It all started with a bottle of wine… Restore Oregon Board member Roy Fox and his wife Kim were gathered with friends in their home unwrapping bottles of wine they’d bought as part of the Architectural Heritage Center’s annual “Riches of a City” auction, when, as typically happens at the Fox’s annual “blind wine” parties […]
New Demolition Code to Take Effect April 20
The City of Portland announced today that new regulations governing the demolition of houses will take effect on April 20. The long-anticipated code change is the result of many months of negotiations and a vote of the City Council back in February. As the economy has rebounded in the Portland area, smaller, older homes have become targets […]
Restore Oregon to Endorse Proposed Demolition Code Revisions
After six months of negotiations between preservationists, builders, neighborhood leaders, and City staff, Restore Oregon is set to endorse a compromise proposal that would greatly strengthen the City of Portland’s demolition code. As Portland’s real estate market has boomeranged out of the recession, established neighborhoods have witnessed sharp increases in the number older houses being […]
Portland City Council Denies Application to Demolish Historic Building
At their December 18th meeting, the Portland City Council voted to deny a controversial application to demolish the Buck-Prager Building, a 1918 contributing building in the Alphabet National Historic District. The proposal sought to replace the existing three-story unreinforced masonry building with a half-block six-story apartment complex, the design of which had yet to be […]
Illuminating 120 Years of Portland History
For ten nights this December, the history of Portland’s Old Town will be illuminated in the windows of the long-vacant 1881 Mariner’s Building. Illumination #1, a site-specific animated work by educator and animator Rose Bond, will use the windows of the historic building as screens for still and moving images that evoke specific gestures, story […]
Recommendations to Address Demolition Epidemic Now Headed to Council
Three months after being tasked by the Portland City Council to propose modifications to the City’s demolition code, the Development Review Advisory Committee (DRAC) on Thursday endorsed a slate of recommendations that would affect how demolitions are conducted in Portland’s neighborhoods. The package of proposed code revisions—ranging from notification processes to defining ‘demolition’—is scheduled to go before the […]
Renovation Planned for Former Oregonian Headquarters
The Oregonian’s former headquarters in downtown Portland, built in 1948 by renowned architect Pietro Belluschi, has been purchased by Seattle-based Urban Renaissance Group for $14.15 million. The building is a notable example of Belluschi’s elegant modernist style, delivered on the heels of his groundbreaking Equitable Building, and occupies a full block along SW Broadway, making […]
Addressing Portland’s Demolition Epidemic
UPDATE: On July 31st the Portland City Council heard three hours of presentations and public testimony regarding the state of preservation in Portland. Commissioners promised to return to the demolition issue at a future meeting. This Thursday, July 31, the Portland Historic Landmarks Commission will present their annual State of Preservation report to the Portland […]
Historic Church’s Bell Tower Faces Costly Restoration
From the time of its 1895 construction, Portland’s First Congregational Church has stood as one of the city’s grandest and most imposing buildings. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, the church is a rare example of Venetian Gothic architecture—few others exist in America—and its 175-foot-high bell tower stood as the tallest […]
That’s a Wrap! Over 800 People Attended the 2014 Restore Oregon Mid-Century Modern Home Tour
Over Mother’s Day weekend more than 800 people took part in the celebration of architect Pietro Belluschi’s Mid-Century Modern residential work, producing record breaking attendance and setting the bar even higher for next year’s event. The “Belluschi weekend” started Friday night at the Portland Art Museum where accomplished architect, Tony Belluschi, lectured to more than […]