With outcry intensifying over the stream of waste being generated by demolitions in Portland, the Mayor’s office and City bureaus have been working to develop regulatory responses intended to address some issues of concern. Two initiatives have recently been announced: one designed to incentivize higher rates of reuse of materials from buildings slated for demolition, and the […]
Zoning Code Loophole Contributes to Demolition Pressure
While the rebounding economy and influx of new residents has left no shortage of opportunity or incentive for developers to tear down and replace older houses in Portland’s single family neighborhoods, a recent trend indicates that an arcane provision in the City’s Zoning Code is among the biggest threats to the fabric of Portland’s older neighborhoods. The […]
Historic theaters: potential economic engines face challenges
A new report on the condition and needs of Oregon’s historic theaters reveals them as potentially significant economic engines as well as cultural touchstones in communities small and large. But they’re challenged by deferred maintenance and other financial and organizational needs, for which the report provides specific recommendations. Nearly a year of research resulted in […]
Restore Oregon Wins Precedent-Setting Bull Run Court Case
The historic Bull Run Power Plant was saved today following a Land Use Board of Appeals ruling that will enable the adaptive reuse of rural historic resources across Oregon for years to come. Restore Oregon invested significant time and resources in filing a brief and arguing before the court in support of the preservation-friendly land […]
Intern-Approved: Historic House Bars
This edition of Intern-Approved features Portland’s other favorite house-served liquid: booze! Be it served in a can, pint, or brandy snifter, there is a wide array of watering holes that have taken up residence in Portland’s historic houses. If the walls of these homes could talk, they would have many stories to tell; and after a […]
Intern-Approved: Historic Coffeehouse Houses
Five out of four Portlanders agree: coffee is a staple part of the modern diet. The city is known nationally for having a virtually never-ending supply of coffee shops to get a fix. All of these options can be a bit overwhelming, so leave it to Restore Oregon’s occasional series “Intern-Approved” to solve your indecisiveness. […]
Restore Oregon Asks Court to Save Historic Power Plant, Set Precedent for Adaptive Reuse Projects
Restore Oregon today filed an extensive brief with the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) that could significantly advance the preservation of historic buildings that are today deteriorating in farm and forest lands across Oregon. Anticipated to be precedent-setting for the rehabilitation of some of the state’s most challenging historic resources, the case in question […]
Preserving Portland’s Supply of Reservoir History
Water has been a hot topic on the West Coast as drought declarations have moved north from California into Southern and Eastern Oregon. With all of this talk, why not take a quick look back at Portland’s water history? Beginning in the mid-1800s, water was first supplied to the city of Portland from creeks in […]
Preservation Field School Comes to Portland
Have you ever wanted to experience preservation firsthand? Look no further! The University of Oregon’s Historic Preservation Program will be hosting the 2015 Pacific Northwest Preservation Field School in the Portland area later this summer. The two sites attendees will be working on are the Pioneer-era A.J. Masters House in Hillsboro and a log home […]
State Supreme Court to Hear Preservation Case
The historic preservation field reached a new milestone on April 24th when Chief Justice Thomas Balmer ordered the State Supreme Court to review a law that jeopardizes the preservation of as many as 3,200 historic properties across Oregon. The case, Lake Oswego Preservation Society v. City of Lake Oswego, represents the first time that Oregon’s highest court has taken up a specifically historic preservation […]