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Portland Plaza, one of the city’s first condominium high-rises, was originally built in 1973 and is home to 250 residents with a private podium to enjoy the city. The two-story parking garage below the high-rise was enveloped in a leaking waterproofing membrane that was replaced with a torch down/PMMA waterproofing system with updated amenities on the podium deck.

The new system was selected to not only stop all of the leakage into the parking garage, but also because it was compatible with the adhesion system used when the original waterproofing was laid down nearly 50 years before.

With completion of the $5.6 million project, residents now enjoy new floating concrete planters, rolled glass canopies, a fire table, a water feature, elevated pavers, built-in barbeques and a new swimming pool.

Among the project’s challenges, once the new waterproofing membrane was installed, the next step was to eliminate membrane penetrations to protect the integrity of the waterproofing system. This obstacle drove the choice to have all of the concrete planters floating on top of the waterproofing system to avoid membrane tears.

In addition, the Portland Plaza takes up the entire city block between Southwest Fourth and Fifth avenues, and neither of those streets could be closed during construction. The entry to the podium deck had to be completely demolished so that the waterproofing and podium deck projects could be constructed, as access from the intersections was unavailable through the city.

The project took place completely outdoors during a particularly wet winter and spring, affecting concrete pours and installations. The weather, however, didn’t slow the building process due to a strategic schedule.