Mixed-Use Industrial Transformation

Pop Blocks Development Plan

Portland, OR

Connective Framework

This development plan envisions a bustling mixed-use transformation of a warehouse superblock along transit-rich Sandy Boulevard. Reintroduction of a verdant, multi-modal “woonerf” street promotes neighborhood linkages along an important east-west axis. Intimate pedestrian paths are lined with shops, live/work spaces and townhouses to invite meandering throughout the new multi-block district.

Inviting Open Space

Two sizable and publicly accessible outdoor spaces anchor the district and invite the neighborhood to gather. A centrally located park offers space for play, intimate gatherings and outdoor dining, all surrounding a large lawn. Along Sandy Boulevard, a highly visible plaza accommodates retail spill-out and community events like pop-up markets, music performances or festivals.

Market-Responsive Mix of Uses

Five sites are designed for flexible development as either housing or office space over phases, as the market allows. The first phase of implementation, Splash Apartments, includes a mixed income apartment building and renovation of an iconic mid-century warehouse structure into a retail pavilion to foster a sense of place and local character.