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Plans for a new 15-story, 221-room hotel at the corner of Southwest 11th Avenue and Alder Street won conditional approval from the Portland Design Commission by a 4-3 vote聽on Thursday.

Despite the close vote, there was widespread agreement among the commissioners that SERA Architects had made major strides with the design since its first appearance in July 2016. The major point of contention was whether remaining issues with Mortenson Development‘s project should be addressed via the Design Commission’s involvement.

Jeff Roberts, a SERA Architects associate, contended that major design progress had been made and that the remaining issues didn’t warrant another meeting before the commission. He said he believes the team can address the issues by working with city staff under conditional approval.

鈥淚 am completely respectful of the commission’s opinion,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think we have shown you a very extreme, modern (side) and a very conservative side. I think we have made a very good faith effort to find a middle ground and advance the building a long way.鈥�

The main problem remaining, commissioners said, lies with the design of two sides of the structure. While they liked window-heavy plans for the north and east sides, they decidedly disliked designs for the south and west facades.

鈥淚t looks like nobody’s home,鈥� Commissioner聽Tad Savinar said. 鈥淚 think it deserves one last pass.鈥�

Commissioners said they want to see the walls modified in a way that distinguishes the structure because they will be prominently visible aspects.

鈥淭hey have come a long way,鈥� Commissioner聽Don Vallaster said of the project’s designers. 鈥淲hy not take it over the finish line instead of stopping 10 yards back. It’s also (an) important location and important part of the city.鈥�

Design Commission Chairman David Wark added, 鈥淕iven the fact that this is a 100-year building, I think the two facades on the street could use that one last push to get that energy and have more to them and not have so much repetition.鈥�

Roberts agreed that the two walls in question could be improved.

鈥淲e need to go back and work through that with staff and advance it in a meaningful way,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut to spend another month going back through and getting back on the calendar to look at those two elevations, I would prefer to keep moving.鈥�

Other commissioners agreed that needed changes could be handled by city staff with conditional approval.

鈥淚 do have some reservations,鈥� Commissioner聽Julie Livingston said. 鈥淒oes it merit a trip back?鈥�

Commissioner Jessica Molinar聽said conditional approval was appropriate.

鈥淭his is already adding quite a lot,鈥� she said. 鈥淢aybe it’s not in the design that we would necessarily think is the optimum design, but it is already adding a lot more than most of the buildings in the neighborhood, so I feel comfortable.鈥�

In the end, Wark, Vallaster and Savinar voted against issuing project approval. However, four of the commissioners 鈥� Sam Rodriguez, Andrew Clarke, Livingston and Molinar 鈥� decided that the issues could be addressed with conditional approval. The conditions included changing the type of wood used on benches along Southwest 11th Avenue as well as modifications to the south and west walls. Additional minor conditions involved floor area ratio and the extensions of canopies from the wall on the ground floor.

Also on Thursday:

1825 N.W. 23rd Avenue

Works Progress Architecture‘s revised design for a five-story mixed-use building received approval by a 5-0 vote of the commission. Developer Parker McNulty’s plan calls for 64 market-rate apartment units, parking for 55 cars and ground-level retail space.

City staff had recommended approval; however, commissioners attached conditions that included lowering the header on the garage door on the west side of the building as much as possible. Commissioners also required a cutoff on the light fixtures in the ceiling in order to prevent light from spilling into neighbors’ yards.

1440 S.W. Taylor St.

The commission voted 7-0 to approve Leeb Architects‘ design for a seven-story mixed-use building. Eric Evans Shelter Holdings‘ plans call for 107 residential units, 21 parking stalls, 95 bike spaces, a rooftop amenity deck and ground-floor retail space.

The commission added several conditions, including relocation of the door of the northernmost live-work unit as well as a change of the garage’s east wall to brick where visible and block where not. Also, metal panels within that wall must be changed to a perforated metal.

Southwest Park Avenue and Columbia Street

GBD Architects‘ design for a seven-story mixed-use building at the corner of Southwest Park and Columbia was approved 5-0 by commissioners, with two abstentions. The Downtown Development Group, through Front & Pine LLC, is planning to put 73 residential units in the 85-foot-tall, one-quarter-block structure.

The only conditions are that glazing be added to the bike room and that the sill of a window near live-work units be lowered.