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Kyle Andersen of GBD Architects admits that the original design of the four-tower 鈥渟uperblock鈥� proposed for the Lloyd District may have been a little ambitious.

鈥淲e had to back up and look at another way of putting this whole thing together,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e want to be successful with this project so it actually serves as a catalyst for projects around it.鈥�

The proposed Lloyd Blocks housing development created a buzz last year because of its massive size. It was originally planned to include 820,000 square feet total of residential space and 50,000 square feet of retail space.

Three large buildings, including one with 30 stories, were proposed. They were planned to join the existing Lloyd 700 Building to create a development bordered by Northeast Multnomah and Holladay streets and Seventh and Ninth avenues.

However, at a Portland Design Commission hearing last week, the proposed project looked much less like a 鈥渟uperblock.鈥�

鈥淲e had a lot more height in the plan before,鈥� Andersen said. 鈥淲e were finding that to get that height was costing a premium on the construction side.鈥�

One proposed building was reduced from 30 stories to 17 and another was reduced from 16 stories to five. The third building remained six stories.

If the previous heights had been preserved, rents for the units would have had to increase, Andersen said. However, Lloyd District residents expressed hopes that some of the units would be affordable, said Gary Warren, executive director of the Lloyd District Community Association.

鈥淲e can have a broad mix of different types of housing available within the Lloyd District,鈥� he said.

Despite dramatic height reductions, the number of housing units dropped only from 780 to 637. The size of the average unit was reduced, and more podium-type (shorter) units were planned instead of high-ceiling units, Andersen said.

鈥淢aybe some of the things that we were doing before were a little ambitious, but the market sorted that out,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we were at that level of detail 鈥� where we are today.鈥�

Another change is that plans now call for each building鈥檚 appearance being unique. The 17-story building would have a rooftop amenity space and a light brick pallet. It also has been rotated slightly to gain views of downtown.

The five-story building, which is planned to hold a grocery store on the ground floor (the tenant has not been determined yet), would have a running bond brick pattern, while the others would have a stack bond pattern and metal paneling.

These changes came out of advice given by the commission.

鈥淕iven the eclectic nature of the district and the strong, modernist statement made by the 700 Building, we challenged the architect to be bolder in their approach to the building designs,鈥� said Guenevere Millius, chairwoman of the commission.

Another new project aspect is the addition of a constructed wetland, a wastewater treatment alternative. The wetland is designed to treat water from the development for reuse through a tidal-flow process.

The Port of Portland installed a similar mechanism in 2010, but the technology is relatively new.

鈥淭he whole water and wastewater treatment on the site is unprecedented in the city,鈥� Andersen said. 鈥淓specially when you consider that our site is surrounded by a combination of sewage and storm (pipes) from the 1900s.鈥�

The wetland will tie into the project team鈥檚 goal of achieving a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design platinum rating.

San Diego-based American Assets Trust is providing capital for the project.

Some of these changes could help the project gain approval at its next Design Commission hearing in May. With approval, construction is expected to begin this summer and require two years.

Lloyd residents are eagerly waiting, Warren said.

鈥淲e鈥檙e really looking forward to the changes coming,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got 20,000 employees in the Lloyd District, but only a thousand units for living there 鈥� it鈥檚 needed.鈥�