Portland Tribune Closer to Home
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Ducks primed for strong fi nish EDITION — SEE SPORTS, B1 Oregon leaving lone loss well behind GREATER PORTLAND PortlandT U E S D A Y , N O V E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 4 • T W IC E C H O S E N T H E N A T IO N ’S B E S T N O N D A IL Y P ATribune P E R • P O R T L A N D T R IB U N E .C O M • P U B L IS H E D T U E S D A Y A N D T HURSDAY Sites for Court new jobs wrestles face more with cap hurdles on liability Study says luring Legal fi ght swirls big employers around $12 million depends on local verdict in OHSU case By PETER W ONG land-use action The Tribune By JIM REDDEN The Oregon Supreme Court The Tribune will hear arguments Thurs- day, Nov. 6, on whether $3 mil- On paper, the Portland area lion in damages is “substan- has enough vacant industrial tial” enough for the family of land to meet employers’ a boy whose liver operation at needs for the next 20 years. Oregon Health & Science Uni- In reality, maybe not. More versity went awry in 2009. than half the available sites need A jury in Multnomah County government help to develop, in- Circuit Court returned a $12 mil- cluding assembling adjacent BIG DREAMS, lion verdict last year against lots, annexations into cities, in- OHSU and surgeon Dr. Marvin frastructure improvements, and, Harrison. The judge let that in some cases, pollution cleanup. amount stand, despite a legal cap Those are among the fi ndings of $3 million on damage awards of the most recent study of the BIG COST against state agencies. area’s industrial land needs con- OHSU became a public corpo- ducted by Metro, the regional The dilapidated C entennial Mills site sits on prime waterfront property in the Pearl District. John Bradley, C EO of R& H C onstruction, hopes ration separate from state gov- elected government, and a coali- to get the bid to build the complex . ernment in 1995, but it is still tion of public and private part- covered by liability caps for pub- ners, including the Port of Port- lic agencies. land. The study says that 54 in- OHSU argued that its liability dustrial sites larger that 25 acres should be reduced to the maxi- have been identifi ed within the Schnitzer’s plans for artful redevelopment of Centennial mum allowed under the Oregon urban growth boundary admin- Tort Claims Act, which lawmak- istered by Metro, the elected re- Mills could strain PDC funding for Old Town projects ers amended in 2009. The maxi- gional government, where new mum was increased from growth can occur. That’s more $200,000 after the high court than the 34 sites the study pre- STORY BY Potential costs ruled in 2007 in a different law- dicts the region needs. of C entennial Mills suit against OHSU. The Metro Council is sched- STEVE LAW The current maximum has in- uled to decide whether to ex- redevelopment creased gradually, but the $3 mil- pand the growth boundary next PHOTOS BY lion figure applies to the 2009 year to ensure a supply of build- Here’s the cost-sharing deal Jordan operation, and OHSU has paid able land until 2035, as required JONATHAN Schnitzer of Harsch Investment out that amount. by state law. According to Metro HOUSE Properties proposed for his preferred Under their 2009 changes, law- staff, the study indicates the design, in partnership with the makers provided for a direct ap- Portland Development Commission: boundary does not need to be peal of the new liability caps to expanded at this time to provide eal estate developer the Supreme Court, which has more industrial land. Jordan Schnitzer PDC obligations: wrestled with the issue for years. “There are enough sites al- asked the Portland Demolition: $4.2 million “As the Legislature anticipat- ready in the UGB,” says Tim Development Com- Riverbank restoration: $2.1 million ed, the rare but predicted cata- R Site work: $3.1 million Reid, a Metro analyst who mission to pony up a whop- C entennial Mills, which opened in 1 91 0 , was a centerpiece of strophic-damages case occurred Greenway: $2.4 million worked on the study. ping $38.5 million last week Portland’s grain-processing industry. at OHSU,” writes Maureen Leon- But others who worked on the to help redevelop the histor- Basement lid: $3.5 million ard of Portland. “This is the study say it’s not so clear. At the ic Centennial Mills property Plaza and hardscape: $2.3 million case.” least, governments in the region on the Willamette River. But tant to go as far as century-old complex in- Feed Mill renovation: $1 million Leonard is one of the lawyers will have to spend time and mon- that amount appears to be Schnitzer’s vision, which cludes 12 largely dilapidated Flour Mill renovation: $3.7 million representing Lori and Steve Hor- ey making certain enough of the more than Mayor Charlie PDC Chairman Tom Kelly structures plus the outdoor Event Center: $2 million ton of Klamath Falls, parents of sites are ready for development. Hales, who oversees the characterized as a “full meal paddock used by the Mount- Dock and boat slips: $5.3 million Tyson Horton, who was just nine The study found that only 14 are PDC, can swallow. deal.” ed Patrol Unit of the Port- Pedestrian bridge: $4.2 million months old when he underwent ready for development now, “For all of us this is a lega- “We are looking at this as land Police Bureau. Roofs Naito Street improvements: surgery in September 2009. while the remaining 40 need ad- cy project,” Schnitzer told an a la carte choice, be- and fl oors are caving in, and $2.7 million Judge Jerry Hodson let stand ditional work. PDC commissioners, propos- cause the full meal deal is the recent heavy rains have Contingency: $2.1 million the $12 million verdict when he “You can say the region has 54 ing a mix of offi ce, retail and probably not within our caused signifi cant damage Total public contributions: declared that a capped award of $38.5 million sites and only need 34, but the multifamily units along with means,” said Jillian Detwei- that was evident on a recent $3 million would be “constitu- truth is many of those sites have a riverfront greenway, event ler, Hales’ policy director tour of the site. Some PDC W here Harsch would tionally inappropriate” as a legal constraints that will makes them center, boat dock and pedes- who advises him on urban staff say the city should step spend its money: remedy in this case. diffi cult to develop,” says Lise trian bridge connecting the renewal matters. in soon to prevent parts of Both sides have asked the jus- Glancy, the regional government site to Fields Park in the “It’s great to dream big,” the complex from falling in- Offi ce development: $19.3 million tices to reinterpret the Oregon relations manager with the Port Pearl District. Schnitzer, a Detweiler said Friday, two to the Willamette River. Multifamily developments: Constitution in ways contrary to $29.7 million of Portland, who also worked on prominent art collector, also days after Schnitzer’s pre- what the court has ruled in previ- Retail development: $3.3 million the study. has talked to noted sculptor sentation to the PDC. “We A ‘ placeholder number’ ous decisions. Tenant improvements: $6.2 million For example, one of the sites Maya Lin and prominent need to fi t these dreams in a The PDC purchased the The Oregon Trial Lawyers As- Feed and Flour mills renovation: identifi ed in the study is West glass artist Jun Kaneko box we can afford.” Centennial Mills property in $6.1 million sociation has fi led arguments in Hayden Island, which is owned about contributing art for The 4.8-acre site has more 2000, initially for a park. But Parking: $9.2 million support of the Hortons and by the Port of Portland. The port the project. than 600 feet of river front- See DREAM / Page 2 Contingency: $3.4 million has asked the city of Portland to But Hales may be reluc- age on the Willamette. The Total Harsch costs: $77.3 million See C OURT / Page 8 annex the property to allow 300 acres to be developed as a ma- rine terminal. But the Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission recommended con- ditions such as restoring wildlife habitat elsewhere, and the port New parking policy withdrew its application. The site is designated as industrial property in the update of the city’s comprehensive land-use plan working its way toward the frees up curbside spaces See STUDY / Page 5 cies that now require most peo- lem, and the disabled permits, Downtown businesses ple with disabled parking per- nearly disappeared from their happy about limits on mits to pay for on-street spaces. streets. This year, the Portland Until this summer, drivers Bureau of Transportation disabled placard use who could get physicians to sign changed the rules. Now, virtually a simple form received the per- all drivers, even those with dis- By PETER KORN mits and were allowed to park at abled permits, have to pay for The Tribune any meter in the city as long as their metered parking. And they they wanted without paying.