91视频

The architects of two planned Portland developments will be to some extent going back to the drawing board following critiques from the Portland Design Commission.

Design commissioners on Thursday requested revisions to plans for the Modera Belmont, a mixed-use development that would replace the Oregon Ballet Theatre building in Southeast Portland. They also expressed reservations with a proposal to build a Hampton Inn & Suites in the Pearl District and sought more information on how the development would impact neighboring condominiums.

Teams representing both projects sought the commission’s design review approval on Thursday, but commissioners instead asked the architects and developers to return for at least one more hearing with revised designs.

A design team from Portland-based SERA Architects presented plans for the Modera Belmont, developed by Mill Creek Residential Trust. The proposed six-story, 230,000-square-foot building, at 818 S.E. Sixth Ave., would include 204 residential units above ground-floor commercial space and a basement garage with 105 parking spots. The U-shaped structure would frame a ground-floor courtyard with stormwater planters.

Based on commission feedback offered during a design advice request hearing in February, the SERA project team significantly modified the plans, SERA principal Kurt Schultz told commissioners on Thursday.聽 Among the commissioners’ suggestions the design team took to heart were reducing the number of materials used on the facade, he said. The revised design features a simplified, mostly brick fa莽ade that’s punched out at various intervals to reveal white metal panels.

鈥淥ur idea was to create an asymmetrical brick enclosure,鈥� Schultz said. 鈥淲e really do appreciate the advice from the design advice request. We think having a more contemporary brick expression fits the Central Eastside.鈥�

Despite changes to the design, commissioners said it wasn’t quite approvable and lamented that the project team didn’t act on more of their feedback. During the design advice request, commissioners suggested widening the courtyard, but on Thursday several said they felt as proposed it was still too narrow with the stormwater planters dominating much of the space.

Commissioner Jeff Simpson said fa莽ade would have a cleaner look if the design stuck with just brick and glass and eliminated the metal panels. It would also be more in line with the brick buildings the design team showed the commission they were inspired by, he said.

鈥淚 think what’s elegant about those images that show your precedence is they’re all brick and glass,鈥� Simpson said. 鈥淭here’s no metal to steal the show.鈥�

Another commission concern with the proposed design was the planned live-work units on the ground-floor facing Southeast Belmont Street. Commission Vice Chairman Ben Kaiser pointed out that at the urging of the design commission the Portland City Council is considering a moratorium on ground-floor residential units.

鈥淚’m a proponent of having the whole ground floor (be) retail,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think you could make this a really successful ground floor commercial level 鈥� We’re having a hard time finding a successful ground floor residential (level).鈥�

Given how the area surrounding the project site is evolving, Commissioner Guenevere Millius 聽agreed that replacing the ground-floor apartments with commercial space would be better.

鈥淚 think living on the ground floor on Belmont is a tough proposition,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hese are going to be your least favorite units unless there is a retail component 鈥� I know it’s a 40 mile-per-hour neighborhood right now, but it will become more walkable in just a few years.鈥�

The project team scheduled a second design review hearing in front of the commission on June 4.

HAMPTON INN & SUITES PEARL

Commissioners also critiqued on Thursday plans by Madison, Wisconsin-based Raymond Management Co.聽 to build a Hampton Inn & Suites hotel in place of two older warehouse structures in the Pearl District, at 821 N.W. Everett St., 338 N.W. Ninth Ave. and 303 N.W. Park.

The project is being designed by Madison-based Gary Brink & Associates Architects and Portland-based Hennebery Eddy Architects. Plans call for an eight-story, 201,000-square-foot hotel with 243 rooms, 9,000-square-feet of ground floor retail and 104 parking spots on the second and third floors and an eco-roof on the fourth floor.

One of the commission’s biggest concerns was how development would interact with the Park Northwest Condominiums building it would wrap around. Millius pointed out that information was conspicuously absent from the materials the design team provided to the commission.

鈥淚 feel like that’s what’s missing from your packet 鈥� a better sense of the conversation between your building and theirs,鈥� she said.

Park Northwest residents and other neighbors who testified at the hearing said they had a series of concerns with proposed development, including noise from the hotel’s rooftop mechanical equipment right outside their windows. They urged the developer to enhance the proposed eco-roof to make up for their lost views.

Millius said it fell on the design commission to push the hotel developer and architects to address these concerns.

鈥淥ur job is to try and mitigate that disaster,鈥� she told the project team. 鈥淭he most contextual building you have around is (Park Northwest) 鈥� I want to see some of those things you’re going to do to help.鈥�

Commissioners on Thursday also offered feedback on the Carbon12 mixed-use project. The proposed residential development at 12 N.E. Fremont St. would include eight stories of cross-laminated timber(CLT) construction over a concrete basement, according to plans submitted to the city by Portland-based Kaiser Group and PATH Architecture.