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Portland design commissioners on Thursday praised designs while giving advice for two projects: the expansion of a Southwest Portland building to suit Under Armour, and construction of an 11-story mixed-use building at 710 E. Burnside St.

Polyphon Architecture and Design is working on the mixed-use project. Plans call for a ground floor with double-height retail space, two floors of office space, seven stories containing 49 residential units and underground parking.

The design was completely redone following the previous design advice hearing last fall, city planner Ben Nielsen said. Instead of flat walls, the new design features terraces and balconies of different sizes on one side of the building, giving it a dramatic look.

鈥淥ur concept, our idea was to look at a piece of geology that was all weathered and you could see all the strata,鈥� Polyphon principal Schuyler Smith said.

Another major change was the addition of units on the roof and a reduced green roof.

One issue for commissioners was the treatment of the stairwell, which they felt was out of place compared to the rest of the design.

But overall, commissioners liked the new design, Commissioner David Wark said.

鈥淭o summarize our feelings, the effect is extremely well done but with just a few bugaboos in terms of the lease and the PBOT (Portland Bureau of Transportation) requirement for the (Burnside) arcade district,鈥� he said.

After the meeting, Smith explained that the Burnside arcade district is an area on East Burnside Street from Martin Luther King Boulevard to 12th Avenue. The district was created after Burnside Street was widened by absorbing sidewalks. Businesses had to move their storefronts back to accommodate new sidewalks, creating an arcade effect at street level.

In keeping with that history, new construction must create the arcade effect at street level or mitigate it with elements such as terraces and balconies. In this case, the design features both.

鈥淲e have a post-tension concrete structure and can take 12 feet off the building,鈥� Smith said.

But because these elements or balconies would extend over city property, the developer would have to sign a 30-year lease with the city.

Cost is not an issue, Smith said, but the developer would prefer to have a 100-year lease. Smith said he hopes the lease issue gets resolved and won’t hold up the project. He later said he was informed that the city was considering lease terms of only $1 per year.

Under Armour Portland office

The approval process for the addition of a third floor to a building at 2815 S.W. Barbur Blvd. won’t be a quick one. The building is being renovated by sportswear company Under Armour, but the addition requires the Portland City Council‘s OK, Nielsen said.

鈥淐urrent zoning won’t allow a third floor,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n order to add that they would go through design review and comprehensive plan and zoning change review, which the City Council will have to approve.鈥�

Nielsen said expansion of the building’s second floor and the addition of a third will add 41,420 square feet. The total floor area will then be 151,182 square feet.

Commissioners discussed whether adding a third floor would obstruct the view to the mountains from a hiking trail above, but Commissioner Jeff Simpson said he had visited the site and didn’t see a problem.

鈥淚’ve been to the viewpoint and it actually improves the view,鈥� he said.

Architect Leslie Cliffe of Bora Architects, the building’s designer, said she doesn’t expect a speedy process because of the zoning challenges; many would become moot once the city adopts its 2035 Comprehensive Plan.

Cliffe said the design of the third floor will incorporate glulam roof columns and beams, as well as a 17,000-square-foot eco-roof on the west side along with a skylight.

The building is being reskinned with large amounts of new glass, Nielsen said.

Overall, commissioners seemed pleased with the design.

鈥淚 love the materials and like the direction you’re taking it,鈥� Commissioner Andrew Clarke said.

Wark agreed.

鈥淵ou are taking the essence of the building and improving on it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 really admire the work you’ve done on this.鈥�