Team thinking big, building small

By: Josh Kulla//February 1, 2019//

Team thinking big, building small

Josh Kulla//February 1, 2019//

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Journeyman carpenter Carlos "Charlie" Ramirez, an employee of Advanced Pro Builders, secures a floor joist while framing the Koz on SW Fourth Avenue building. (Josh Kulla/91视频) — Journeyman carpenter Carlos “Charlie” Ramirez, an employee of Advanced Pro Builders, secures a floor joist while framing the Koz on SW Fourth Avenue building. (Josh Kulla/91视频)

More micro-housing developments are coming to Portland, and Beaverton-based Seabold Construction is busy building many of them.

Snohomish, Washington-based Koz Development relies on in-house architects to design all of its projects 鈥� many that offer micro-apartments 鈥� and then manages them after completion. The firm’s latest is Koz on SW Fourth Avenue, which will provide 108 units (64 studios and 46 lofts) above ground-floor retail space. Seabold Construction is serving as general contractor for this project and three others by Koz in Portland. And that is hardly the end of such activity.

鈥淭here are quite a few that haven’t formalized into drawings yet, but are in the works,鈥� said Kevin Owens, Seabold’s director of field operations.

Koz on SW Fourth Avenue will have five stories of residential space over a ground floor intended to serve restaurants, as well as 25 below-grade parking spaces. The wedge-shaped property is at 2211 S.W. Fourth Ave, slightly south of the Portland State University campus.

鈥淚t’s a great location,鈥� Seabold Construction Superintendent Tom Turner said. 鈥淩ight now we’re into full rough-in, and on the interior we’re going to be sheeting the fifth floor and we’ll have the roof on in about three more weeks. It’s a beautiful location. It’s going to be very probably affordable for the kids, if it is all students.鈥�

The unique property overlooks both Interstate 405 and the West Hills.

鈥淚 wish we were up to the fifth floor because there’s the greatest view of Mount Hood you could ever see,鈥� Turner said on a tour of the site. 鈥淭he views here are going to be incredible. This is just the coolest setting you could have.鈥�

The Koz on SW Fourth Avenue mixed-use building is begin erected on the site of a former surface parking lot at the south end of downtown Portland. (Josh Kulla/91视频) — The Koz on SW Fourth Avenue mixed-use building is begin erected on the site of a former surface parking lot at the south end of Portland’s downtown. (Josh Kulla/91视频)

Recently, a host of subcontractors and their crews were working on-site. They included Advanced Pro Builders, Atlas Plumbing Contractors, Madlyn Metal Fab, Rose City Electric, Jacobs Heating & Air Conditioning and Triad Fire Protection.

The building is expected to be substantially completed by August, Owens said. The project team is hoping it will open before the start of the 2019-20 school year.

For now, rough-in work will continue into the spring as interior contractors start to arrive on-site.

鈥淭his is my first week of rough in, and all my MEPs are here and I’m straightening everything out and getting organized,鈥� Turner said.

Koz Development’s first project in Portland, Koz on Yamhill, opened last year at 2165 S.W. Yamhill St., in Goose Hollow. It has 26 lofts and four studios 鈥� all with 350 square feet or less. Seabold is now building three similar projects: Derby Slabtown, with 127 apartments and one live-work unit, at 1075 N.W. 16th Ave.; Koz on NW 16th, with 80 units, at 1111 N.W. 16th Ave.; and Koz on SE 13th, with 87 units, at 123 S.E. 13th Ave.