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The Broadway, a two-towered, 10-story mixed-use development on Portland State University’s campus (SW Broadway and College), is nearing completion and will open for student move-in on September 18, in time for the start of the University’s fall term. The complex will include student housing, university services and ground-floor retail.

The $47.5 million, 217,000-square foot complex is the latest public/private partnership between Portland State University, the PSU Foundation and Gerding/Edlen Development, LLC, the latter of whom helped arrange and coordinate The Broadway’s bond financing and managed its construction.

The Broadway’s top eight stories will feature 383 self-sustaining residential units, while the second level will house classrooms, conference rooms, a 24-hour computer laboratory and departmental offices. The ground floor will be comprised of several retail shops encompassing a total of 15,000 square feet. Prior to The Broadway, Portland State had only 1,240 units for its 24,000 students.

“The Broadway is a huge step in a team effort to make Portland State more competitive in attracting the state’s—and the nation’s—brightest minds,” said Cathy Dyck, interim vice president for Finance and Administration. “The challenge we’ve had for years has been the need for more on-campus housing. Together with Gerding/Edlen, we’ve made a start in bringing about a solution, with the end result a highly interactive, sustainable model for education—one we think will be adopted by other institutions across the country.”

“Along with sustainability, a dedication to education at all levels is one of the cornerstones of our company,” said Mark Edlen, principal of Gerding/Edlen. “We’re proud of the relationship we’ve developed over the years with Portland State, and plan to continue to give back, helping to keep the next generation of talent right here in Portland.” That dedication is illustrated by several building features, including a 15,000-square-foot eco-roof – the largest in Multnomah County – that will be monitored by Portland State engineering students and faculty.

Previously Gerding/Edlen has worked with Portland State on projects such as the construction of the City of Portland Services Center, built over the top of the University’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (now Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science) at 1900 SW Fourth Ave. in 1998. Gerding/Edlen is currently managing the construction of the University’s new Northwest Center for Engineering, Science and Technology, a project for which it will donate back its management fees.

Additional Information

History of the Partnership
In 2003, Gerding/Edlen joined the City of Portland, the PSU Foundation and Portland State to expand student housing. Portland State sold property between SW Broadway and Jackson Street to a wholly owned limited-liability corporation that is now owned by the PSU Foundation, title holder of The Broadway complex. Work began in spring 2003 and will take only 18 months to complete. The Broadway is expected to receive a silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.

Along with Gerding/Edlen, who managed the overall development, Portland State’s two other partners were the Hoffman Construction Co. (construction) and Otak, Inc., (planning, engineering and architecture).

More on Eco-Roof
The building’s eco-roof will be a mixture of nature: soil, gravel and intensively planted grasses and sedums, all native to Oregon, placed in two-to-four inches of soil. The purpose for the eco-roof will be twofold: as a temperature control (insulation) and as an irrigation system (creating a lag time on sewer flow, providing for a slower rate of runoff to sewer). The eco-roof will also provide the building with a brownscape in the summer and a greenscape in the winter.

Media Tours
For a tour of The Broadway, or visuals for your story, members of the media should contact David Santen or Zack Smith (see below for info). The last day for tours will be September 11, 2004 (one week prior to student move-in).