Interstate Renovation Project

Heart of Portland’s drinking water system will undergo major construction

Project Update May 2013: 

Since early January, the site preparation for construction has been in full swing. Both the old carpentry building and the former Foundry Building along NE Tillamook Street have been demolished. The construction of the new SSW (Shops, Stores and Warehouse) Building is taking place toward the Kerby Street end of the lot. Currently, the electrical and plumbing is being trenched. Soon truck of concrete and steel will begin to deliver building supplies.

Construction of the building, and the first phase of the project, will take approximately 18 months to complete. 

Water from the Bull Run watershed is delivered to the taps of more than 900,000 Oregonian's through a complex system of reservoirs, tanks, pipes, pumps and valves. The critical work of maintaining Portland's 225-square-mile water supply system is based from the Water Bureau's Interstate Maintenance Facility, located near the Rose Quarter on N. Interstate Avenue.

This 11-acre facility accommodates approximately 240 employees and includes a water control center, water quality laboratory, emergency operations center, material storage area, vehicle parking, and administrative offices. Construction and maintenance field personnel and associated heavy construction equipment are also supported and staged from this facility.

The facility currently consists of two buildings -- one built in 1925, the other in 1992 -- as well as a recently renovated Meter Shop and several construction-grade modular buildings that serve as additional office space.

The building that houses the largest percentage of these activities, the Maintenance Building, is also the oldest structure. Built in 1925, it was once the main garage that sheltered the equipment and vehicles. Over the years it has been retrofitted as an office building. This building was not built to modern safety standards and was not constructed with the quality of materials that are available today. In 2005 the building was assessed for code compliance for: seismic and fire protection/prevention, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and environmental remediation of site properties. As a result of this assessment and a robust cost/benefit analysis, it was determined that it would not be economically feasible to rehabilitate this building. 

The Maintenance Building will be replaced with a new highly efficient facility to meet the Water Bureau’s current Operation and Maintenance programs. Incorporating the most current energy design criteria, it will be substantially more economical to operate. The new buildings and campus will be designed and constructed to obtain a LEED Gold certification. The project has been designed to proceed in phases to ensure that there will be no interruptions in service delivery throughout the project duration.

Phase 1: Breaking ground in winter 2013
After an extensive and thorough design review process involving the project management team, technical experts and Interstate staff, contractors are prepared to break ground in winter 2013. A local company, Hoffman Construction Co., will serve as General Contractor/Construction Manager for the project.

The first phase of the $35 million project will take place from 2012 to 2014. This phase includes construction of a new 28,000-square-foot building, which will provide space for staff offices and public meeting areas; craft workshops; materials and warehouse supplies storage area; and loading dock.

Phase 2: 2014-2015
Phase 2 will consist of the construction of a 38,000-square-foot building that will provide office space, and conference and training facilities.This phase will take place from 2014 to 2015.

The exterior façade of the new buildings is being designed to blend in with the architecture of adjacent buildings. The primary material will be locally manufactured brick and metal panels that will match the appearance of the existing 1992 Operations Building.

Additional Information
For information about this project, contact Darcy Cronin, Public Information, at 503-823-3520.