE SHOW BOOTH AT OUTDOOR RETAILER

Siteworks worked with Greenspace to create OluKai's trade show booth at this years Outdoor Retailer Winter Market event in Salt Lake City. 

JP doing some R&D in Maui

The booth became a secret gateway to real Hawaii, creating OluKai's new hale (Hawaiian home), and  referencing hawaii's rich Paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) and Upcountry history.