“As it was originally proposed, it would have been the most massive structure in Irvington ever,” said Dean Gisvold, land use expert of the Northeast neighborhood’s association. He’s talking about the contentious Irvington Squire project on NE 15th and Hancock. The plan to build a 75-foot tall condo tower in the historic neighborhood has been hotly debated in the area for two years. Now the developer has made some changes – lopping off a floor to make the building five stories of condos and parking rather than six – but neighbors are still irate and the City, sensing inevitable trouble, has scheduled an appeal hearing before even approving or rejecting the project. Whatever happens to the design, someone’s going to be angry.
The issue here is what increased Eastside density will look like. During the City’s rezone of the Irvington area during the 90s, the streets lined with historic houses just off 15th and Broadway were targeted for increased density, which means new buildings can be up to 75 feet tall. Dustin Carsey, who co-owns a beautiful Victorian bed and breakfast right next door to the proposed condos says that situation is a “contradiction in planning… This neighborhood is saying no no and more no to this gigantic building sandwiched between these historic landmarks.” Project architect John Perkins notes that people arriving in Portland need to move somewhere, “We have an urban growth boundary. If we can’t go out, we have to go up.”
This rendering according to Carsey: “It’s not like the building it horrible, it’s just wrong. It belongs in the Pearl.” Besides the height, key upsetting aspects of the design are the 3-foot set back from the curb (neighbors want 15) and the uninviting front face (neighbors want a street-facing courtyard).
And according to architect Perkins: “We think we have a very sensitive building that responds to the scale and feel of the neighborhood.”
More on this debate + more luscious color pictures below the cut
The stakes are high for these condos not just because they’re next to a cute bed and breakfast but because Irvington Squire is a precedent-setting first project in this neighborhood. The top of the bed and breakfast’s quaint cupola is 45 feet, if the city approves Irvington Squire, within a decade the neighborhood might be full of five and six story buildings.
Perkins said the firm designed the condos to reflect the historic designs Irvington, including apparently, the building’s Victorian name (Irvington Squire). He said this apartment building on 16th and Schuyler is a “contextual prototype” of the design. So, imagine this building, but twice as tall:
Or this (an old rendering of the condos) one story shorter:
The appeal hearing is set for August 11th, so between then and now the City will make its opinion on the project clear. In the meantime, Carsey says the Irvington Squire project has provoked neighbors to write the most letters ever written about a Portland condo project to the PDC. I’ve left a message at the PDC to confirm the exact number of letters written by neighbors, but Carsey and Gisvold assure me it’s in the hundreds – 150 people turned out out for the last public hearing on the project. On the other hand, told me that he’s personally talked to several Irvington residents who are in favor of the condos but are afraid to speak up against their neighbors. “The area is zoned high density residential,” said Perkins, “that zoning was a public process where the Irvington neighborhood did participate.”
I like the design, although it’s not fucking tall enough. And it looks boring as shit.
“We think we have a very sensitive building that responds to the scale and feel of the neighborhood.”
Ah, I see. It has to fit in with Irvington. In other words, be boring as shit.
If I ran the city of Portland, I’d have world renowned architects come here and design enormous modernist monoliths to stick in Irvington. The first monolith I would have designed would be by Zaha Hadid. I would have her stick an enormous whale on top of the Irvington Tennis Club.
Then I would have Frank Lloyd Wright “re-imagine” Jack Bogdanski’s house.
The issue here is the city zoning plan. Declaring an area full of historically significant buildings as a conservation district and then establishing zoning for high density is a massive contradiction, certain to piss everyone off. Few families are savvy on zoning issues so they blindly buy homes in high density zoned areas and then are heartbroken when a huge modern building is slated to replace the smaller building next door. I think the city needs to reimagine the conservation district. It is or it isn’t. If it is, give the district some guidelines that have teeth. If it isn’t and high density green eco blah is the way to go, then go, but don’t pretend to care about maintaining 100 year old houses and trees. Why not develop the areas that are not in a conservation district, no? Irvington maybe boring to some but it is home to others who love the historic buildings and big trees. Boring and livable.
Lee Montgomery
Irvington Bore
Out go the apartments for single people and young families – in comes Pearl II – Electric Yuppiloo!
I am a recent arrival to Portland from San Francisco. I live downtown in a high density neighborhood and I love it. However, one of the charming assets of Portland are its distinct neighborhoods which have retained their character over the years. I watched as development of neighborhoods in San Francisco ruined the charm of that City. I’m all for density but I believe it has a place along the major arteries in already established shopping areas, and downtown. If Portland pursues its policy of high density anywhere citizens will not know what happened to their city very soon. Irvington should be declared an historic disctrict and subject to the Secretary of the Interior Guidelines for the development of historic districts: new designs should be compatible with the height, scale, setbacks, and density of the neighborhoods. I watched in San Francisco as the Landmarks Commission was basically dismantled and neighborhoods were ruined by new development. I don’t want to see that in Portland.
The project for the Irvington is out of scale for the surrounding buildings and neighborhood. It’s a fine design but needs to be elsewhere.
I believe it is time for a change in the Portland Development Commission.
Bjorn Olson, architect
SW Portland
I am a recent arrival to Portland from San Francisco. I live downtown in a high density neighborhood and I love it. However, one of the charming assets of Portland are its distinct neighborhoods which have retained their character over the years. I watched as development of neighborhoods in San Francisco ruined the charm of that City. I’m all for density but I believe it has a place along the major arteries in already established shopping areas, and downtown. If Portland pursues its policy of high density anywhere citizens will not know what happened to their city very soon. Irvington should be declared an historic disctrict and subject to the Secretary of the Interior Guidelines for the development of historic districts: new designs should be compatible with the height, scale, setbacks, and density of the neighborhoods. I watched in San Francisco as the Landmarks Commission was basically dismantled and neighborhoods were ruined by new development. I don’t want to see that in Portland.
The project for the Irvington is out of scale for the surrounding buildings and neighborhood. It’s a fine design but needs to be elsewhere.
I believe it is time for a change in the Portland Development Commission.
Bjorn Olson, architect
SW Portland
I agree with Bjorn Olson’s take on preservation vs development. The Irvington neighborhood is beginning a survey of 3000 structures which, we hope, will lead to National Historic District status next year. Volunteers will conduct the survey and do other research under the guidance of an architectural historian. Wish us luck!!
Mary Piper
Irvington Historic Preservation Committee
Irvington Community Association
It would be easy to discount objections to development projects as simply the bleeting of NIMBY, not in my backyard, conservatives. In the case of the Irvington Squire and other such projects that are out of proportion with the older multifamily dwellings, duplexes and private homes in Irvington, it is important to look at scale, setback and compatible design. The building code needs to be revised to take these concerns more seriously. The Squire as revised still leaves much to be desires and sets an unhappy standard for future projects in the area.
Stephanie Oliver, Irvington homeowner