Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/622612
I DA U N I V E R S A L J a n u a r y - Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 6 13 IDA MOVERS AND SHAKERS Continued on page 15 When Electric Steel Foundry Co. began making steel castings in 1913, it chose a Portland location that had, less than a decade earlier, been the site of the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition. Homes stood about three blocks south, in what is now the Northwest Neighborhood District, but the area around the factory was largely open and undeveloped. Fast forward a century and the plant, now the main indus- trial site for Esco Corp., sits cheek-to-jowl with residential, retail and business neighbors in all directions. e residen- tial neighbors, at least, have not always been happy to have heavy manufacturing in their midst. So what happens to that land in the wake of Esco's announce- ment this week that it would close the facility in late 2016 or early 2017? Residents, city offi cials and developers are all interested in the question, though Esco is in no hurry to provide defi nitive answers. Vacating the property will be a huge undertaking, for one thing – starting with decommissioning a plant that's been in operation since Woodrow Wilson sat in the Oval Offi ce. But when that's done, Esco could have a rare asset: 20 acres of vacant land in the valuable North- west Industrial area. "Close-in industrial land is fully developed" elsewhere in Portland, said Don Ossey, principal and founder of Capacity Commercial Group. " ere's very little supply." Esco plans Esco Corp. is expected to With Plant Closure Ahead, Esco Turns Attention to Swath of Industrial Land Brian Williams grinds a lip for earthmoving equipment. seek a zoning change for the property where its main plant is located. e company issued this statement about that plan: "Esco has been engaged in the city's Comprehensive Plan 2035 process for months, taking part in city and neighborhood meetings on the changes Esco seeks for its Northwest Portland properties. What are those changes? Today, Esco has a split Compre- hensive Plan designation. Part of the property is designated Mixed Employment, and part is designated Industrial. Both of these designations are imple- mented by a zoning designation, which governs development of the property. Esco may ask to take the current Mixed Employ- ment designation on part of the property and expand it to the rest of the property, resulting in a single designation of Mixed Employment. at Mixed Employment designation would be implemented by the EG1 zone. City offi cials expect Esco to take one of the fi rst steps toward repurposing the site within weeks by asking to rezone the property where its main plant is located. at factory is located on land designated "industrial sanctuary" under the city's comprehensive plan. e company has told city offi cials it will seek the Mixed Employment designation, with a presentation to the city council likely by Dec. 10. A Mixed Employment designation would allow more fl exibility, said Tom Armstrong, supervising planner for the city's Bureau of Planning and Sustain- ability. "Much of what they could do today they could do under the general employment zoning," Armstrong said. But offi ces would also be allowed. And, while residential use would be allowed as a conditional use under the current zoning rules, Armstrong said the city is in the process of prohibiting that in the future. An Esco spokesperson said the company "has yet to review