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The team planning to renovate two side-by-side warehouses in the Pearl District on Thursday brought its project before the Portland Design Commission for the first time. The commission praised the design, but moved to continue the review on Oct. 22.

The office project, designed by Holst Architecture for owner Meriwether Partners, will cover a half-block at ., city planner Jeff Mitchem said. Plans call for renovating the one-story building on the lot’s east side and adding four levels to the two-story building on the west side to create a six-story building with an attached metal tower. In total, the buildings will hold 82,975 square feet. Seismic upgrades also are on tap, according to city staff reports.

On Thursday parties discussed eliminating two proposed loading docks and allowing loading to take place at a bay on Northwest 15th Avenue, lining up windows on the one-story east building, and making its northeast corner more active.

Originally, retail space was envisioned for the northeast corner, Mitchem said, but a market analysis showed that was not feasible.

Yvonne Alderman, who lives across the street from the project site, testified before the commission that she was concerned about plans for the loading areas changing.

鈥淭he original plans had two loading stalls and now there are zero,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 am asking that this be re-noticed so we have time to address this reversal from (the Portland Bureau of Transportation).鈥�

At Alderman’s request, the record for comments on the project will be kept open until 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 8, Mitchem said after the meeting. Holst then will have until Oct. 15 to respond to comments. Comments and responses can be sent to Mitchem at [email protected].

Mitchem added that PBOT had performed a traffic study to determine where loading should be located. It’s 鈥渟till a moving target,鈥� he said, noting that the decision ultimately belongs to PBOT.

Overall, commissioners reacted positively to project plans. Commissioner Julie Livingston said the project was 鈥渘icely done鈥� and that she liked the loading area being moved and the look of the six-story tower with lighted metal panels.

鈥淚’m glad these two buildings are being retained and improved,鈥� she said.

Commissioner Ben Kaiser agreed, calling it 鈥渁 great project.鈥� He added that he believes that all of the one-story building’s windows could all match in size.

Commissioner David Wark said he is still somewhat concerned about the lack of activity at the northeast corner now that retail has been eliminated.

鈥淚 think it’s very approvable, but I can’t get past that corner being sealed up,鈥� he said.

Commissioner Jeff Simpson said he also favored the project.

鈥淚t’s a simple, clean project,鈥� he said, 鈥淓ven if it has a doom-and-gloom color.鈥�