Mixed-use complex receiving refreshment
From left, Scott Edwards Architecture project manager Kyle Rodrigues and Lorentz Bruun superintendents Kyle Dailey and Bruce Fabian and project manager Eric Bruun are working on the Water Tower renovation. (Chuck Slothower/DJC)
Author
Chuck Slothower
Date published
May 26, 2022
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An underutilized John’s Landing property that dates to the early 20th century is getting a major makeover courtesy of Lorentz Bruun Construction.
The Portland contractor is transforming the Water Tower development: a two-building, 123,188-square-foot commercial property at 5331 S. Macadam Ave. ScanlanKemperBard and WHI Real Estate Partners of Chicago acquired the Water Tower for $21.8 million in 2018.
Some interior improvements have already been carried out under SKB’s and WHI’s ownership, but the current project, designed by Scott Edwards Architecture, has a much greater scope. The façade will be refreshed, with glass windows and roll-up doors adding natural light. New paint, canopies and signage will provide a contemporary look. Two new plazas are being built on the property’s northeast and southeast corners. A few parking spaces will be lost as a result, but the property also has a two-story parking garage.
“In general, it’s shifting from having an industrial office feel to engaging pedestrians actively,” said Kyle Rodrigues, a project manager for Scott Edwards Architecture.
New storefronts will be built out for a mix of small retail shops to operate as covered indoor-outdoor spaces. The interior core is being opened to create gathering places. At the same time, vacant suites are being renovated in hopes of attracting tenants. The building is currently about 50 percent occupied, Rodrigues said.
The Water Tower, a mixed-use property in John’s Landing, is receiving a significant makeover that will add street-facing retail storefronts. (Chuck Slothower/DJC)
The full-block property has a long history. The Water Tower was built in 1903 as a furniture warehouse for the B.P. Furniture Company, according to the project team. The property was converted to a retail center in the 1970s. In 2008, a previous owner repositioned the property as a mixed-use office and retail complex.
Longtime Portlanders may remember the Water Tower as an indoor mall, or for a succession of restaurants such as Szechuan Chef, Shanghai Noble House and Billy Bang’s.
Construction crews, while digging, have found some surprises. They’ve encountered a decades-old underground tank, perhaps for a furnace; in-ground grease traps; and an old foundation that may have once been part of a home.
“We’ve had a lot of ‘unforeseens,’ which slows things down and increases costs, unfortunately,” said Eric Bruun, project manager for Lorentz Bruun Construction.
Much of the construction revolves around replacing solid wood and concrete walls with glass.
“There will be a flood of light,” said Bruce Fabian, superintendent for Lorentz Bruun.
Once the project is completed, a restaurant anchor tenant and a collection of small retail shops are envisioned to attract foot traffic.
“SKB is really excited to transform the Water Tower into an active and vibrant place of work and gathering for our tenants and the surrounding community,” SKB President Todd Gooding stated in a news release.
Catena Consulting Engineers, Harper Houf Peterson Righellis, and Shapiro Didway are also engaged on the Water Tower project. Construction began in December 2021 and completion is expected next winter.
