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The design team for Oregon Square, a two-phase superblock development in the works due south of Hassalo on Eighth in Northeast Portland, still has a lot of work to do.

City planner Staci Monroe told the Portland Design Commission at a hearing last week that staff did not recommend approval for the project planned on property bounded by Northeast Holladay and Oregon streets and Seventh and Ninth avenues.

Submitted plans for phase 1 of Oregon Square call for two mixed-use buildings on the property’s west side and a portion of a central plaza. An 11-story building would have 189 residential units, ground-floor retail space and a loading bay on the northwest corner of Seventh Avenue. A 24-story building would have 438 residential units, ground-floor retail space and a loading bay on Oregon Street.

Plans for phase 2 call for two mixed-use buildings on the property’s east side, the remainder of the plaza and underground parking for 170 motor vehicles. An 11-story building would have 163 apartments, ground-floor retail space and a loading bay and garage entrance on Ninth Avenue. A 30-story building would have 347 apartments, ground-floor retail space and a loading bay and garage entrance on Ninth Avenue.

A previous iteration of the project was approved by the Design Commission in November 2015. Then the developer, American Assets Trust, earlier this year shifted to a phased approach. Design changes triggered a new review process.

Kyle Andersen, principal at project designer GBD Architects, said he had hoped that the effort to gain the commission’s approval would be further along following 鈥渟light changes鈥� to the central courtyard that will unite the entire development.

However, commissioners on Thursday expressed concerns about a lack of active use because residential units had been added to the ground floor and courtyard-facing retail space had been eliminated.

鈥淚t’s too homogeneous, and the same attention needs to appear in this scheme as it did in the last scheme,鈥� Commissioner Julie Livingston said. 鈥淭here needs to be a bit more differentiation in those outdoor rooms.鈥�

Livingston was also concerned about activation of the courtyard. She referred to small waterways in front of residential units on the courtyard as 鈥渕oats鈥� that would cut down on activity.

鈥淲hen a pedestrian comes into this property there’s nothing that says to come in,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o put a road through or get rid of those moats. There are a whole bunch of things going on that have privatized the feeling (of the courtyard).鈥�

Landscape architect Mauricio聽Villarreal, a member of the design team and a principal at PLACE Studio, said he agreed that the 鈥渃haracter and quality鈥� of the plaza needs more development, but added that building a road would be a mistake.

鈥淚f you’re expecting us to come in with a road or it’s a no go, that’s a very big deal for us,鈥� he said.

Commissioner Tad Savinar also agreed that there is nothing to invite pedestrians into the plaza and it needs more active use.

鈥淵ou take the residential away and I might see it differently, but what you have is privatized space,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou don’t see it that way, but I do.鈥�

Savinar said changes to the courtyard created 鈥渁n extremely different environment鈥� and seemed to him more like a privatized garden.

Anderson assured commissioners that the courtyard would be active, noting that American Assets Trust will sponsor farmers markets and street fairs in the courtyard as it has for its adjoining property, Hassalo on Eighth.

鈥淚t’s a much smaller plaza but has a richness of different uses,鈥� he said. 鈥淎ll the buildings have lobbies that are open on both sides, and you have a public elevator to parking.鈥�

Near the end of the meeting, Livingston said she wouldn’t push for a road through the property if the design team were to return with a different solution.

鈥淚f you come back with a really strong resolution on the courtyard and the residential space, you may not need the automobiles,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hat it comes down to is that you will have to solve the design problem very well.鈥�