PORTLAND, OR - A housing project whose developers promise apartment units compatible with both entry-level wages and "green" building standards is the Shaver Green Building, which broke ground in May. Located on Martin Luther Kind Jr. Boulevard between Mason and Shaver streets in Northeast Portland, the proposed 21,000 square-foot building is on track to become one of few multifamily residential building in the United States to receive LEED certification. Developers are aiming for LEED platinum status, the highest level of green building.
Shaver Green calls for 85 one, two and three-bedroom apartments with 10 designated for permanent supportive housing. Families and individuals who live there must make no more than 60 percent of the state median income.
The Casey condominiums in the Pearl District has already boasted green building standards by incorporating sustainable features including solar panels, a green roof and the extensive use of recycled-content and sustainable materials such as wool carpets and FSC-certified wood flooring. It also has a host of energy efficiency features including sophisticated waste heat recovery ventilators in each unit that help the building achieve a 52 percent energy savings over code.
Located in a gentrifying neighborhood with a growing number of people in their 20s and 30s, Shaver Green will sit on a vacant site that once housed a used appliance store and outdoor storage. Developers hope to have it finished by next April. "It was a terrible eyesore that will now be used for a vibrant housing development," said Wayne Armstrong, a partner in the development and a Catholic who attended St. Paschal Baylon Parish in Thousand Oaks, Calif., where he grew up. "This very high quality project will be making a significant economic improvement to the MLK corridor," he said. "We know this is one of the city's primary goals in addition to increasing the stock of affordable housing."
Armstrong said access to public transportation is key to the design because it sits on a major bus route and discounts on transit passes will provided by the property, along with bicycle facilities. Other features will include energy and water efficient appliances throughout, non-toxic paints and other finishes and complete use of 100 percent recycled building products. Armstrong said he doubts it will take long before all units at Shaver Green are rented.
Outside the entrance to the Shaver Green new development in downtown Portland will be a bronze plaque dedicating the building to Michael Pfohman. Michael Quill-Patrick Pfohman died two years ago in Lincoln City at age 27. He was an Eagle Scout, mountain climber and bio-diesel fuels advocate. He graduated from the honors engineering school at Oregon State University and had struggled for four years with bipolar disorder. His father is editor of this newspaper. Pfohman for a short time worked as a welder for Armstrong Development, a partner in the Shaver Green project.
After hours, Michael pursued his interest in sustainable energy and green construction, explained Wayne Armstrong of Armstrong Development. "Years before biofuel was a term commonly heard in the media, he used my welding shop to construct a biofuel converter," said Armstrong. "As he worked on this project, he taught me about sustainable development. This led me to the idea of developing Shaver Green as a green, sustainable project. Michael's passion for this new field in construction influenced Armstrong Development."
Source: Sentinel.org