PORTLAND, Ore. – A 103-year-old historic firehouse building and two neighboring restaurants in the Pearl District of Northwest Portland are likely to be demolished as they sit on property proposed for redevelopment into a 12-story building with 150 residential units.
Photo credit: Portland Chronicle contributor
Located at 1425 NW Glisan St., the firehouse was built in 1913. It sits on a 5,000-square-foot lot. Now home to Touché Restaurant & Bar, the building is owned by Robert Ames and James Puckett.
Photo credit: Portland Chronicle contributor
Ames and Puckett also own the building to the east at 505 NW 14th Ave., built in 1940 and now home to Hawaiian Time restaurant.
Photo credit: Portland Chronicle contributor
They also are the owners of a building to the north of that at 517 NW 14th Ave., constructed in 1949 and now home to Le Bouchon French restaurant.
Photo credit: City of Portland
On March 21 the city received an early assistance application for development on the properties owned by Ames and Puckett. The application describes a proposed 12-story mixed-use building with ground floor retail and 150 market-rate apartment units.
The applicant was Kurt Schultz of SERA Design LLC.
A site plan included with the application shows the development would cover the lots containing all three buildings.
Photo credit: Portland Chronicle contributor
The firehouse building now home to Touché Restaurant is listed on the historic resource inventory taken in 1984.
Photo credit: City of Portland Historic Resource Inventory
It is listed as a historic resource for its architecture as well as historic significance, as it was “designed to house Engine and Truck Company #3,” the inventory states. “One of four stations of similar design erected on the west side, all designed by Battalion Chief Lee Holden, father of the gas-driven fire boat. This station was originally designed for horse-drawn apparatus and was remodeled later to accommodate mechanized fire equipment.”
The inventory indicates the firehouse was sold in 1967 and then operated as a warehouse and as a retail-damaged freight outlet.
It describes the building’s architecture as the “Twentieth Century Italian Renaissance” style.
Photo credit: Portland Chronicle contributor
Besides the firehouse, the Hawaiian Time building is also listed as a historic resource.
While it is now a restaurant, the building was constructed in 1939 as a service station. It represents the “Streamline Moderne” style of architecture, according to the inventory.
Photo credit: City of Portland Historic Resource Inventory
Photo credit: Portland Chronicle contributor
While no demolition permits have been applied for, the site plan indicates the proposed 12-story building would cover the entire southeast portion of the block, requiring removal of the historic resources as well as the third restaurant building.
Photo credit: Portland Chronicle contributor
Photo credit: Portland Chronicle contributor
A pre-application conference to discuss the development will be held at 1 p.m. April 20 at 1900 SW 4th Ave., in Room 4a on the fourth floor.