Must Reads

Oregon economist Bill Conerly says we are currently under-building commercial real estate, which will lead to a mini-boom. The pipeline of new buildings is thin, so as the economy improves, there will be very little additional space coming to market. Occupancy rates and rents will rise. The resulting increases in operating earnings will cause the mini-boom. However, a true boom requires easy money, which is not part of our future, at least over the course of the upcoming cycle.

A bipartisan group of senators, including Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), recently introduced legislation that seeks to remove barriers to national hydropower development. The legislation, geared toward fulfilling renewable energy portfolio goals, includes language that would remove regulatory hurdles for untapped conduit hydropower in urban and rural Oregon.

Remember when Gov. John Kitzhaber told the state’s business leaders that rural and metro Oregon must grow at the same pace? “Creating 15 jobs in Coos Bay,” he said, “is the same as creating 500 jobs in Portland.” Well, Coos Bay just landed 250 jobs.

It only took Orchestra Team six months to earn $1 million after graduating from regional entrepreneurial incubator Portland Ten’s 10-week training program. The software company started with the petroleum industry, and now is moving into the craft beer market.

A local environmental group is developing a market-based approach to the enduring challenge of conserving freshwater habitat.

Portland-based AboutUs is launching a new product today designed to help small businesses make the most of their websites.

Just $10 million. That’s all the CEO of ClearEdge Power told Senator Jeff Merkley that he needs to transform the Hillsboro fuel cell manufacturer into a billion dollar company. The CEO, Russ Ford, guided Merkley through the ClearEdge plant on Tuesday, showing him a wall ready to be torn down and an assembly line ready to be extended. The renovations could boost capacity from 1,500 units a year to more than 10,000.

Clackamas-based United Streetcar hosted Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and a trio of Congressmen yesterday to display the latest progress in the mission to crank out made-in-the-USA streetcars in Oregon, for the nation and the world.

Toxic incivility in the workplace is costing money, driving away the best employees — it’s even killing people.

What’s on the mind of Oregon voters?  Pollster Tim Hibbitts of DHM Research attempted to answer this question at a breakfast hosted by the Portland Business Alliance at the Governor Hotel early Wednesday morning.