Lake Oswego Review I July 31, 2017

Starting this week, utility work and other construction activity will eliminate some parking spaces along First Street. View video here.

Installation started along First Street this week of water and gas utilities for The Windward, forcing the closure of the diagonal parking spaces between A Avenue and Evergreen Road.

The project’s construction fencing will enclose the parking spots through the end of November, project officials say. This week, the work on First Street was expected to take place during regular business hours. From Aug. 7-15, crews will switch to night hours, with that work planned from 10 p.m.-7 a.m. Flaggers will be onsite to direct traffic.

The utility work is just the latest piece of a project that has been underway since late 2015. When it is completed, the mixed-use development will include 200 residential units, almost 43,000 square feet of commercial space and parking for 430 cars, of which 135 spaces will be for public parking.

Crews now are adding roofing, shingles, siding and brickwork to the exterior of The Windward; scaffolding will be added in some places and removed in others as that work continues. Pedestrian walkways also are taking shape, with planter forming and pouring planned this week. Inside, mechanical, electrical and plumbing work continues. Walls, ceilings, floors, countertops and vanities are being installed in at least one of the buildings, and some appliances are being delivered.

Because of what seemed like a nonstop series of winter storms, developer Patrick Kessi says he now expects the project’s first residents to begin moving into their new abodes in the first quarter of 2018. Although pricing information has not yet been released, Kessi says that a waiting list for the apartments contains more than 500 names. (Watch for leasing information at www.livethewindward.com.)

Since construction began, The Review has been using drone photography to produce a visual record of the Wizer Block’s transformation from 1950s-era shopping center to a mixed-use development with homes, offices and shops. These images were taken July 28 [watch here, “Pamplin Media July 2017”].

The Review will return monthly to the Wizer Block to record the project’s progress. Watch for the images on facebook.com/LakeOswegoReview, at lakeoswegoreview.com and in the pages of the newspaper.