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Portland鈥檚 inner east side is dynamic, vibrant and working-class, according to Design Commissioner Tad Savinar.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really everything the west side is not,鈥� he said last week during a design advice request meeting for a large multifamily project near the east end of the Burnside Bridge. 鈥淔or that belief, this is truly addressing that. But I鈥檓 challenged by it 鈥� It鈥檚 a very big move.鈥�

Hood River-based Key Development Co. and Skylab Architecture are proposing a concept for Block 67 that would be unique for Portland. The project would include a 19- to 21-story, 224-unit glass tower atop a heavily landscaped podium building. Key would activate that lower structure with barbecue pits, bocce ball courts and possibly rock climbing walls.

Design commissioners were intrigued, but said they had reservations.

鈥淚t鈥檚 such a beacon,鈥� Chairwoman Guenevere Millius said. 鈥淵ou could see people wanting to walk to it over the Burnside Bridge that would ordinarily not do that. But then when you get there, there鈥檚 no connection to get there.鈥�

Millius referred to an open-air gap that would exist between the bridge and the top of the podium structure. It would not have the accessibility that the Templeton Building鈥檚 upper levels have directly across East Burnside Street. It was unclear during the meeting whether such an amenity would be financially feasible, or even allowable under city code.

Jeff Kovel, a principal at Skylab Architecture, said the idea was to sort of flip the building on its end in order to bring activity to the street. Rather than hide deck space on the roof, the building would provide it at eye level with the bridge.

鈥淭he street culture has come to life in the last 10 years,鈥� Kovel said. 鈥淚n many ways, we鈥檙e building a product that鈥檚 closely tailored to that constituency.鈥�

Key Development sees some of those constituents coming from the skate park beneath the bridge. According to Jeff Pickhardt of Key Development, park users originally preferred a concrete wall built between the park and the building; however, they have since warmed to the idea of nighttime lighting and public restrooms. Block 67 tenants would be able to watch from the podium.

Skylab tilted the podium downward like an amphitheater from the northeast corner (along Southeast Third Avenue) to the Burnside Bridge. The facade of the podium鈥檚 northeast corner would be made mostly of glass and take on the shape of a mountain-like pyramid.

The podium would also have 25,652 square feet of retail space wrapping around multiple levels of above-grade, structured parking (155 stalls). Issues discussed during the meeting included how to address a small stretch of concrete wall facing the bridge; how to liven up the northwest corner of the loading dock; and whether to rotate the podium 180 degrees so that it slopes upward from Southeast Third Avenue and Couch Street.

Figuring out the correct placement of the tower was a big puzzle for Skylab. Kovel said the team went through some 30 iterations before settling on the present layout. In contrast to the city grid, the tower would cut diagonally across the block from the southeast corner to the northwest corner, affording some residents views of Mount Hood, and others views of the city.

The facade itself would take on a soaring, kite-like quality.

鈥淲e want the tower to take on the qualities of the sky as much as possible,鈥� Kovel said.

He said repetition would be an important aspect in the effort to make the building pencil out, and that a challenge was figuring out how to bring that detail to life in an aesthetic way. To that end, Skylab incorporated long, vertical blades to give the impression that the facade is 鈥渂lowing in the wind.鈥�

Design Commissioner David Keltner was a fan of the design, but said he struggled with the idea of a plaza building.

鈥淚 think the angle of the building, the tower, is really brilliant from a couple points of view,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ne, reaching out and making a gateway is brilliant. I just think this is an incredibly compelling view. The idea that the podium is lifting up to the height of the neighborhood sculpturally is great 鈥� I鈥檓 getting it, but I鈥檓 also struggling with the plaza 鈥� the bad urban plaza thing.鈥�

Key Development started working on the estimated $60 million project in July 2010, following a competitive request for interest from the Portland Development Commission. The PDC is poised to sell the property to Key Development for $1.65 million; construction could start as early as December. Key Development officials after the hearing did not return multiple requests for comment.