Scope: New 3,900 SF, 1-story branch bank building. Contact Bob Patterson, Project Manager. bobp@inline-cc.com

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A former Chinese restaurant at the corner of Northeast Broadway and Cesar Estrada Chavez Boulevard is undergoing an extensive renovation to become a 4,300-square-foot Key Bank branch. The building was designed with exterior finishes of stucco, stone and glass so that it would fit into the neighborhood. General contractor In Line Commercial Construction is in charge of the project designed by Vocon.

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The former Pagoda Restaurant in Portland’s Hollywood neighborhood is being turned into a Key Bank. When completed in mid-summer, the 4,300-square-foot bank will have exterior finishes that complement the neighborhood: stucco, glass and stone as well as a ceramic roof. In Line Commercial Construction is the general contractor and Vocon is the architect on the renovation project.

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The East Morrison branch of Key Bank is in the middle of an interior renovation. The extensive glass in the front of the building at 726 S.E. Morrison St. is being replaced, as is the carpet and tile. New paint is being applied and the teller line is being changed. Most of the work, which is expected to wrap up in March, is being done after hours and through the night. In Line Commercial Construction is the general contractor for the project designed by architect Jacobs of Columbus, Ohio.

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A car dealership project that restarted after being stalled for a year could be the first sign of a turnaround for that sector of the private commercial building industry. Construction on a $12 million dealership on Southwest Canyon Road had halted while the owner waited to receive bank loans.

Jerry Jones Jr., director of construction and development for Lanphere Enterprises, said the company built a $5.5 million service center and a $1 million bridge on the site of the former Beaverton Chrysler lot. The company had just started construction on the $5.5 million showroom for its new Beaverton Honda dealership when its lender, KeyBank, put the project on hold in January, Jones said.

“They told us it would be a month, then maybe three,” Jones said. “Then it was six months and finally a year.”

Demolition and site preparation finally resumed in November, Jones said.

There are still worries about the recession, Chief Financial Officer Robb Walther said, but a new showroom will help the dealership.

“We made our case (to KeyBank) on what finishing this project would do to us,” Walther said. “It’s with the expectation we’re going to sell more.

“We’re a big fish for (KeyBank),” he added. “They want to do everything they can to make sure we succeed.”

Tim Brunner is president of Axis Design Group Architecture and Engineering, which specializes in car dealership projects. The company lost 10 jobs through layoffs and attrition over the last year, Brunner said.

Axis is working on the Beaverton Honda project, which Brunner considers the first positive sign since the collapse of the dealership design niche last year. “This is the first one we’ve seen,” Brunner said.

“Since then, we’ve had inquiries for several other dealership projects wanting to move forward,” he said. “They’re feeling confident enough to want to start the preliminary design process.”

As a result, Brunner has slowly started building up his workforce. The company had cut its work week to three days. Now it’s up to four days, he said. Assuming some of the other dealership projects get financing, he plans to return to a five-day week and rehire workers in 2010.

What might be good news for auto dealerships doesn’t necessarily mean an end to lending restrictions on the broader commercial construction industry, said KeyBank spokeswoman Laura Mimura. “People are starting to buy cars, so you’re seeing some movement in that,” Mimura said.

But restrictions haven’t loosened in general. “The answer, for KeyBank and most regional banks, is no,” she said. “Honestly, we have to reduce our exposure in commercial real estate.”

That’s the same refrain commercial contractors have been hearing for a year, said Josh Caldwell, business development manager for S.D. Deacon.

“In the discussions I’ve been having with people, there are some sources of traction,” he said. “But most of that’s in the public sector, or health care and hospitals. Most of the private sector, especially hospitality and retail, (isn’t) moving. And those are the industries we’re most involved with.”

There are a few signs of projects starting or restarting, Caldwell said, including the long-planned Fred Meyer complex in Wilsonville. But it’s too soon to say whether those represent the start of a wider recovery, he added.

John Killin, president of the Associated Builders and Contractors Pacific Northwest Chapter, said he doesn’t want his hopes for an industry-wide recovery to rise too high. “We are starting to see small trends,” he said. “We don’t see anything majorly significant, but here and there we’re seeing a few of these projects finally start.”

It’s hard to read trends right now, Killin said, because some subcontractors are hiring a few more people, but only to finish projects. “A lot of that is last-minute pushes to get it done by the end of the year.”

At the very least, Killin said, commercial construction woes do not appear to be growing. “It feels like we found a bottom and we’re starting to climb,” he said.

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