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Unlike when Lloyd Center was built, pedestrian access will take precedence in the design for a planned remodel.

When the Northeast Portland mall was developed in the 1960s, the automobile was king, Portland-based Waterleaf Architecture, Interiors & Planning partner William Bailey said. These days, shoppers are just as likely to arrive on foot, bike, bus or light rail, he said.

“The thing that has changed at Lloyd Center is the multimodal approach,” Bailey told the Portland Design Commission on Thursday.

Bailey and Waterleaf associate Mark Mikolavich sought design advice from the commission concerning plans for Cypress Equities‘ effort to revitalize Lloyd Center. The Dallas-based company nearly a year ago purchased the mall for $148 million and in January announced plans for a multiyear renovation to elevate it into a premier Portland destination.

Initial plans include exterior renovations to improve pedestrian and vehicle entrances. New pedestrian entrances are proposed for the mall’s south and east sides. Existing entrances and garage facades will be updated with new storefronts and signs. Additional storefronts along Northeast Multnomah Street are also being considered.

More storefronts along Multnomah Street, beyond the parking garage’s ground-floor level, will help engage pedestrians, Bailey said.

“It establishes this no-man’s land,” he said. “That’s why adding those storefronts is appropriate.”

This will also encourage more connectivity between the mall’s south end and nearby Holladay Park, he said.

“The success of Lloyd Center is very much tied to the success of Holladay Park as well the light rail station at Holladay Park,” Bailey said.

The firm also proposes carving away part of the parking garage to expose the Macy’s entrance – one of the most heavily used at the mall – on Multnomah Street. The space will be converted into a plaza with additional storefronts and bike parking. Plaza glass windows will look into the mall, including the ice rink.

“One of the goals that we had was to create openness that goes straight to the ice rink, the heart of the mall,” Bailey said.

An existing awning with a hole that once allowed rain to land on a planter in front of Macy’s will be preserved in the process. Design commission chairwoman Guenevere Millius suggested that designers take advantage of the void in the canopy.

“I really like the canopy and exposing it, but there’s a hole in it,” she said. “Have you thought about reintroducing something under it?”

New signs for the mall over the parking garage entrances that incorporate screens made from wooden slats will increase visibility, Mikolavich said. Using wood was important to the design scheme, he said.

“We’re looking at using wood because wood is a core element to the branding of the mall,” he said. “We feel it’s sympathetic to some of the other building elements of the mall. It’s an orienting element as well.”

Commissioner Ben Kaiser cautioned against using wood because it isn’t as durable as other building materials.

“If you can find something that looks similar, fake it,” he said. “If you can shift out of the wood it would be more timeless. I like the lattice entry. I think you can pull off what you want with metal.”

Commissioner Tad Savinar agreed.

“That main entry from Multnomah is really stunning and there’s no wood there,” he said. “(It’s) really mining what’s there.”

Millius said it was clear that Waterleaf is aiming to design a renovation that respects the mall’s history and significance to the surrounding community.

“I appreciate the level of care that you guys are taking to this,” she said. “We all want to see this be a very careful, thoughtful execution.”