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Con-way is still working through its plan to develop 16 acres in Northwest Portland, but one project for the area has already been designed by .

A three-story, workforce housing complex is planned for a site at Northwest 20th Avenue and Raleigh Street that presently serves as a parking lot. Slabtown Flats is not part of the master plan, but will be part of the bigger picture, said Lee Shradar, a Holst design staffer.

鈥淚t straddles the (Con-way) site,鈥� he said. 鈥�(The developers) really see this area building up in time, and this is the first step toward that.鈥�

The apartment complex will essentially be two buildings, with one- and two-bedroom units. The second and third stories will be accessible only via stairs; no elevators are planned.

The Alphabet District has long had a shortage of housing, and most of its complexes are market value or higher; Slabtown Flats will offer moderately priced units.

鈥淭his housing is not necessarily high end, so working families can be able to afford this,鈥� Shradar said.

Its design was inspired by the historic brick apartment buildings in the Alphabet District, which often resemble an old hotel or inn. A courtyard will sit in front, and small patios will line the edges.

鈥淲e’re trying to do a modern building here, but using a lot of inspiration from the existing type in the neighborhood,鈥� Shradar said. 鈥�(There are) a lot of three-story apartment buildings around there, and they do a courtyard scheme.鈥�

Holst designed the complex to be interactive with the streetscape, so it will be able to function with the Con-way site, which will hold hundreds of thousands of square feet of residential, retail and commercial space.

The developer is , which has multiple projects in the works in the area. Construction is expected to start in January 2013 and finish later next year.

鈥淥n the Boards鈥� is a weekly feature that spotlights local firms’ best design work. Submissions from architectural and engineering firms are encouraged. Please call 503-802-7240 or email [email protected].