31Jul
By: admin On: July 31, 2009 In: 937, Articles

The Oregonian I July 31, 2009

Street of Dreams boldly breaks from past with tour of Pearl District penthouse

Since its debut in 1976, the annual Street of Dreams home show has endured fires, disgruntled neighbors, and near cancellations due to lack of land or builders.

And if anything could have derailed the show, put on by the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland, it would have been the financial meltdown that froze credit and dealt a blow to the area’s homebuilding industry.

Instead, the 2009 NW Natural Street of Dreams has reinvented itself, departing from its past as a showcase of single-family homes to this year’s tour of glittering inner-city condo towers.

The show, which runs through Aug. 30, will feature nine new luxury penthouses in the Pearl District. The units range from $1,375,000 to $2,850,000, and are in four buildings within several blocks of one another.

The home tour is such a radical change from years past that the HBA doesn’t know how the public will receive it. But Dave Nielsen, the HBA’s chief executive officer, is optimistic visitors will like checking out condos as well as the gleaming Pearl District.

“It’s a little bit of a gamble,” he said. “All I know is we’ve had events downtown in the past and have exceeded our projected numbers.”

A new direction

The idea for an urban Street of Dreams had been brewing for several years. Nielsen said the HBA formed a task force three or four years ago to explore ways to develop the show, making it different from year to year. Part of its plan was to incorporate luxury condos into the mix.

Still, a year ago at this time, the plan was for a 2009 Street of Dreams that was more like what the HBA had done in the past: big, fancy, landscaped single- family homes in a suburban setting.

“We had a site in Lake Oswego. We had builders who wanted to build in it, but with the financing crunch, it was just not going to come together,” said Nielsen. “We already had a relationship with the Pearl District Business Association by the time we realized the traditional show wasn’t going to work out, so we just had to figure out how to create a Street of Dreams experience in The Pearl.”

The buildings chosen for the show — 937 Condominiums, Block 90, The Encore on the Park, and Waterfront Pearl — all opened within the past year. That relieved the HBA of the challenges of land acquisition, financing and construction, but it still wanted to promote its subcontractor and supplier members. So the HBA worked with developers to finish and decorate the condos in the signature, luxurious Street of Dreams style — an eclectic range that includes French Provincial, Asian, contemporary — and everything in between.

The HBA also created the Idea Gallery, a free trade show in the 937 Condominiums, where visitors can see exhibits and get information about homebuilding issues such as decorating and clean energy.

All this — for less

The changes in the show also include a reduction in ticket prices.

An adult ticket, valid for all show hours, costs $15 — $2.50 less than the price of an adult ticket last year. An adult’s non-peak ticket, valid noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, costs $13. Tickets for children 12 and under cost $10 each and are good for all show hours.

Each show ticket, called a Pearl Pass, allows the holder to see each building once, but one doesn’t have to visit all the homes in one day.

In addition to admission to the model homes, the Street of Dreams tickets can get their holders reduced parking fees, free transit on the Portland Streetcar throughout August, and up to $6,500 — yes, that’s $6,500 — in discounts at many Pearl District and downtown restaurants, stores, salons and other businesses. For example, a ticket-holder can get a free nine-minute neck massage at Fine Art Massage on Northwest 12th Avenue, $20 off a $100 purchase at Lucia Apparel on Northwest 11th Avenue, and as much as $1,200 off a stainless steel Liebherr refrigerator at BASCO on Northwest Davis Street.

“This year’s NW Natural Street of Dreams will provide consumers with more value and incentive to attend than ever before,” said HBA President Tom Skaar. “The homes are fantastic, the site is one-of-a-kind and the Pearl Pass discounts pay back the cost of a ticket a hundred times over.”

Confident that turnout will be good, the HBA has printed 50 percent more tickets than it sold at last year’s Street of Dreams on Mount Scott, which drew about 50,000 people. The tour usually draws upwards of 80,000 visitors and topped 106,000 in 1983.

“Just come downtown at the best time that works for you, see two or three of the buildings, get a bite to eat, do a little shopping,” said Nielsen. “. . . and plan to do a second trip.”

The nine Pearl District penthouses on display at the Street of Dreams are divided among four buildings, each with its own personality and special amenities.

937 Condominiums, 937 N.W. Glisan Street

Named for its address, the 937 is a 16-story tower designed to take advantage of some of the best views in the Pearl. The building, with its red-fronted balconies, was configured so that half the condominiums on each floor are corner units with two-sided views. The exception is the top two floors, each of which has two penthouses that capture the city on three sides.

Both of the Street of Dreams condos sit on the top floor and have the coveted three-sided views. Each has more than 2,480 square feet of living space and opportunities to take in panoramas from nearly every room through floor-to-ceiling windows. The building also is a candidate for the environmentally stringent LEED Platinum certification.

Unit 1634: $2,449,950

This 2,482-square-foot, three-bedroom, three-bath penthouse has sliding glass pocket doors that create a 15-foot opening to a balcony with a hot tub and waterfall. The interior combines dark, masculine features — such as deep brown hardwood floors and horizontal-grain paneling and cabinetry — with bright accents, including a dusty blue-green master suite and a faux-painted study that looks like travertine marble.

The media center in the living room has one large TV and two smaller ones clustered together — a nice touch for a sports fanatic.

Unit 1630:
 $2,249,950

In contrast to its neighbor down the hall, this 2,483-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bath home is done in light, bright finishes, from the floors to the walls and the cabinetry. Because of its brightness, it can handle the occasional dark contrast, such as the reddish-brown bookcases and chocolate-colored sectional in the bonus room. The light walls in the living room and the foyer are perfect places to display art.

Sales contact: Chris Caffee, City Living LLC, 503-248-9371; www.937Condominiums.com

Block 90, 323 N.W. 13th Ave.

Converted from an old Meier & Frank warehouse, Block 90 is in the heart of the Pearl’s historic district, which runs along Northwest 13th Avenue between Couch and Lovejoy streets. The district gained historic status because it has the highest concentration of old warehouses in the Pearl.

The bottom three floors of the building are businesses and restaurants. All 11 of the Block 90 condos are on the top floor, which, for the residents, means no one is living above you or below you. The fact that they’re only four floors up gives the Block 90 condos a distinctively different feel from the other homes in the Street of Dreams: They’re closer to the bustle of the city. And their huge terraces allow owners and their guests to tap into an urban vibe any time.

Unit 401 “East Village”: $1,375,000

Exotic hardwood floors and cabinets provide the foundation for an eclectic world-traveler feel. The designer built on this theme with things such as a three-dimensional travertine mosaic around the fireplace, a lacquered wooden vessel sink in one of the bathrooms, and colorful furniture from all over the globe. The condo is 1,774 square feet with two bedrooms, two baths and a nearly 800-square-foot terrace. It features granite countertops and stainless-steel Jenn-Air and Thermador appliances.

Unit 410 “The Manhattan”: $1,450,000

At 1,864 square feet, this home is nearly 100 square feet larger than the “East Village” and has more than twice the terrace space. In fact, it has almost as much living space outside as it does inside. Full-length windows and sliding glass doors make the outdoors a seamless extension of the interior — an airy, big feel ideal for entertaining.

The two-bedroom, two-bath home has a sophisticated contemporary look, with ebonized ash cabinets and gray stone backsplashes in the kitchen, touches of glass and stainless steel, plus the warmth of angico hardwood floors from Africa.

Sales contact: James Gillespie, PC Keller Williams Realty, Portland Central; 503-222-3456; www.block90.com

Waterfront Pearl, 1200 N.W. Naito Parkway

As the name implies, the 10-story Waterfront Pearl is all about the water — specifically, sweeping views of the Willamette River. It’s a two-building complex, each shaped like the bow of a ship — a configuration that enables each condominium to grab some of the surrounding view. Waterfront Pearl has a steam room and fitness center, concierge service, and a cascading outdoor water feature. Waterfront Pearl has the biggest homes out of the four buildings featured in the Street of Dreams. It’s also the only building with three Street of Dreams condos on display.

Unit 1001 “The Ambassador”: $2,800,000

“The Ambassador” has 3,290 square feet, three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a den and a home theater. It’s built for entertaining, with an oversized Viking stainless steel refrigerator and freezer, ample counter space and plenty of room to move around. The open layout has views from several angles — all with a focus on the Willamette. A two-sided fireplace separates the living room from the den, which is set up as a music practice room.

Unit 1002 “Sky Watcher”: $1,650,000

Decorated with a telescope and nautical implements, “Sky Watcher” has one of the city’s best vantage points for watching ships cruise up and down Portland’s main waterway. It has 1,973 square feet, two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a den. It’s in many ways a mirror image of the “The Ambassador” next door, with views to the south — including the Broadway Bridge and downtown — rather than “The Ambassador’s” north views to the Fremont Bridge.

Unit 1006 “Louis Louis”: $2,850,000

The name comes from the French decorating theme of this 3,323-square-foot, three-bedroom, 3.5-bath condo. It includes crystal chandeliers, a country French dining table, and a mix of old and new in the living room. Part of this unit’s spaciousness comes from the fact that it combines two of the building’s standard floor plans. Views are to the south and west.

Sales contact: Waterfront Pearl, 503-229-7600; www.waterfrontpearl.com

The Encore on the Park, 1120 N.W. 10th Ave.

Rising up 16 stories from the corner of Northwest 10th Avenue and Overton Street, The Encore on the Park stands out for its views of the Fremont and Broadway bridges, and its location adjacent to a new city park, The Fields, scheduled for completion in 2010. It’s also across Northwest Naito Parkway from Centennial Mills, which is slated for redevelopment with restaurants, shops and open spaces. The building is curved, so buyers have their pick of views.

The Encore features 177 units in a variety of configurations, including lofts, townhomes, one- and two-bedroom condos, live/work spaces and six penthouses. It also has a fitness and community room. The east side of the building features a garden with a water feature that takes rooftop stormwater over a series of concrete walls and glass-lined channels, emptying into a small pond.

Unit 1603: $1,640,500

This 1,984-square-foot, two-bedroom, 2.5 bath penthouse is a study in contrasts, combining the brightness of a southern exposure through 11-foot windows, with dark walnut floors and even darker kitchen cabinets. The same contrasts extend to the art and furnishings, ranging from a gold-framed Renaissance-style painting in the dining room to white contemporary furniture in the living room. Asian and African touches mix with European and American from one room to another, all with the backdrop of the Broadway and Steel bridges, Union Station, the Willamette River and Mount Hood seen from the curved terrace.

Unit 1606: $2,020,500

At 2,521 square feet, this condo is the big brother of its neighbor. It has three bedrooms, 3.5 baths, and views to the north, south and east. It also has more than 500 square feet of patio space, including one area off the kitchen that is covered and has a skylight, providing a way to enjoy the view outside regardless of weather. With its vantage point over Naito Parkway, you could even watch the Portland Marathon without leaving home.