Portland Design Commission approves new Pioneer Place Apple Store plan
Strike one
According to coverage of the situation by Apple Retail watchdog IFOAppleStore, the commission, a panel of citizens charged with "leadership and expertise on urban design and architecture and on maintaining and enhancing Portlandâs historical and architectural heritage," previously derailed plans for an Apple Store in 2006, which had been planned for the Northwest District, about a mile from the company's existing downtown store in the basement of the Pioneer Place mall.
After the commission complained at length about everything from the proposed building materials to plans for parking and recommended that the company build a two story building instead of the single story structure its architects has designed, Apple pulled the plug on its expansion plans for downtown Portland.
A second try
However, after outgrowing its existing, relatively small Pioneer Place location, Apple returned to Portland with plans to demolish a vacant two story building occupied by one of the former anchor tenants of the same downtown shopping center and to replace it with a 165 foot (50 meters) long glass structure, which would be above ground and therefore far more visible (as well as much larger).
The new site is also adjacent to Portland's MAX light rail system, which brings commuters, shoppers and tourists through the city from the suburbs of Beaverton to the west and Gresham to the east. If the store's plans proceed as expected, Apple will gain tremendous visibility at the new location (depicted as it currently appears in a photo by IFOAppleStore writer Gary Allen appearing on Flickr.)
The plans also call for demolishing a overhead walkway that connected the former store to the rest of the complex, an aspect that the commission favored during discussion of the project back in March. The graphic below, from Portland's Oregonian newspaper, depicts how the new glass store will replace the larger stone structure and metal skyway currently in place.
The paper noted that "Many Apple lovers had worried local criticism could derail such a project as it did a proposed Apple location on Northwest 23rd Avenue in 2006."
While commission members expressed other reservations and concerns about Apple's latest plans, only one member voted against the plan, sending it forward for approval from other city agencies. Construction is expected to begin next year.
17 Comments
The difference is that in 2012 Apple is the number 1 tech company in the world.
In 2006 Apple was not so attractive.
Only a fool would reject AppleStore now.
I can't believe that one idiot on the Design Commission that voted against this. Takes all kinds....
It's about time. The existing store is tiny and constantly packed wall-to-wall, meanwhile half of that mall is vacant.
23rd St. is not "downtown Portland". It's a highly over-congested commercial stretch on a narrow street in a residential neighborhood. The hubristic Portland government has designated this area as prime for "in-fill" commercial development, but the reality is that it's over-capacity already in terms of infrastructure support. Just drive on 23rd or Burnside near there any soggy afternoon rush hour and prepare to pull your hair out. This new location is much, much smarter both for Apple and for the sake of traffic flow in the whole central area and definitely for quality of life around 23rd St. This article trumpets the location's adjacency to the light rail line, which operates at a fraction of the potential ridership because it is so slow and circuitous, but the new location is also within 1 block of about 4 high-capacity parking garages - which are used routinely by most people going downtown (the ones who want to get there in 1/4 the time it takes on the light rail).
I can't believe that one idiot on the Design Commission that voted against this. Takes all kinds....
Maybe it’s an Android user....