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Following the success of a creative office space it developed in North Portland, a local company is looking to incorporate the same aesthetic qualities into a multifamily building on Southeast Belmont Street.

BCMC Properties recently broke ground on a three-story development at 3775 S.E. Belmont St. The mixed-use project, named The Belmont, will have two ground-floor retail spaces and 16 open, industrial, loft-like residential units.

鈥淲e wanted to try and separate ourselves from the competition and not just build something cheap, but something that we like and that we can live in ourselves that鈥檚 attractive,鈥� said Bryan McLean, co-owner of BCMC.

The Belmont will feature concrete floors, wooden tongue-and-groove ceilings and open floor plans that can be divided via sliding, wooden barn-like doors. The idea is that the units can be left open for day-to-day use, but made private when necessary.

McLean said the industrial concept stems from the company鈥檚 platinum-rated 鈥� a creative office building that has received healthy interest from clients since it opened on North Mississippi Avenue. When BCMC purchased the 8,333-square-foot lot on Southeast Belmont Street for $469,000 about a year ago, he said the original idea was to replicate NuMiss.

The zoning, however, didn鈥檛 allow that and so rather than apply to the city for a zoning change and hope for the best, the company decided to adapt its concept into a residential and commercial product. Creative office space 鈥� typically characterized by vaulted ceilings, exposed ductwork and painted concrete flooring 鈥� has received greater demand from Portland businesses recently.

According to data from Jones Lang LaSalle, the vacancy rate for creative Class B and C office space is nearly 2 percent lower in the Central Business District than in the city overall. Also, creative spaces are yielding rent premiums ranging from 7 to 20 percent.

BCMC thinks that preference will ring true for residential space as well.

鈥淭he loft-like setting seems to be what the younger users like and quite frankly what I would like if I had an apartment,鈥� said Erik Matthews of , the project鈥檚 architect.

He said kitchens were designed in a long, rectangular galley style for socializing and constructive mingling. Interior spaces were designed to receive ample amounts of daylight.

The exterior will feature a brick facade with a lighter beige color on the ground floor and a darker, semi-iridescent brick above. Matthews said the idea is to create a sense of strength and stability.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an urban building,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t needs to be durable and it needs to look good in the urban environment, and these are materials that we feel reflect the urban environment.鈥�

At Southeast 38th Avenue and Belmont Street, the project site is among hip businesses such as the Belmont Inn, the Sweet Hereafter and Zupan鈥檚 Markets; McLean thinks his development will fit nicely. Parking will be included, even though it is not required by city code.

鈥淧arking is a big topic in Portland right now,鈥� McLean said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e aware that parking is an issue and we didn鈥檛 have to do it, but we wanted to do it. Parking is a problem already in that neighborhood and of course we went to the neighborhood associations and the business associations and they wanted to see parking. It was just the right thing to do.鈥�