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As plans move forward for a tower as tall as 325 feet near Providence Park, height and density are coming uneasily to Goose Hollow.

While height continues to increase in downtown, the West End and the Central Eastside, Goose Hollow stands apart for its relatively low skyline. But the west Portland neighborhood, sandwiched between the West Hills and Interstate 405, may be an inevitable destination for developers pushing bigger buildings.

Urban Renaissance Group‘s proposal for the Oregonian Publishing blocks are likely to push the discussion to the fore later this year. In partnership with Security Properties of Seattle, the Portland developer has submitted preliminary plans for more than 500,000 gross square feet of mixed-use development on 1.5 parcels and 400 to 550 parking spaces.

The full-block residential tower at 1621 S.W. Taylor St., would be designed by Mithun of Seattle, and reach 245 to 325 feet and 21 to 29 stories. A neighboring office building at 817 S.W. 17th Ave., to be designed by GBD Architects, would be 115 feet and eight stories.

A 325-foot building would be by far the tallest building in Goose Hollow, a neighborhood full of quaint eateries, valuable historic homes and prominent and politically active residents.

Tracy Prince, president of the Goose Hollow Foothills League, said any structure taller than approximately 100 feet would not fit the neighborhood. She was taken aback by the height and scope of the Oregonian Publishing proposal.
鈥淭hat’s a crazy amount,鈥� she said.

Yet proximity is driving developers to glance longingly upward in Goose Hollow. Only about half a mile separates the proposed redevelopment of the Oregonian Publishing blocks from Park Avenue West, TMT Development’s new 30-story tower in the heart of downtown.

Other close-in neighborhoods, including the Central Eastside, are seeing proposals for unprecedented heights. Gerding Edlen has proposed to build a 17-story tower near the east end of the Burnside Bridge, on a site occupied by Fishels Furniture.

As city leaders push for denser and taller developments to house 260,000 additional residents expected to arrive by 2035, Goose Hollow could be a natural fit. But the drive for new development is clashing with the area’s vocal neighborhood association and infrastructure limits.

The Goose Hollow Foothills League has taken a stand against development exceeding approximately 100 feet.

鈥淲e have taken positions as a board against such heights because the more livable neighborhoods have medium heights,鈥� said Prince, who has also written a book on Goose Hollow’s history.

Prince said she supports redevelopment of the Oregonian Publishing buildings into a mixed-use project that has active street-level use, adding that the defunct printing buildings are a 鈥渉orrible eyesore for the neighborhood.鈥�

But the proposed project is much larger than Goose Hollow residents expected. Prince said she could support a redevelopment with fewer than 20 stories.

An undercurrent of distrust toward developers runs deep in Goose Hollow. Some recent projects, including Mark Madden’s Goose, a four-story multifamily building, have resulted in demolition of historic buildings.

Prince said the political tenor of the neighborhood association has changed.

鈥淭here was a time when our neighborhood was very developer-centric,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e’re voting now more on what the residents want rather than what would make developers money.鈥�

Madden, owner of WDC Properties, said he had a positive experience developing in the neighborhood.

鈥淒ealing with Goose Hollow was great for us,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e just didn’t push the density. Building eight to 12 stories really wasn’t conducive, and we didn’t want to do that in the first place.鈥�

Madden, neighbors and city officials were able to agree on exterior and interior materials. The 2014 project produced 24 units and 19,464 square feet.

鈥淭he city wanted more density, and the neighborhood liked the density we have,鈥� he said.

Despite resistance from some neighborhoods, city leaders have pushed for greater density and height to accommodate growth.

鈥淧ortland’s becoming a bigger city, a bigger-league city, so we should expect more height and not lose sight of the gains we’re getting, which is less sprawl,鈥� Commissioner Dan Saltzman said.

鈥淭o me, skylines are sort of part of civic pride in how cities regard themselves and how others regard them,鈥� he added.

Saltzman said he’ll bring to the City Council before the end of the year a proposal tying height bonuses to affordable housing production.

鈥淎s a general thing, I think we need more height,鈥� he said.

In Goose Hollow, the neighborhood association is keen to protect views of the Vista Bridge and across Interstate 405 to downtown.

Saltzman said preserving view corridors remains a priority in Portland.

鈥淲e have pretty strong protections for view corridors, and I do obviously support protecting our city view corridors,鈥� he said.

In Goose Hollow, development has proceeded apace in recent years. Mill Creek Residential Trust’s Modera Goose Hollow, built in 2014, has 86,750 square feet of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments. Sam Rodriguez, senior managing director at Mill Creek’s Portland office, did not respond to messages seeking comment.

The tallest building in the neighborhood may be 735 St. Clair, a 52-year-old, 24-story multifamily tower with nearly 200,000 square feet at St. Clair Avenue and Burnside Street.

The Oregonian Publishing project would be much taller.

鈥淭his would be significantly higher than the highest thing we have,鈥� Prince said.

Krista Bailey, Urban Renaissance Group’s project management director, has declined to discuss the firm’s project, saying it’s too early in the development process.

The Oregonian Publishing project may also be subject to a Type III parking review through the city’s Bureau of Development Services.

Parking is a touchy subject in Goose Hollow, where empty parking spaces are at a premium. Major interests include the Portland Timbers 鈥� which average 21,000 fans for each of their 17 home games per season 鈥� Multnomah Athletic Club and Lincoln High School.

Residents pay $60 annually for on-street neighborhood parking passes. Goose Hollow is also blessed with ample public transit, including MAX red and blue lines and TriMet buses. Past proposals for large parking structures in Goose Hollow have fallen by the wayside.

To Prince, a big parking structure represents a step backward.

鈥淚 don’t feel like it’s my neighborhood’s job to absorb more and more parking when as a city we have goals that are other than that,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ur job isn’t to be a sea of parking structures.鈥�