20,000-sf mass timber urban infill project completes in Portland
By David Malone, Associate Editor
Built on a leftover 9,000-sf berm space that was created when the City of Portland built the new one-way Couch Street couplet, Sideyard is a 20,000-sf mass timber building designed for the working-class that connects to public transportation with exclusive pedestrian and bicycle access. The ground floor is designed to be activated by storefront along Third Avenue with workspace above.
The wedge-shaped building features a new CLT structural system with open ground level commuter oriented retail environments geared toward guests and tenants. A ground floor bike bar and pedestrian friendly plaza are extended from the city sidewalk while the upper level workspace is wrapped in brick masonry. A new civic-oriented pedestrian stair is integrated coming down from the Burnside Bridge level to Third Avenue
The building acts as an anchor for the Burnside Bridge and a gateway to the Portland Eastside community and the development strengthens the connection between the Eastside community and the westside downtown core. Additionally, the development team has leased a small space under the bridge adjacent to Sideyard for food carts, extending the Third Avenue ground level retail experience into previously unused urban spaces.
