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The long-planned project to build a massive hotel near the Oregon Convention Center is close to gaining approval. But the Portland Design Commission last week had some lingering details to discuss with the design team during a two-hour meeting.

ESG Architects of Minneapolis is designing the project, which calls for a 600-room hotel and a six-story parking garage with more than 400 spaces. The development is planned for property bounded by Northeast First Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and Northeast Holladay and Multnomah streets.

The design team has been very responsive to many areas of concern, city planner Tim Heron said. He plans to meet with team members several times to refine project details before the next hearing on Oct. 20, when he expects the Design Commission to give its approval.

Heron mentioned three major areas of concern: architectural coherency in response to the Lloyd District; street-level activation for both the hotel and garage along Northeast Holladay Street; and frontage and corner activation along Northeast Second Avenue.

Staffers took issue with the dark appearance of the hotel tower and need for more glazing along storefronts. They also had questions about proposed screening of the garage and street-level pedestrian coverage, as well as use of open slatting over entrances that allow for landscaping but provide no rain protection for people walking by.

Trace Jacques, a principal at ESG Architects, went over each point and explained that the color of the tower would be lightened, as requested by the Design Commission. The metal panels and glass tower will be in three shades of gray, with the darkest shade only for accents.

The metal skin will also be very bright, Jacques said, with a 鈥渧ery silvery, bright finish鈥� and be made of Galvalume, a carbon steel sheet coated with aluminum-zinc alloy.

鈥淭hat skin is meant to change with different atmospheric and lighting conditions, and it literally does change moment by moment,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he colors are the same, but the distribution and use are very different than it was before. The metallic finish catches light differently than just painted surfaces.鈥�

Also, in following commissioners’ advice, Jacques said, a prominent stairwell has been moved from the garage corner so that elevator lobbies instead offer views at the corner.

The updated design also includes a new ornamental screening system for the garage and in front of the hotel’s restaurant, with more glazing added, increased retail space at the corners and intimate wood accents at entrances and portals.

One big change in the design to reflect advice of commissioners and staffers was to introduce retail space at the hotel’s southwest corner, Jacques said. The open trellis design could be closed, he added.

鈥淚t would allow for some planting below it but is at odds with this desire to have more shelter,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut it could be just clean hardscape and glazing.鈥�

Retail space was also expanded at the northeast corner, and open bike parking was changed to a fully-enclosed retail space while the street-level generator room was dropped down one level.

The project has been through three design advice hearings and two design reviews since 2014.

Architect Paddy Tillet, a board member of the Portland chapter of the American Institute of Architects, said he has now seen the design three times and believes it has come a long way.

鈥淭he greatest challenge in working with a big building of this sort is to find an engagement between the building and the folks on the street,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he challenge of making scale work at such extremes is a great one, but what we’ve seen is a progression toward what we think is a very good solution.鈥�

Stephanie Soden, chief of staff for Metro Council President Tom Hughes, told the commission that many public agencies 鈥� including the city, the state, Multnomah County and Metro 鈥� have invested 鈥渟ignificant resources鈥� to see the hotel built. It will create thousands of jobs and bring millions of tourist dollars into Portland, she said. Prompt approval is vital, she added.

鈥淭he project has experienced delays, which have increased costs,鈥� Soden said. 鈥淎ny further delays will put the project at risk, and final approval is needed as soon as possible.鈥�