The Burnside Blog
Centennial Mills Proposals
In case you missed the open house on First Thursday at PNCA, Tyler Graf at The Daily Journal of Commerce has written summaries of the three proposed development scenarios for the landmark Centennial Mill project. So here’s the bigger question. Will it be a success like the Brewery Blocks? Or will it become a quagmire like the Burnside Bridgehead?.
By pdx city-state on Tuesday, February 12, 2008 at 04:00PM PST
I don’t know if “quagmire” is the right word Mike and Rachel. How about debacle? First, the PDC ignored the entire public feedback and process and here we are three years later and the Burnside Bridgehead appears absolutely dead in the water. Rumor has it that Opus is about to pull out. And because this has taken so long, the entire highest and best use scenario has changed. Good luck trying to sell a condo unit in that neighborhood in this market. Seems to me like PDC missed the window of opportunity.
By Mark on Tuesday, February 12, 2008 at 04:04PM PST
It’s also fair to mention that Developer Brad Malsin was overwhelmingly favored to spearhead this project, but was denied the project buy PDC even though A.) The neighborhood favored him B.) He had many letters of intent. C.) HIs proposal required less public subsidy than the Opus proposal. I think quagmire is the perfect word. It was the quagmire of quagmires and only illustrates how out-of-touch the PDC is with its own city. (then again, most people already know that).
I’ve heard that Opus is trying to sneak back in the big box component to this project. That would suck.
By Rachel Benjamin on Tuesday, February 12, 2008 at 03:36PM PST
Why was/is the Burnside Bridgehead a quagmire?