Multnomah County will soon issue a request for proposals (RFP) from parties interested in partnering in its Walnut Park redevelopment project.

In 2018, the county began evaluating future options for the 74-year-old Walnut Park Complex it owns and operates on 1.7 acres at 5329 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The building houses the Northeast Health Center, a dental clinic, a Meals on Wheels dining center, and the Urban League of Portland‘s Multicultural Senior Center. It is also home to county offices and service centers, including the Department of County Human Services, its Aging, Disability and Veterans Services Division, and a Homeless Services Department shelter, a county press release states.

Four years later, JM Woolley & Associates, Black Investment Consortium for Economic Progress (BICEP), and Cascadia Partners led a redevelopment feasibility study. The conceptual plan included a mix of housing, ground-floor commercial space, office space, community space, and updated and expanded county service space, a Multnomah County staff report states. The intent of the project is to create space to serve the Black community and people of color. The development will be designed and programmed as a community healing and service center, the feasibility report states.

Since the study was completed, the county has explored cost and financing options for the project. A partnership with a developer will help Multnomah County manage the project’s impact on its finances and leverage outside funding.

Multnomah County purchasing manager Brian Smith said staff approached the Board of Commissioners earlier in the development process for approval to look at more options for project delivery and financing.

“I’m very confident that we will be able to – we’re working on the RFP right now – to get a developer on board who will work with us and be able to balance the fiscal responsibility with the equity concerns,” Smith said.

The draft RFP will be released within the next month, and a developer will be selected in the fall.

Starting in October, the chosen development partner will spend the next 12-18 months creating a proposal for redeveloping the Walnut Park Complex. The document will identify the financing plan and incorporate long-term planning and on-site program needs, as well as look at ownership trade-offs or leasing options. The proposal will then be presented to the Board of Commissioners for adoption.

Upon reception of the board’s approval, the project will move into the design phase. The board will receive quarterly written project updates as well as multiple opportunities to weigh in during each phase.

Last week the board unanimously approved an exemption from the design-bid-build delivery method for the project. For this procurement approach, the county will enter a contract with a developer with demonstrated experience in managing complex community-driven projects and an understanding of the historic and current significance of Walnut Park.

A project budget has not been established yet.

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Prosper Portland is asking for help as it seeks to redevelop a fire station built in 1913.

The agency sees the 6,692-square-foot building at the foot of the Steel Bridge as a future home for creative offices. But the unreinforced masonry structure has deteriorated badly and is uninhabitable.

Prosper Portland has issued two requests for proposals: one for a historic preservation and tax credit consultant, and another for a general contractor to evaluate the scope of work needed. A pre-project meeting, including a tour of the building, is scheduled for Thursday at 9 a.m.

“We’re hoping we have interest from contractors to participate in this project,” Prosper Portland spokesman Shawn Uhlman said.

The RFP for a historic preservation and tax credit consultant closes Sept. 26. The RFP for a general contractor closes Oct. 10.

Lift Development was selected as development partner after a 2015 request for interest, and the firm remains on board.

Any rehabilitation of the 104-year-old building would be substantial. The firehouse has large cracks, deteriorated mortar, missing and broken bricks, spalled concrete and water damage, according to a Prosper Portland staff report.

The firehouse is built atop unstable soil that is prone to liquefaction in an earthquake.

In 1987, Prosper Portland, then known as the Portland Development Commission, acquired the property at 510 N.W. Third Ave. as part of the Union Station acquisition. The parcel is bounded by Glisan Street, Third Avenue, railroad tracks and Naito Parkway.

To further complicate matters, two fires have occurred in the building this summer; one was sparked and quickly extinguished Thursday. But with a thorough renovation planned, interior fire damage is a minor concern.

“It doesn’t sound like there was significant additional damage,” Prosper Portland senior project manager Eric Jacobson said.

“There’s very little inside that could be used,” he added.

Investigators after the fire last week found evidence of habitation, Jacobson said. That suggests someone had been squatting in the condemned building.

The building was secured against intrusion, Uhlman said.

“It wasn’t like the building was open,” he said. “If anyone got in, they forced their way in.”

The agency will work to make the building more secure, Uhlman said.

Despite many challenges, Prosper Portland officials continue to believe the building is worth saving.

“It’s a local historic landmark, and as owners of that building, we feel in order to be good stewards of it, we should make a good effort to renovate the building and put it into productive use,” Jacobson said.

Prosper Portland plans to turn the building into creative offices. Portland has had one of the nation’s hottest office markets this year.

“We feel there is a path to success,” Jacobson said. “It’s long and complicated and expensive.”

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The city of Vancouver, Wash., has issued a request for proposals from parties interested in purchasing a city-owned downtown block for redevelopment.

Officials want to sell the property at 811 Washington St. to a developer intent on building a multistory mixed-use building.

The property, known as Block 10, formerly was the site of a Lucky Lager brewery. It is the last remaining vacant block in the heart of downtown Vancouver, according to city officials.

A pre-submission meeting will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. on May 19. Much more detailed information will be available at that meeting, said Teresa Brum, Vancouver’s economic development manager.

The deadline to submit proposals is 3 p.m. on July 15.

“We think the time is right in Vancouver for the city to put the property out on the market,” Brum said. “We’ve seen a lot of development activity – we’ve noticed an increase in the last six months. So this is the time to get the best possible project for that property.”

Block 10 is 0.96 acres, or 41,681 square feet. The property was appraised at $3.125 million in August 2015. It’s zoned for 10 stories outright, or up to 20 stories with conditional permitting.

City officials have already had some positive conversations with developers, Brum said.

“We’ve had some casual conversations that have led us to believe there is interest in the property right now,” she said. “We’re asking for the proposal to include a timeline, so we’re looking for a developer who can start right away.”

The city is offering a 30 percent discount on building permit fees, a waiver of a traffic study, a cost-reduced traffic-impact fee and a streamlined 90-day review process.

“I think we have an excellent value proposition and a good incentive program for a developer,” Brum said.

Vancouver’s City Center Vision and Subarea Plan, developed in 2007, envisions the property holding housing or offices with active first-floor services such as restaurants, a grocery store or other retail.

“It’s zoned for mixed use, so we expect to see office, residential or a mix of the two, and we expect commercial on the first floor,” Brum said.

After reviewing the proposals, the Vancouver City Council will decide whether to sell the property, depending on how well the proposals meet the city’s vision, according to a news release.

The city purchased Block 10, along with four other city blocks, from the General Brewery Company in 1993. The city in the next two years fenced off the property and demolished all of its existing buildings. The site has since served as a temporary public park and staging area for events in Esther Short Park.

Heritage Place, a mixed-use building, is located across Columbia Street from Block 10.

More information is available at www.cityofvancouver.us/Block10.

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The city of Gresham is following through on its promise to do more for the Rockwood neighborhood by seeking developers to tackle a 5.5-acre site.

The Gresham Redevelopment Commission, headed by Josh Fuhrer and comprised of members of the Gresham City Council members, owns the property. Fuhrer said that a lot of work has gone into preparing the 18535 S.E. Stark St. site, the former home of a Fred Meyer store, for development.

“We’ve spent the last two years cultivating tenant relationships and putting financing together and taking the project as far as we can before bringing in a developer partner to actually execute construction,” he said.

The city is requesting that developers respond to a Request for Expressions of Interest by Oct. 19. Applications can be online.

The proposed development site is largely open, with only one vacant, 8,400-square-foot building left following demolition, Fuhrer said. Including that building, the entire project is expected to be about 100,000 square feet.

The city has allocated $6.5 million for the approximately $30 million project, Fuhrer said. City officials also are anticipating getting $4 million more for the project from new market tax credits, he added.

Not just any commercial development is being sought, but rather one designed for tenants that provide training and services and can help people start new businesses. Specifically, the city is looking for a developer that will work with tenants that will provide a food marketplace, a high-tech workshop and digital innovation lab, job training and health care, a public plaza, parking spaces and small incubator places for 15 to 20 new food entrepreneurs as well other retail outlets.

To help recruit more tenants for the proposed project, the city will hold an open house on Oct. 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Sunrise Center at 18901 E. Burnside St.

“We will have tech advisers from the Small Business Development Center (of Mt. Hood Community College), community leaders and an open panel discussion,” Fuhrer said.

Several businesses and agencies have either signed on or are negotiating to be part of the development, Fuhrer said. These include WorkSource Oregon, nonprofit MetroEast Community Media, MHCC’s medical assistant training program, business incubator facilitator NedSpace and ADX Makerspace.

ADX Makerspace is a tech shop where people will be able to make things themselves and learn new skills, Fuhrer said.

“If you want to make something, you can go in and design it on a CAD (computer-aided design) work station and they will also have a carpentry lab with 3-D printers and laser cutters,” he said. “The idea is that they will also have certification programs so they can get access to a number of manufacturers in Rockwood that need skilled labor.”

Bringing more jobs and training to the economically depressed Rockwood area through the new development is essential for community health, Gresham City Councilor Lori Stegmann said.

“Gentrification has been an issue, but we want people that live and work in our community to remain in our community,” she said. “The only way to do that is if they have a job.”

Stegmann said the Rockwood neighborhood has a good network of social services, but the new development will provide much needed economic development and workforce training.

“With the Gresham industrial park (Gresham Vista Business Park) down the street, we are trying to attract new businesses and more ways to get people trained,” she said.

But first, the project must be built. Once the developers’ proposals are received, Fuhrer said, city staffers will select the top three proposals and then give them to a citizens’ advisory committee for review and feedback.

“Staff will then make a recommendation, I’m hoping, at the November meeting of the Rockwood Redevelopment Commission,” he said.

The city will then negotiate a development agreement and begin the design and permitting process, Fuhrer said.

“The entire project (team) will work with the committed tenants, and they will have a voice as well as the rest of the community,” he said. “We hope to break ground next fall.”

Construction will be done in stages.

“The goal here is that we’re trying to create an economic engine in the heart of Rockwood that really doesn’t exist today,” Fuhrer said. “Whether you’re an entrepreneur or looking to get a living-wage job, the resources will be here on this site to be successful.”

Gresham City Councilor Kirk French said he is excited about the possible impact that the new development will have on the Rockwood community.

“What I see is a vision, that once it’s fully implemented, will bring services to the community, bring opportunities and also a sense of pride to the community and the city,” he said. “To me, it’s like a makeover that serves everyone.”

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Metro is seeking proposals from contractors interested in developing a master plan for Fairview’s Blue Lake Regional Park.

The regional government agency on Wednesday issued a request for proposals to develop an updated master plan for the 185-acre park.

The stated project goals include conserving natural resources, affirming and refining the best aspects of the park, completing levy improvements and enhancing visitors’ experiences with “diverse outdoor recreation opportunities and thoughtful programming,” according to Metro information.

“In order to connect people to the meaningful outdoor spaces and create management plans that allow long-term health of the natural areas, a plan must be created to meet current and future generations’ needs,” Metro’s RFP states. “A current vision for the park needs to be defined to guide future management and improvements.”

Metro wants a team to create for the park long-term strategies that will sustain the site over the coming 20 years.

Blue Lake Regional Park receives more than 300,000 visitors a year and is one of Metro’s “most high-profile” destinations. The park has play areas, boating facilities, disc golf, a swim beach, fishing, walking, biking and facilities for special events and sports.

The chosen team will consult with Metro to determine project scope, review existing conditions, identify opportunity areas and needs, and develop schematic concepts for visitor experience resource management and facility development.

All proposals for the Blue Lake Regional Park Master Plan project must be received by Metro before 2 p.m. on Feb. 26.

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The Portland Development Commission is moving full speed ahead with plans to demolish portions of Centennial Mills.

Roughly two weeks after declaring the degraded condition of the site an official “emergency,” the agency has issued a request for proposals for construction manager-general contractor services for the demolition.

With a short window – just 15 days from a mandatory pre-bid meeting on Jan. 12 to the 5 p.m. submission deadline on Jan. 27 – firms interested in making a pitch for the contract will have to hit the ground running.

In the 38-page RFP, the agency said it needs to able to move quickly toward selecting a firm to serve as CM-GC while also keeping the process fair: “Balancing the need to act quickly while maintaining an open and competitive process, the PDC is soliciting ‘best value’ proposals where certain qualitative information will be factors with price to arrive at a contract award decision.”

The crumbling condition of portions of the buildings on the site aren’t the only challenge a CM-GC will face during the demolition project. As noted in the RFP, the majority of the hazardous materials on the site were removed in 2004; however, some buildings still contain lead-based paint as well as other possibly dangerous materials.

Firms interested in submitting an RFP will need to attend a mandatory pre-bid meeting that will begin at 11 a.m. on Jan. 12 in the first-floor commission chambers at the PDC’s offices, 222 N.W. Fifth St.

Site tours will take place Jan. 12-16, beginning at 2 p.m. each day.

Because of the condition of the buildings, the PDC is requiring that anyone taking the tour wear personal safety gear of the hard hat, goggles, close-toed-shoe variety. And to complete the ensemble, the agency also is suggesting that tour participants bring cameras outfitted with decent flash power because the lighting in the building is less than ideal.

For more information, visit the 91��Ƶ’s Project Center (a subscription is required to access the RFP details).

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Nearly two and a half years after fire damaged portions of Woodburn High School, the Woodburn School District has reached a settlement with its insurance company that will allow it to move forward with reconstruction plans.

The district will receive a total of $9.7 million from its insurance company, Property and Casualty Coverage for Education, for damage to the school that resulted from a four-alarm fire set by three students in May 2012. With an eye toward possibly starting construction next year, the district expects to issue a request for proposals for design services “within the next few months,” Chuck Ransom, district superintendent, said.

The district originally planned to have construction on some of the school’s damaged portions begin just a few months after the fire. The Portland office of the architectural firm now known as DOWA-IBI Group and Portland-based engineering firm Nishkian Dean were hired to work on preliminary plans for the project.

But the claims process became tangled – and all work being done on the project stopped – when the district’s $11.8 million estimate turned out to be more than PACE thought it was obligated to cover.

The insurance company agreed to pay $7.1 million in damages for reconstruction. But it balked at reimbursing the district for incidental costs, including rentals of trailers used as portable classrooms since the fire and $1.5 million to install a sprinkler system in the school.

“There was some controversy over (the sprinklers) soon after the designs started coming in for the rebuild back in 2012,” Ransom said. “Initially the city said rebuilding would require sprinklers. That was disputed by the insurer, and that took a long time to resolve.”

Eventually, the issue ended up at the state level. The state sided with PACE, determining that the damaged portion of the school could be rebuilt without sprinklers by keeping the design true to original plans.

Like many of the district schools, Woodburn High School was designed in the 1970s at a time when sprinklers weren’t required in schools. That law has changed, though, as has the way that schools use space to best serve students. Rebuilding the high school following a design that was roughly four decades old wasn’t feasible for the district, nor was creating a school without sprinklers.

The district could have pressed the sprinkler issue in court, Ransom said. But that would have required starting construction without any money in hand.

“In a lawsuit, you have to go after costs actually incurred, versus having money in hand (through a settlement),” he said.

In the end, the district and PACE spent two months in mediation, finally agreeing that the district should receive $2.6 million in addition to the money it already had received.

“One of the advantages … with the settlement is that it allows us to … proceed with construction of the building,” Ransom said. “We intend to sprinkle the building; it’s the right thing to do for the community and for kids. And, it allows us some flexibility with what we can do with the design.”

The district will begin holding community sessions to brainstorm what a rebuild of the damaged portion of the school might look like. In addition, there’s a good chance it will place a bond measure on the ballot next May to try to drum up money for school expansions and improvements that would include a sprinkler system.

District officials are hoping to receive enough RFP responses to allow them to select a design firm for the high school project as well as build a pool of qualified firms to handle future work for the district, Ransom said.

“It’s not that unusual for a district to have a pool of two or three architects,” he said. “I’m not saying we wouldn’t use DOWA (for the high school project), but we would like to expand the pool.”

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Lake Chinook Fire and Rescue on Thursday announced it is accepting proposals for construction of a new fire station in Central Oregon.

Voters in May approved a $660,000 bond to pay for construction of a fire station near Culver, slightly west of the Three Rivers community.

Proposals are due by 5 p.m. on Oct. 9, 2014, according to a news release issued by Lake Chinook Fire and Rescue.

“We have a board meeting on the tenth,” district Fire Chief Don Colfels said. “We should have a decision by the eleventh or twelfth.”

The facility will consist of an eight-bay apparatus building, administration offices, a dormitory and meeting space, according to the news release.

“The living space and office area will basically be a manufactured home, and the apparatus bay will be a metal building,” he said.

The plan calls for project completion by late spring 2015 in time for the next fire season, Colfels said.

“We’re trying to get this thing pretty streamlined and done,” he said. “So if someone can get in here and beat the snowfall, they can probably get it done by the end of this year.”

The firm awarded the project will be expected to provide services during design and construction phases, according to Lake Chinook Fire and Rescue.

“We’re hoping to get someone familiar with the types of buildings we’re looking at,” Colfels said. “We’d like to leave the design up to the contractor.”

More information is available from Lake Chinook Fire and Rescue at 541-977-0988 or .

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