Despite Pitfalls, PSU Renewal District Projects Grind Ahead
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The Suey Wing building on Northwest Fourth Avenue PortlandTribune is abandoned, boarded up and THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2013 • TWICE CHOSEN THE NATION’S BEST NONDAILY PAPER • WWW.PORTLANDTRIBUN E.COM • PUBLISHED THURSDAY posted on the fi re bureau’s Unsafe Buildings list. But city offi cials still allow ground- fl oor nightclubs. Old Town vacancies glaring in sunlight Shop closures leave ■ Two Old Town nightclubs could pose fi re hazards for partygoers few daytime activities in nightclub district By PETER KORN The Tribune Morteza Aleali closed his THE DANGER ZONE Old Town herb and acu- puncture shop three weeks ortland offi cials have per- building’s many dangers. One in- ago. It wasn’t a big shop and mitted nightclubs in two spection in 2006 found deteriorating it hadn’t Old Town buildings that its trusses that help hold up the roof. seen many P own fi re inspector has de- The Portland Bureau of Develop- customers “Sell termined are “inherently danger- ment Services informed the owners in recent ous.” in a 2009 order that they had until years. But sandwiches, The nightclubs, in the city’s new the end of 2011 to take out permits its closing, I don’t care Entertainment District, are allowed and fi x the trusses. according to what you on the fi rst fl oor of buildings that When the Tribune Aleali, are otherwise vacant. Two promi- contacted BDS two should serve do, have nent fi re offi - weeks ago, Mike TRIB as a re- some cials from out- Liefeld, the bureau’s sounding Story by side Portland, enforcement manag- SERIES wake-up call daytime Peter Korn reviewing Fire er, said records show FIRST OF on city poli- activity.” Bureau in- there had been no cies: the Old Photos by “Unsafe building. High collapse potential in all directions TWO PARTS — Stephen Ying, spection re- under fi re conditions. Expect rapid fi re spread.” follow-up by city in- Town/Chi- Chinese Jonathan House ports of the spectors. natown En- Consolidated buildings, — Portland Fire & Rescue report on the Sinnott building Last week, Liefeld said that as a tertainment Benevolent question why result of the Tribune’s inquiry the District, he Association Portland would allow nightclubs to “My inspection on 11/03/2008 found conditions that are case has been reopened and a viola- says, is president operate in buildings that do not tion notice has been sent to the pushing out meet universal fi re code standards. inherently dangerous to the fi refi ghting operations and building’s owners. He said owners daytime The two buildings, the officials the citizens of the city of Portland as a whole.” have indicated that they have per- businesses in favor of night- say, are dangerous to club patrons, — Portland Fire & Rescue report on the Suey Wing building formed work on the truss, but they time clubs and bars. potentially the sites of deadly night- have not taken out permits or had Aleali is moving to a new lo- club fi res similar to others that have an inspector approve the work. cation on Southwest First Ave- killed hundreds in other cities. The building’s owners are listed nue, just south of downtown. The Suey Wing building at 209 cases nude dancers. The building ter a series of Oregon Liquor Con- as the Suey Wing Benevolent Asso- As detailed in a series of sto- N.W. Fourth Avenue has for de- also has leased space to a series of trol Commission violations. ciation. Tribune calls to the phone ries in the Tribune during the cades been home to the Magic Gar- popular nightclubs, including the Portland Fire & Rescue inspec- past three years, Aleali’s shop, den, a fi rst-fl oor lounge that show- Crown Room, shuttered recently af- tions as far back as 2006 noted the See DANGER / Page 2 decorated with large glass jars full of mysterious looking herbs, used to get many more customers, including quite a few from Chinatown walking tours. According to Aleali, those tours stopped their visits when the sidewalk on the Trend shows Despite pitfalls, PSU renewal north side of Northwest Couch Street was blocked off. Bricks had begun falling off the top of fewer votes for the Sinnott Building, at the district projects grind ahead corner of Northwest Couch and Third Avenue. The Sinnott was sold to Kei- Mother Nature PPS, others keep an sha Nathan in 2010 for $400,000. The upper fl oors of the Sinnott ■ Three By JIM REDDEN eye on tax plan that have been vacant for years and The Tribune PSU appears cannot be occupied, according counties could squeeze funds unfazed that the to Portland Fire & Rescue. But display Metro offi cials are not wor- city’s Education the ground fl oor has been al- ried about the split vote on By STEVE LAW Urban Renewal lowed to host a series of popu- dwindling their $50 million ballot mea- The Tribune Area call for lar nightclubs, most recently support for sure to maintain the parks spending money The Barrel Room. and natural lands owned by Portland State University is on PSU buildings The city’s Bureau of Devel- Metro land the elected regional govern- still banking on using city urban like Neuberger opment Services required that measures ment. renewal funds to renovate and Hall is in sidewalks around the Sinnott Ballot Measure 26-152 passed expand its academic buildings, jeopardy. be fenced off so that pedestri- with 56 percent of the vote at despite revelations that could re- TRIBUNE PHOTO: ans would not be hit by falling the May 21 Special Election. But duce property taxes for public CHRISTOPHER bricks. The bureau also told although Multnomah County schools and community colleges. ONSTOTT Nathan in 2011 that she had to voters overwhelmingly ap- As reported by the Portland Tri- The new reality — unanticipated identify any education spending make repairs to the building or proved the measure, it failed by bune May 9, any money spent for when the Portland Development from urban renewal dollars to as- face a series of steadily in- narrow margins in both Clacka- education purposes in the city’s Commission and Portland City sure it falls within the Measure 5 creasing fi nes. mas and Washington counties. new Education Urban Renewal Ar- Council approved the $169 million property tax limitation enacted in Three years later, the side- That’s a change from 1995 ea surrounding PSU could cause a urban renewal project 13 months 1990. That capped education prop- walks are still closed and Ale- and 2006, when voters in all dollar-for-dollar drop in property ago — stems from Oregon Supreme erty taxes at $5 per $1,000 in as- ali has shuttered one of the few three counties approved the taxes for public schools, Portland Court decisions and a policy change sessed property value. City urban Chinatown shops open during Community College and Mult- by the Oregon Department of Rev- See METRO / Page 5 nomah Education Service District. enue. Henceforth, the city must See PSU / Page 5 See DAYLIGHT / Page 3 “Pamplin Media Group’s pledge is to Portland Tribune Short-haul ■ deliver balanced news that refl ects the Portlanders learn to handle home moving via bicycle trailers. stories of our communities. Thank you Inside pedalers See Sustainable Life section inside for reading our newspapers.” — DR. ROBERT B. PAMPLIN JR. OWNER & NEIGHBOR Reall OPENS THIS FRIDAY! Mummies.Mummies. Reall Science.Science. Reall 800.955.6674 People.People. OMSI.EDU Don’t Miss It! “Inside Every Mummy Is A Story Waiting To Be Told!” 424252.061313 A2 NEWS The Portland Tribune Thursday, June 13, 2013 Danger: Old buildings not up to fi re code ■ From page 1 number in city records were not returned. Letting it burn The Sinnott House, 105 N.W. Third Ave., has been occupied by a series of fi rst-fl oor night- clubs, the current version of which is The Barrel Room. An inspection report for the Sin- nott, which, like the Suey Wing, is constructed of unrein- forced masonry, provides a warning to fi refi ghters: “The possibility of a partial or total collapse during emergency op- erations must be planned for.” Fire crews have been advised to expect “rapid fire spread” and to keep all fi re apparatus away from the building. “Whoever is allowing this to be occupied is a fool,” Cliff Munson said. Munson speaks with the authority of 23 years as a fi refi ghter and fi re inspec- tor in Long Beach, Calif. He al- so served a four-year stint as deputy Oregon state fi re mar- shal. Currently, he teaches fu- ture fi refi ghters at Chemeketa Community College in Salem. Munson said the inspection records for both buildings — obtained by the Tribune through a public records re- quest — reveal a number of fi re code violations that should keep them closed. Fire doors are missing, emergency light- TRIBUNE PHOTO: JONATHAN HOUSE ing isn’t working, escape paths A series of popular ground-fl oor nightclubs have had Entertainment District visitors lining up outside the Suey Wing building on Friday and Saturday nights. are blocked. The upper fl oors of both buildings were de- clared too dangerous to occu- tions, and was told Alderman firefighters can’t enter the dertaken to bring the buildings which killed 100 patrons in a mistake.” py. could only be interviewed with building, why would you allow into compliance with interna- West Warwick, R.I. In fact, the Flood said that the danger- Munson said the fi re bureau a deputy fi re marshal in atten- civilians in there?” he asks.