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The Portland Design Commission approved a plan by Peter Meijer Architect for alterations to the Studio Building and Guild Theatre at 901-919 S.W. Taylor St. with four votes in favor, one against and one abstention. The planned alterations include replacing 192 windows in the Studio Building, installing a new rooftop ventilation system and renovating the Guild Theatre so that it becomes compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The meeting took a somewhat rare turn when city staffers recommended approving alterations different than the preferred plan proposed by designers. The staff report’s top recommendation involved rehabilitating the existing steel windows in the Studio Building rather than replacing them with aluminum windows, as proposed.

鈥淩estoration of the windows was never really on the table,鈥� said Kristen Minor, an associate and preservation planner with Peter Meijer Architect.

The project designers said that the windows’ conditions combined with their age and issues tied to lead paint and asbestos would make any rehabilitation difficult. Also, reaching energy efficiency standards was impossible with the current windows.

鈥淭he existing steel windows are not in great condition,鈥� said Halla Hoffer, an associate and project manager with Peter Meijer Architect. 鈥淭hey have lead paint and are leaking for a variety of reasons.鈥�

Despite those concerns, some commissioners were not sold on the idea that the old windows had to go.

鈥淭he level of stewardship is in question with this window replacement,鈥� said Commission Chairman David Wark, who cast the lone 鈥渘o鈥� vote. 鈥淚t’s a significant building. We want to be careful and thoughtful with the process here.鈥�

Wark also expressed concern that the chosen replacement windows could need to be replaced sooner than the current windows if they were rehabilitated.

鈥淗ow many times will these be cycled out,鈥� he asked. 鈥淚t’s tough to support wholesale replacement.鈥�

Wark believes that even if the existing windows couldn’t meet energy efficiency standards, then other alterations such as insulation could compensate adequately. In the end, however, most commissioners supported replacing the windows. The cost to replace them with steel windows ranged from $1.4 million to $2.7 million, so designers looked at other options and eventually chose an aluminum one.

Most commissioners said they believe that replacing the windows could be accomplished without damaging the building’s historic character.

鈥淭he building should be on the (National) Register (of Historic Places),鈥� Commissioner Julie Livingston said. 鈥淩eplacement of the windows seems reasonable.鈥�

That led to the next sticking point: the tint of the windows. Most of the commissioners said they believe that the glass proposed would be far too dark for the building. A condition for the approval was that the glass be changed to a clearer tint.

As for the Guild Theatre, the Design Commission barely took issue with proposed renovations. They are temporary in nature, until a new tenant moves in.

Vanessa Sturgeon, president and CEO of TMT Development, the owner and manager of the building, claimed that the incoming tenant, whom she did not identify, would likely bring further alterations before the commission in the near future.

Also on Thursday:

Park Avenue West sign

A team’s bid for a new sign on the 30-story Park Avenue West tower was sent back to the drawing board. While the Design Commission couldn’t approve the proposal by Ambrosini Design, it did indicate that an altered version could pass muster.

The original plan called for a 92-foot sign for Stoel Rives to be placed on the east facade of the illuminated lantern feature. The commission preferred an alternative: installation under the lantern feature.

The design team plans to bring altered plans before the commission on April 20.

525 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

A proposed six-story building was approved by the Design Commission. The building, designed by Hacker, will stand 85 feet tall, and include five floors of offices, ground-floor retail space and 65 underground parking stalls.

Developer PMC LLC., a joint venture between Beam Development and Urban Development + Partners, will begin the permitting process in May. The schedule calls for construction to begin in November and finish in approximately one year.