cairn pacific con-way

Diagrams of proposed development in Northwest Portland. At back left, a 14-story apartment tower is proposed. At back middle, a proposed six-story apartment building. At back right, a six-story apartment building already under construction. At front right, a warehouse that is being renovated for a New Seasons Market grocery.

(Cairn Pacific LLC)

Developers are planning a 14-story apartment tower in an isolated but rapidly transforming corner of Northwest Portland.

The project would be the next phase in the redevelopment of trucking company Con-way Inc.'s holdings in the Slabtown neighborhood. North of the Alphabet Historic District and west of the Pearl, the area is mostly mid-rise office buildings and surface parking.

Cairn Pacific, the master developer that has already started work on

and an adjacent six-story apartment building, is seeking permits to replace two neighboring parking lots with 370 new apartments in two buildings.

The southern building at

would be six stories high, while the 14-story northern building would be by far the tallest building in the immediate vicinity.

"It's a marquee site, and it's going to be a marquee building for the neighborhood," said Tom DiChiara, a principal at Cairn Pacific.

The developer, in a partnership with the real estate firm Capstone Partners, would also renovate an office building largely vacated by Con-way. And it would also build an underground, 600-stall parking garage that spans three blocks to accommodate Con-way employees as well as residents of the new buildings.

The New Seasons and adjacent apartment building already under construction are expected to open in August. Construction on the three other blocks could begin around the same time, DiChiara said.

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