Rumors have swirled for years that Apple was looking to move out of its small space in the basement of Pioneer Place. It's plans for the future may be clear in recent development applications filed with the City of Portland.The City of Portland is
on a project planned in downtown Portland's Pioneer Square.
The giveaway it's going to be good? The application isn't clear about exactly which retailer is looking to make improvements.
And that, my dear retail readers, is signature Apple.
The mysterious plan calls for demolishing the two story building on Southwest Yamhill Street between Fourth and Fifth Avenues that once housed Saks Fifth Avenue. In its place, the plan outlines a "single story building and outdoor plaza area... fully glazed with clear glass."
The architect listed on the application is Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, a San-Francisco firm that's
, including four in New York, two in Japan and one in China. The firm designed Apple's store in Australia, a 120-foot glass fronted glory on George Street.
The potential new Portland location would stretch 165 feet. Drawings of the north-facing store front show a 10-feet wide public plaza fronted by tiered steps up from Yamhill.
Notes on the drawing indicate the new building's gross square footage would total 23,532, while the outdoor plaza would be 4,283 square feet. The drawings don't include the skybridge that has linked the main mall with the former department store.
on the potential of Apple moving out of the Pioneer Place basement and into the empty Saks space. Plans for high-profile new construction fall in line with work the mall's leaders
and retailer line-up.
The web site
over the new plans stating, "the unique store design would advance Apple's presence in the city, but more significantly would push Apple's architectural portfolio into new territory."
The site, created by a father who says he's spent several nights in front of (hence the ifo) Apple stores with his son awaiting new products, points out that new plan calls for exterior "bead blasted, matte finish stainless steel panels." After years of following Apple's retail operations, the web site's creator Gary Allen, said such a material and finish has been favored over the past decade for its stores.
The design review of the Pioneer Place project is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 15 at 1900 S.W. Fourth Ave., Ste. 2500A.
Along with the current Pioneer Place location, Apple also operates stores at Bridgeport Village in Tigard/Tualatin and Washington Square in Tigard.
-- Laura Gunderson