Media Release

August 29, 2008

PDC Contractor Starts Building Removal and Site Clearing Work

A contractor hired by the Portland Development Commission (PDC) has started work on a project to remove several vacant buildings near the intersection of Burnside Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, at the east end of the Burnside Bridge. The property is owned by PDC, which is having it cleared as part of site preparation work on the four-acre Burnside Bridgehead site.      

“This is really more of a recycling and salvage operation than it is just a building demolition,” said PDC Construction and Environmental Services Manager Dave Obern. “We expect that we will be able to recycle or repurpose at least 85 percent of the materials in these two buildings.” In addition to building removal, the contractor will work to improve the grading and drainage on the site.   

“Clearing the site is our final step towards removing all of the obstacles to redevelopment, making the site shovel ready,” said PDC Development Manager Kia Selley. “We’ve successfully dealt with all of the environmental issues and other concerns which can delay the start of a construction project. Our next major step toward transforming this prime location will be to select a new development partner who can implement the community’s vision of a landmark mixed-use project.”

Business relocation effort
Late in 2006, as part of the site preparation work, PDC worked with the Ararat Bakery and Restaurant to relocate the business to 92nd and Ramona in the Lents Urban Renewal Area of southeast Portland. The move to Lents doubled the size of Ararat’s facility, put the company closer to its distribution network and provided room to expand the business.

Interim site uses
PDC staffers are currently working with the Burnside Bridgehead Citizen Advisory Committee, made up of representatives from the Central east side, on interim uses for the Bridgehead site. “The objective is to find a temporary use that will engage the community and serve as a positive influence in this area,” said Selley. “The committee has already come up with a number of potential interim uses for this site and we will take the next few months to expand the list of options and engage the community. We may begin implementation of an option as early as January 2009.” 

Dan Obrist Excavation, Inc. from Clackamas is the contractor on the $47,050 site preparation project, which is expected to take approximately six weeks to complete.

###

PDC was created by Portland voters in 1958 to serve as the city’s urban renewal agency as laid out in Chapter 15 of the City’s Charter. PDC provides comprehensive housing, development and economic development programs within the Portland region.

for PDC's News & Information E-Mail Lists
Archive of sent E-Mails
Unsubscribe from our E-Mail Lists