In the battle over paths along Portland’s east waterfront, one developer is doing right by Portlanders and planning a high-quality bike path on the plot adjacent to the proposed SK Northwest development.
SK Development and the Portland Spirit have been in the news lately for refusing to include a multiuse path in their development plans for a piece of property in the dangerous 4th and Caruthers area (the BTA is testifying in support of the City’s denial of their development proposal on August 12th).
I had the opportunity to meet last week with Derek Hanna, principal of Portland City Storage, a proposed development on the east side of the Willamette River at SE Ivon. The property is one of four pieces of land between the existing Eastbank Esplanade (that ends near OMSI) and the Springwater on the Willamette bike path to Sellwood (the pieces are the current Portland Spirit property, the property Portland Spirit is considering selling to SK Northwest, this one, and the Ross Island Sand and Gravel property).
Derek is proposing to develop a large boat house — one that will hold power boats, canoes and kayaks, RVs, and storage pods. He’s been working with the local neighborhood associations, Audubon Society of Portland, and the BTA to develop a facility that will work for everyone, from using green building techniques and creating vertical wildlife habitat on the building exterior, to storing boats out of the water.
Most notably for our aims, he’s planning on putting a multiuse bike path along the property, from Ivon to the water and across his property on the west side nearest the river. The 12 foot-wide bike path would eventually connect to segments from the other three properties, but for now an 8-foot wide path will connect it to Ivon so people can come down and enjoy the view. Boats will run under the path and directly into the building with a water entrance, and then lifted through a vertical elevator into the tall building.
Who’s paying for it? The developer plans on funding this $40 million project completely privately. He says he’s a native Oregonian and he understands why bike paths are important. Hopefully, his example will inspire others to follow suit.
More from BikePortland, who first broke the story.
Oregonian article.
