When the coronavirus outbreak hit the U.S. earlier this year, health care providers had to move quickly to alter their operational practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while adapting spaces to accommodate a massive influx of patients.

Now, with months’ worth of perspective, architects and health care providers are looking at how medical spaces can be designed to allow maximum operational efficiency and prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

Over the past decade, Ebola, SARS and H1N1 (swine flu) pandemics spurred an evolution of health care design, said Ali Sadri, director of planning, design and construction with Legacy Health. But the arrival of COVID-19 was a wake-up call that accelerated discussions about functional programming, and the relationship between building occupants and their physical environment.

“Most of our providers started paying more attention to environment of care in general,” Sadri said. “What do they need to be more effective and efficient, and care for their patients better so that space would not become an obstacle for them?”

One major step involves removal of some patients from buildings altogether. While business owners, school officials and others weigh strategies for returning to in-person operations, the health care industry is doing the opposite by adopting new methods for keeping some patients off-site.

“We’re going to rely a lot more on care within your own home, because that’s where you’re safest,” said Erin Couch, the Portland-based architectural standards and design director for Providence St. Joseph Health.

Health care providers in recent months have increasingly relied on “telehealth” as a means of seeing patients while reducing the number of people in their buildings. Rather than coming to a hospital or clinic for preventive care appointments, patients connect with providers via video conferencing or over the phone, minimizing the risk of virus exposure for both staff and other patients.

Couch, who works within Providence’s Real Estate Strategy and Operations pillar, sets design standards across a seven-state system that includes 51 hospitals, over 1,000 clinics and 100,000 caregivers. Moving forward, she is going to recommend that Providence convert a quarter of its existing examination rooms to telehealth rooms.

Monty Hill, a Mackenzie design director and associate principal whose specialties include health care design, said his firm anticipates telehealth remaining prevalent after the pandemic, due in large part to changes in how providers are compensated.

“Some of the things that we use as cues for changes in health care are Medicare and what the government is willing to reimburse,” he said.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in April announced a temporary expansion of telehealth benefits for Medicare patients, allowing hospitals to bill the system for services rendered remotely. A bill introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives on July 16 would make the expansion permanent, as would a bill introduced to the U.S. Senate on July 20 by Sen. Ron Wyden.

Designers and providers are also giving considerable thought to the flexibility of spaces. For years, the nature of health care building design was to create silos of specialties. While a shift in thinking was taking place before the pandemic, providers are increasingly looking at creating universal rooms.

Solvei Neiger, a ZGF Architects partner who specializes in health care spaces, says an ongoing consideration among her clients is the design of nursing units, including those in emergency departments, to allow for compartmentalization of spaces and creation of flexible groupings of rooms for cluster care.

Clients are planning lobbies with some of the infrastructure necessary to convert them to triage space, Neiger said. Rooms are being rethought as well.

“Maybe it’s an exam room one day, a triage room or treatment room another day,” she said. “Being able to not have barriers allows for different types of uses to happen, which gives them maximum flexibility.”

Especially important will be a shift toward rooms that can be adapted to intensive care units in the event of a surge, Hill said. With COVID-19, demand exceeded supply for ICU rooms, which differ from typical rooms because of their life-sustaining equipment available, level of monitoring for the nursing staff, and either positive or negative air pressure.

“I think we’re going to see government rules change to have a plan in order to deal with any major catastrophe,” Hill said, “not just for coronavirus, but any future virus that we may need to be prepared for.”

Also on the horizon is a shift away from using return air to a 100 percent outside air system in all areas in order to reduce the likelihood of contagions spreading through a building’s HVAC system. The Emanuel West core-and-shell project nearing completion in North Portland will not use recirculated air, Sadri said. Energy models show that the full outside air system offers better control of the environment without wasting energy.

“We can actually capture more energy from our exhaust than reintroducing that air back into the building,” Sadri said. “And, of course, fresh air and not recycled air is what everybody in infections control is advising. You will see single-pass air become much more common.”

Providence is also considering a move to a 100 percent outside air system, and is using simpler ways to keep contaminants out of the air. According to Couch, they have already turned off all hand blowers in restrooms, and are considering a return to use of toilet lids.

Reducing surface contamination is an equally important consideration. Touchless devices will also become even more commonplace than they already are, as will handwashing sinks. Some materials like carpet may be completely eschewed for surfaces that are more conducive to disinfection. Cove base flooring and countertop backsplashes, already common in many areas, could become even more prevalent in any areas that patients go.

“It really just eliminates any place for a virus to hide,” Hill said. “The cleanability of surfaces is going to increase.”

Waiting rooms are likely to shrink to allow for improved social distancing among patients and visitors. Large groups of chairs will give way to small clusters or individual seating. Modern communications technology makes it possible for medical staff to be in full contact with patients and to stay updated without being on hospital grounds.

Also, after the widespread shortage of personal protective equipment that caught many hospitals off-guard early in the COVID-19 pandemic, some may begin storing supplies in bulk in warehouse space.

Designers are also beginning to rethink how providers are typically clustered, such as at nursing stations, in order to allow for greater distancing between medical staff members.

The pandemic has accelerated thinking on how to make medical spaces function as safely and efficiently as possible. For Couch – busier than she’s ever been with Providence – it’s a time that has begotten industry-wide ingenuity and a fresh approach to provision of community health care.

“I’m sorry it took a pandemic to do that, but it’s certainly improved the way we do business,” she said. “We will look back at 2020 and say, ‘That’s when it all changed.’”

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July 13-19, 2020

• Early assistance is pending for development of a new commercial/retail building at 2359 S.E. 124th Ave. The 18,538-square-foot lot has some existing structures and paved areas that would be removed. Proposed improvements include two buildings, a driveway and a parking/loading area between the buildings. The applicant is Kelli Grover of Firwood Design Group LLC, and the owner is Freewater HSU LLC of Bucksport, Maine.

• Early assistance is pending for development of a full-block site at 1313 N.W. Marshall St. Historic structures would be retained on the site; it most recently was home to Bridgeport Brewery, which closed in early 2019. The applicant is Julie Bronder of ZGF Architects, and the owner is Northup Invest Co., which includes President Patricia Madden and Secretary Paula Madden.

• Early assistance is sought for partial redevelopment of an existing apartment complex at 4624 S.W. Dickinson St. Two existing buildings would be removed and two new ones with a total of 300 dwelling units would be added. The applicant is Nathan Jones of Otak Inc., and the owner is Carlton Perry.

• Early assistance is pending for a retail vending/food cart pod on a paved lot at 5916 N. Greeley Ave., a 4,800-square-foot lot that currently holds a 600-square-foot commercial building. The applicant is Evan Ross of Intrepid Experience LLC, and the owner is Supachai Wichaporn.

• Early assistance is pending for development of a property at 7933 W./S.W. 40th Ave. Development options proposed for the 14,314-square-foot lot include either two fourplex buildings or eight townhouses. The applicant is Steve Miller with Emerio Design, and the owner is Frog and Toad LLC of San Anselmo, California.

• Early assistance is sought for a new development consisting of two four-story congregate living structures at 1213 N. Ainsworth St. The applicants are Schuyler Smith of Polyphone Architecture & Design and Shane Boland of Owen Gabbert LLC, and the owner is Preston M. Browning III.

• Early assistance is pending for a new five-story assisted living facility at 5035 N.E. 42nd Ave. for developmentally disadvantaged individuals, some of whom drive. The ground floor would contain a small parking area, pharmacy and building lobby. Floors two through four would contain a total of 24 group living sleeping rooms with shared dining and commercial kitchen space, and the fifth floor would contain offices for the facility’s operator and staff. The applicant is Brett Schulz of Brett Schulz Architect, and the owners are Francis and Vida Djorgee.

• Early assistance is sought for the demolition of O’Bryant Square – a park at 800 S.W. Harvey Milk St. The project would include demolition of both the street-level park and a below-grade parking garage and utilities. The park closed in 2018 after structural deficiencies were found in the parking garage. The applicant is Gary Darling of IML Services LLC, and the owner is the city of Portland.

• Early assistance is pending for an upgrade to the shell of a warehouse building at 323 S.E. Seventh Ave. for a future tenant improvement. Planned improvements include upgraded entrances, enlarged windows, new exterior cladding and/or paint, and restriped parking. The applicant is Michael McLaughlin of Fluent Design, and the owner is 302 S.E. 7th OZ LLC, which is managed by Craig Firpo and Cameron Johnson of Libertas Companies and Christopher Peatross of San Francisco-based Swift Real Estate Partners.

• Early assistance is pending for alterations to a warehouse building at 6635 N. Baltimore Ave. The building is a former Columbia Sportswear factory that now hosts studio space. The improvements would include reconfiguration of some interior spaces, creation of a new entry lobby and façade, mezzanines, clerestory windows, and exterior stairs. The estimated construction cost is $2.2 million, $800,000 of which would be for voluntary seismic upgrades and ADA improvements. The applicant is Brett Schulz of Brett Schulz Architect, and the owner is Workshop Cathedral Owner LLC of Chicago.

• Early assistance is pending for a five-story apartment building with 24 units (two of which would be affordable at 60 percent median family income) at 3114 S.E. Belmont St. The site currently holds a single-family structure. The applicant is Michael Perso of William / Kaven Architecture, and the owner is Nez C Hallett III Revocable Living Trust.

Source: Portland Bureau of Development Services

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Building permits issued for July 13-19, 2020

• A $700,000 assembly permit was issued for a remodel, new roof and seismic upgrade to the Fulton Park Community Center at 68 S.W. Miles St. The applicant is Aram Irwin of Aram Irwin Historic Home Design, the contractor is RR Chandler LLC, and the owner is the city of Portland.

• A $3,630,000 addition permit was issued on deferred submittal for aluminum-framed storefront and curtainwall systems at Madison High School, at 2735 N.E. 82nd Ave. The applicant is Jacob Gerard of contractor Fortis Construction, and the owner is Portland Public Schools.

• A $6,039,309 alteration permit is under inspection for the renovation of a building at 4300 N.E. Killingsworth St. for a new De La Salle North Catholic High School campus. Another $3,011,290 new construction permit is under inspection for the gym, commons, kitchen aspects, as well as a new driveway, parking and site work. The applicant is Josh Brandt of Bora Architects, the contractor is P&C Construction, and the owner is St. Charles Catholic Church Portland Oregon.

• Two new construction permits – each valued at $961,053 – were issued for a new three-story, 12-unit apartment building at 5635 N.E. Glisan St. and a three-story, 13-unit building at 5645 N.E. Glisan St. The applicant is Ryan Pickrel of Faster Permits, the contractor is Elliott Properties Inc., and the owner is David Lee Higgs Revocable Living Trust.

Building permit intakes for July 13-19, 2020

• A $526,000 alteration permit is under review for a tenant improvement to install a 5,000-square-foot conditioned packaging room in an unconditioned warehouse at 11601 S.E. Foster Road. The applicant is Kyle Howard of Bridgetown Natural Foods, the owner is BRE Jupiter Foster Commerce LLC of Chicago, and the primary contractor is out to bid.

• An $890,000 alteration permit is under review for a tenant improvement to create the Bybee Lakes Hope Center shelter and transition center in the former Wapato Jail building at 14355 N. Bybee Lake Court. The applicant is Steve Ewoldt of Otak Inc. and the owner is N Bybee Lake Court LLC. No contractor is listed for the project.

Facility permits issued for July 13-19, 2020

• None for any project greater than $500,000.

Facility permit intakes for July 13-19, 2020

• A $1,600,000 alteration permit is under review for a tenant improvement for DLR Group on the basement, first floor and mezzanine levels of the 2&Taylor building at 110 S.W. Yamhill St. The applicant is Sherrill Johnson of DLR Group and the owner is B13 Investors LLC. The primary contractor is out to bid.

• A $700,000 mechanical alteration permit is under review for mechanical upgrades to the Galleria building at 600 S.W. 10th Ave. The applicant is David Scheurmann of Arjae Sheet Metal, the contractor is Arjae HVAC and Mechanical Services, and the owner is UPG Galleria Property Owner LLC of Seattle.

Source: Portland Bureau of Development Services

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Jeff Moreland has led Raimore Construction through two decades of growth, from a small trucking and flagging outfit to a formidable heavy civil contractor that recently was awarded an approximately $60 million contract – the largest ever in Oregon for a minority-owned contractor – for transit improvements.

Despite his prominence within Portland’s building industry, Moreland – who is Black – still experiences racism on jobsites. Oftentimes, he said, it’s from people who don’t even realize that it’s going on.

“I can walk into a trailer as the owner of Raimore Construction with one of my project managers who’s white, and they talk to him the whole meeting until they realize that I’m the decision maker,” Moreland said. “This is just systemic.”

Robert Camarillo, an ironworker who now serves as executive secretary of the Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council, has experienced similar discrimination during his 25 years in the industry.

“Some of us are just used to being invisible,” he said. “It’s not just what is said, but it’s the actions that are hurtful. This is an industry issue that’s plagued not just the construction industry, but all levels of the business, from the developers to the engineers to the architects. All levels.”

Racism in the building industry takes many forms, including the implicit bias experienced by Moreland and Camarillo, discriminatory practices and a lack of opportunities for minority workers and business owners, and symbols of racial violence being placed on jobsites in Portland and other parts of the country.

As the nation comes to a reckoning on racism and discrimination in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd, leaders in the local building industry are working to create a dialogue to address causes and potential solutions to racism in construction. Moreland and Camarillo were among multiple panelists who spoke Tuesday during an that drew more than 300 participants. The session was held by the National Association of Minority Contractors‘ Oregon chapter.

The first step to prevent continuing racism and discrimination on jobsites, Moreland said, is to acknowledge that it is a widespread problem, and not try to sweep it under the rug. An open dialogue is necessary, he added, because minorities in the industry often don’t feel safe speaking out for fear of being penalized or ostracized.

“You have to realize that this has been cultivated over a long period of time, and the discriminatory, racist behavior that you see has become normalized,” he said.

Andrew Colas, president of Colas Construction, said the industry needs to adopt a zero-tolerance policy for racist behavior and prioritize enforcement in the same manner that it has for safety. Decades ago, injuries and deaths were considered an acceptable risk to construction work before the industry took a stand and decided to make a change. Now, it’s common to see companies with multiple safety directors.

“I don’t think we’ve ever stopped and assessed how bad it is in regards to racism in this industry, and really decided that we’re going to make a fullhearted effort to change,” Colas said. “You have to put time into it, just like you spend time on making sure safety is important, we have to put time and focus into this.”

Forming bias incident response teams could make victims of jobsite racism more likely to report the abuse, said Willy Myers, executive secretary-treasurer of the Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council. Then workers experiencing racial harassment could work directly with the general contractor and would have an intervenor to turn to who is not a direct supervisor or business representative.

“A lot of times there’s a fear of being excluded from the next job or being excluded from a team that’s already built on a jobsite because they’re the person pointing out a problem,” he said.

Further, penalties are needed for people terminated for bias issues, Myers said. Moving them to another jobsite or placing them on the out-of-work list and allowing them back after a short suspension isn’t fixing the problem, he said.

Diversifying the ranks of those working in the industry is crucial, Colas said, calling for labor unions to recruit minorities who are already in their ranks to fill leadership roles on jobsites. Young people of color need to see people who look like them not only in roles as tradespeople, but as foremen and women, estimators, project managers and executives.

“If you can’t see it, you can’t be it,” he said.

Investing in local, minority-owned businesses needs to be a priority for banks and governments that are funding projects, said Alando Simpson, CEO of City of Roses Disposal & Recycling. Using public resources to elevate minority-owned firms and hire more people of color would mean those dollars stay local and benefit the overall community and create a more self-sustaining economy in the Portland-metro area, he said.

Colas agreed, calling on public agencies to help create an atmosphere that is more inclusive and allows everybody to achieve the American Dream, which he argued isn’t as accessible as people believe. Colas Construction is one of the largest Black-owned companies on the West Coast, he said, but their revenues pale in comparison to those of their peers.

“I can tell you five companies that do double our revenues that we’ve been in business 15 years longer than,” he said. “The reality is there are barriers. When you look the way I look, there are barriers. And we need to work to get rid of those.”

To view a video of the forum, visit

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The Oregon Department of Transportation has selected a construction manager/general contractor to lead a controversial Portland freeway expansion effort. The agency announced Monday an intent to award a contract to Hamilton Sundt a Joint Venture, in association with Raimore Construction, for the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project.

The joint venture teams Springfield-based heavy civil specialists Hamilton Construction and Arizona-based Sundt Construction. Raimore Construction, a minority-owned firm certified by the state’s Certification Office for Business Inclusion and Diversity, is based in Portland.

Estimated to cost up to $795 million, the project will widen a 1.8-mile stretch of Interstate 5 between Interstate 405 to the north and the Morrison Bridge exit to the south. A request for proposals issued in April listed a guaranteed maximum price of between $575 million and $635 million for the CM/GC contract.

The project lost the support of key backers earlier this month when Albina Vision Trust announced it would no longer support the project due in part to a lack of freeway caps included in current plans. The interstate was built through historically Black neighborhoods in the 1960s, and Albina Vision Trust has advocated for the caps as a means to restore communities displaced by the freeway’s construction.

After Albina Vision Trust pulled its support for the project, public officials including Gov. Kate Brown, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and Commissioner Chloe Eudaly followed suit, saying they would not endorse the project without the backing of communities of color.

According to an ODOT press release, involving a CM/GC early in the design process will help meet the project’s emphasis on providing “restorative justice for communities harmed by previous government actions.”

The contractor will work with community members to help shape the project’s design, identify subcontracting and procurement opportunities for COBID-certified firms and build capacity for minority workers. According to the RFP, ODOT anticipates Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation goals of about 18 to 22 percent; the project also includes workforce goals of 25 percent minority male workers, 14 percent female workers, and 20 percent apprentice workers.

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July 6-12, 2020

• Early assistance is sought for installation of four electric vehicle charging stations and a fenced supporting equipment pad in the parking lot of a Fred Meyer store at 3805 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd. The applicant is Danielle Prescott of Denver-based Kimley-Horn & Associates, and the owner is Fred Meyer Stores Inc. of Cincinnati.

• Early assistance is sought for development of a new commercial/retail building at 2359 S.E. 124th Ave. The 18,538-square-foot lot is has some existing structures and paved areas that would be removed. Proposed improvements include two buildings, a driveway and a parking/loading area between the buildings. The applicant is Kelli Grover of Firwood Design Group LLC, and the owner is Freewater HSU LLC of Bucksport, Maine.

• Early assistance is sought for development of a property at 7933 W./S.W. 40th Ave. Development options proposed for the 14,314-square-foot lot include either two fourplex buildings or eight townhouses. The applicant is Steve Miller with Emerio Design, and the owner is Frog and Toad LLC of San Anselmo, California.

• Early assistance is sought for development of a full-block site at 1313 N.W. Marshall St. The development would retain historic structures on the site; it most recently was home to Bridgeport Brewery, which closed in early 2019. The applicant is Julie Bronder of ZGF Architects, and the owner is Northup Invest Co., which includes President Patricia Madden and Secretary Paula Madden.

• Early assistance is pending for changes to a church property at 4937 S.E. Woodstock Blvd. A portion of the property is being sold, and the remainder will be redeveloped to accommodate a new church. The applicant is Neil Lee of LEEKA Architecture and Planning, and the owner is Chinese Presbyterian Church of Portland, Oregon.

• Early assistance is sought for a five-story apartment building with 24 units (two of which would be affordable at 60 percent median family income) at 3114 S.E. Belmont St. The site currently holds a single-family structure. The applicant is Michael Perso of William Kaven Architecture, and the owner is Nez C Hallett III Revocable Living Trust.

• Early assistance is sought for a retail vending/food cart pod on a paved lot at 5916 N. Greeley Ave., a 4,800-square-foot lot that currently holds a 600-square-foot commercial building. The applicant is Evan Ross of Intrepid Experience LLC, and the owner is Supachai Wichaporn.

• Early assistance is sought for an upgrade to the shell of a warehouse building at 323 S.E. Seventh Ave. for a future tenant improvement. Planned improvements include upgraded entrances, enlarged windows, new exterior cladding and/or paint, and re-striped parking. The applicant is Michael McLaughlin of Fluent Design, and the owner is 302 S.E. 7th OZ LLC, which is managed by Craig Firpo and Cameron Johnson of Libertas Companies and Christopher Peatross of San Francisco-based Swift Real Estate Partners.

• A pre-application conference is sought for comprehensive plan amendments and zoning changes for five properties on the former Concordia University campus, including one at 2636 N.E. Dekum St., from C1 (campus) zoning to R5 (residential). The applicants are Peter Finley Fry, and George Thurston of owner Concordia University Foundation.

• A pre-application conference is sought for a five-story, 136-key hotel at 230 S.W. Second Ave. – a half-block parcel currently used as a surface parking lot and one of Downtown Development Group’s Ankeny Blocks properties. The applicant is Stephen Wendell of Fayetteville, West Virginia-based Mountain Shore Properties, and the owners are Gremar LLC and Lot-49 LLC.

• A public works inquiry is pending for conversion of an existing building at 14151 N.E. San Rafael St. from an office to a residence. The applicant is Zac Horton of Faster Permits, and the owner is Nova Development Inc.

Source: Portland Bureau of Development Services

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Building permits issued for July 6-12, 2020

• A $500,000 addition permit was issued on deferred submittal for sports field lighting as part of the Madison High School modernization project at 2735 N.E. 82nd Ave. The applicant is Sam Kaempf of contractor Fortis Construction, and the owner is Portland Public Schools.

• Three alteration permits with a combined value of $3,234,396 were issued for improvements for Linfield College at the former University of Western States campus at 2900 N.E. 132nd Ave. The applicant is Andrew O’Toole of Hennebery Eddy Architects, the contractor is Walsh Construction Co., and the owner is Linfield College.

Building permit intakes for July 6-12, 2020

• A $1,000,000 alteration permit is under review for improvements to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry at 1945 S.E. Water Ave., including replacement of a translucent atrium roof panel system, removal of three existing ships ladders and installation of new ships ladder and roof access stairs. The applicant is Andrew Hamblin of Dangermond Keane Architecture LLC, the contractor is Walsh Construction Co., and the owner is OMSI.

• A $1,216,455 new construction permit is under review for a three-story, 16-unit apartment building at 1531 N. Alberta St. The applicant is Steve Fosler of Fosler Architecture, the owner is Modern PDX Properties Alberta LLC, and the primary contractor is out to bid.

Facility permits issued for July 6-12, 2020

• A $2,500,000 alteration permit was issued for a south terminal security checkpoint enplaning level tenant improvement at Portland International Airport. The applicant is Mike Coyle of Faster Permits, the contractor is Hoffman Skanska LLC, and the owner is the Port of Portland.

• A $650,000 mechanical alteration permit was issued for replacement of equipment on Oregon Health & Science University’s Sam Jackson Hall building at 3245 S.W. Pavilion Loop – Unit SJH. The applicant is Jeffery Dilba of OHSU, and the contractor is Skanska USA Building.

Facility permit intakes for July 6-12, 2020

• A $1,200,000 alteration permit is under review for a tenant improvement to create office space for the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance on the 13th floor of the Lloyd 700 building at 700 N.E. Multnomah St. The applicant is Britney Hale of LRS Architects, the contractor is Balfour Beatty Construction, and the owner is AAT Lloyd District LLC of San Diego.

• A $1,400,000 alteration permit is under review for improvements to common areas of the River Forum I office building at 4380 S. Macadam Ave. The applicant is Stacy Bengtson of LRS Architects, the contractor is Balfour Beatty Construction, and the owner is Clarity Ventures RF Portland of Vancouver, British Columbia.

• A $609,000 grading permit is under review for earthwork and sub-drainage installation for expansion of burial area at River View Cemetery, at 300 S. Taylors Ferry Road. The applicant is Chelsea McCann of Walker Macy, and the owner is The River View Cemetery Association of Portland.

Source: Portland Bureau of Development Services

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The newly appointed president of the Northwest College of Construction (NWCOC) has officially held the position for only a few months, but she is already tackling some lofty challenges.

Laurie Emery led the school with an interim tag for nearly a year before it was removed in April. She joined the NWCOC in 2007, starting as an administrative assistant and eventually gaining dual roles as director of human resources and director of operations.

For the time being, Emery’s main task is to keep the school’s programming running through the COVID-19 crisis, which has forced the NWCOC to adopt a new way of delivering curriculum.

“Like everyone else, we were surprised by how quickly we went from normal operations to sending all the staff to work from home and canceling classes,” she said.

Administrators closed the Northeast Portland campus in mid-March, but managed to get online classes up and running within two weeks. That was “no small feat,” Emery said.

The dramatic shift in operational methods has presented obstacles but overall is going smoothly, Emery said. Hands-on training has resumed on a smaller scale with social distancing guidelines in place; apprentices are set to complete their coursework for the spring term this summer.

With job fairs and high school visits canceled, recruiting efforts have gone virtual. Online informational sessions are drawing about as many prospective students as in-person ones, and the school has created a virtual tour of the building to showcase the different labs used for craft education.

The college’s shift to remote learning was done in haste, but the online coursework has drawn interest – and requests are being for NWCOC to create customized training courses. The school is weighing whether to continue with a hybrid (online and in-person) format in the upcoming fall term and beyond.

“We have talked for years about doing some kind of online training, but it seemed like too much and so we never pursued it,” Emery said. “(The pandemic) kind of forced our hand, but it’s not a bad thing.”

Moving forward, one of Emery’s long-term goals is to focus on retention of apprentices. Attrition is an issue in all apprenticeship programs, she said, and it’s vital to provide support for apprentices who are facing obstacles that might derail their training.

One of the most important things for apprentices to understand, Emery said, is that their apprenticeship coordinator is their advocate. She wants to ensure that the college’s staff spends time developing relationships with students so that when there is a hardship, they will feel comfortable reaching out for help and utilizing resources available to them – whether for child care, transportation or other issues.

“It’s not just about getting (apprentices) in the door, but it’s about keeping them through graduation,” Emery said. “I want them to be able to see that four years is going to go by no matter what, and even though there might be hardships along the way, where do you want to be in four years? I want our students to be able to reach that goal and succeed.”

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The city of Portland is moving forward with a nearly $18 million project to construct a treatment facility that will reduce the amount of lead in its drinking water.

The Improved Corrosion Control Treatment project is being carried out to meet the requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency‘s Lead and Copper Rule. The Portland Water Bureau and the Oregon Health Authority agreed to a compliance schedule that requires the facility to be in operation by April 2022.

Portland City Council voted Wednesday to accept a guaranteed maximum price of $17,989,637 from MWH Constructors to serve as the project’s construction manager/general contractor. The global firm, headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, is the parent company of Stayton-based Slayden Construction Group.

The new treatment facility will be located alongside the Water Bureau’s existing Lusted Hill treatment facility in east Multnomah County. The facility will include a new building to house treatment systems, a utility water pump station, and associated piping and support systems.

The aim of the project is to reduce lead exposure from home plumbing systems by using sodium carbonate and carbon dioxide to increase the pH and alkalinity of the water. The increased alkalinity will improve the stability of the pH, which increases the effectiveness of the treatment and reduces the levels of lead at the tap by decreasing the amount of metals leaching from pipes into the water.

MWH Constructors was selected as CM/GC by an evaluation committee that reviewed three proposals submitted in January 2019. The project’s design process commenced in mid-2018, and construction is expected to commence this summer following execution of the contract.

MWH Constructors has committed to dedicating 25.91 percent of the project’s hard construction costs, or $2,460,409, to firms certified by the state’s Certification Office for Business Inclusion and Diversity (COBID). The project is one of three being monitored by the city’s Community Equity and Inclusion Committee, which provides oversight of Community Equity and Inclusion Plan (CEIP) projects valued between $10 million and $25 million to ensure that contracting and employment opportunities are provided for racial and ethnic minorities, women and economically disadvantaged individuals.

Projects executed under the CEIP have higher participation goals than those that are not. The plan requires 22 percent participation by COBID-certified firms, as well as performance of 31 percent of total apprentice-level labor hours and 28 percent of total journey-level labor hours by minorities and women.

MWH Constructors will self-perform about $4.7 million worth of the project’s hard construction costs, and approximately $9.5 million of remaining work will be distributed through a subcontracting plan in accordance with the CEIP. As part of a pre-construction services contract, MWH Constructors has advertised four early procurement packages for various aspects. The remaining subcontracts will be advertised after a construction contract is executed.

The project is one of two included in the Water Bureau’s Bull Run treatment projects program, which also includes the approximately $800 million Bull Run filtration project. Both projects were included in a Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan application filed by the bureau earlier this year; that loan will provide up to $745 million of funding for the projects.

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June 29-July 5, 2020

• Design advice is pending for a 16-story mixed-use building with below-grade parking and ground-floor amenity spaces at 410 S.W. Harrison St. The half-block property currently holds a 5,082-square-foot bank building and a surface parking lot. The applicant is Mark Nye of Works Progress Architecture, and the owner is Eridanus Warenhandelsgesellschaft Inc. of Minneapolis.

• Early assistance is pending for Phase III geotechnical drilling for the Southwest Corridor Light Rail Project on a 24-acre Southwest Terwilliger Boulevard parcel near Marquam Hill. The applicant is Leah Robbins of TriMet, and the owner is the city of Portland.

• Early assistance is pending for an 11-story, 89-unit affordable housing building at 2055-2057 S.W. Park Ave. The 6,016-square-foot parcel currently holds a 135-year-old single-family structure. The new building would be constructed using prefabricated modular units made with mass plywood panels and light-gauge steel. The applicant is Ralph Tahran of Tahran Architecture & Planning LLC, and the owner is Park Avenue PSU LLC, which includes five members and is registered to Eric Rystadt of Main Street Development.

• Early assistance is pending for a three-story, 19-unit mixed-use structure with 1,150 square feet of ground-floor commercial space at 4738 S.E. Belmont St. The property currently holds a residential building with commercial use. The applicant is Jim Toporek of Studio 3 Architecture, and the owner is Alpina Properties LLC.

• Early assistance is sought for changes to a church property at 4937 S.E. Woodstock Blvd. A portion of the property is being sold, and the remainder will be redeveloped to accommodate a new church. The applicant is Neil Lee of LEEKA Architecture and Planning, and the owner is Chinese Presbyterian Church of Portland, Oregon.

• Early assistance is sought for a multiphase project at 3841 S.E. 52nd Ave. The first phase will include the renovation and relocation of a historic house on the property, the second phase will entail construction of an 18-unit building, and the third phase will add a second 18-unit building. The applicant is Casey McGuirl of McGuirl Designs & Architecture, and the owners are the Allen & Laird Family Trust and 3823 SE 52nd LLC.

• Early assistance is pending for a multifamily development at 4427 N.E. Prescott St. The applicant is Daniel Silvey of owner DBS Group LLC.

• Early assistance is sought to explore potential options for developing property at 8007 N. Hudson St. The 11,500-square-foot property currently holds a 117-year-old single-family residence. Development options include rehabilitation of the existing house, addition of new houses and accessory dwelling units, or replacement of the house with new houses or a multifamily structure. The applicant is Don Titus of Residential Designer LLC, and the owner is FHG Properties LLC.

• Early assistance is pending for a sign proposal for the Prologis Meadows Campus on the former Portland Meadows site at 901 N. Schmeer Road. The applicant is seeking feedback on the proposal and guidance on modifications or adjustments needed for a successful land use review request. The applicant is Dan Osterman of Tube Art Group, and the owner is Denver-based Prologis LP.

• Early assistance is sought for exploration of development options for a site at 2935 N. Argyle St., where a building permit is in progress for one new house and a plan is in place to subdivide the lot and add two more houses. The owner seeks to explore other options for property development, including townhomes or a small apartment complex. The applicant is Don Titus of Residential Designer LLC, and the owner is JLO Investments LLC.

• A Type III design review with modifications is pending for a proposed two-building development on the Oregon Square superblock at 729 N.E. Oregon St. The two commercial office buildings are proposed on Block 90, on the superblock’s southwest corner, and Block 103, at the southeast. The buildings are five and six stories, respectively, and will total 413,000 gross square feet. A single-level underground parking garage will serve both buildings. The applicant is Kyle Andersen of GBD Architects, and the owner is AAT Lloyd District LLC.

• A Type II environmental review is pending for construction work at the Broadmoor Golf Course, at 3509 N.E. Columbia Blvd. A portion of the site is being targeted for a new industrial development. The work is to include building, paving, geotechnical borings, parking, lighting, and stormwater outfall to Buffalo Slough. The applicant is Benjamin Brodsky of Tukwila, Washington-based Prologis, and the owners are Broadmoor Inc. and Danielle Zeghbib.

Source: Portland Bureau of Development Services

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