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Lovejoy Square, a 10-story mixed-use development proposed for a half-block parcel in the heart of the Pearl District, won praise from the Portland Design Commission on Thursday. The updated design reflects major changes from an earlier version.

The project comes from developer Killian Pacific, based in Vancouver, Washington. The project was cut in half from an earlier proposal that envisioned two towers atop the full block at 930 N.W. 14th Ave. The revised design is one tower on a half block.

The program mixes retail, office and residential space. The ground floor will have retail and commercial space. The second, third and fourth floors will have office space totaling 33,891 square feet. The upper six floors will house 78 residential units.

The project was submitted prior to when the city’s inclusionary housing policy took effect and contains only market-rate apartments.

The first three floors form a podium that is topped by a seven-story tower. The structure, designed by Bora Architects, reaches 150 feet in height. Two levels of underground parking can be accessed from Kearney Street.

An earlier design proposal ran into resistance from Bureau of Development Services staff. The Killian Pacific team declined to request a design advice meeting, opting instead to pursue design review.

An Oct. 12 staff memo detailed issues with the initial design. Killian Pacific proposed to build the south tower first, with the north tower to follow at an unspecified later date to allow existing retail leases on the block to expire.

BDS staff questioned the east-west orientation of the towers, as many other buildings in the Pearl District are oriented north-south. Staff also questioned the massing and requested step-downs to respond to the lower scale of buildings in the neighborhood.

The revised design responds to those concerns, said Christopher Linn, a principal at Bora Architects.

鈥淲e’ve taken all of that to heart in our new proposal,鈥� he said.

Linn pointed to substantial setbacks and a continuous ground floor canopy along Northwest 13th Avenue.

鈥淚 think in general we’ve listened to all of the great concerns you’ve had and we’ve reacted in a positive and forceful way,鈥� he said.

Killian Pacific also agreed to back a protected bike lane on Northwest 14th Avenue with a $250,000 fund. The bike lane is intended to fulfill a 鈥減ublic amenity鈥� requirement for the applicant’s request for 60 feet of bonus height.

Commissioners praised the revised design.

鈥淚 like the simplicity of the building,鈥� Commissioner Andrew Clarke said. 鈥淚t’s a very handsome building.鈥�

Julie Livingston, chairwoman of the Design Commission, added: 鈥淚t all seems to work pretty well together. It’s a nice architectural expression.鈥�

The building will incorporate concrete, glass and mass timber.

Killian Pacific’s proposal will return to the Design Commission on Jan. 25 for a likely vote. Two commissioners 鈥� Don Vallaster and Tad Savinar 鈥� were absent from Thursday’s meeting. The project faces a Jan. 31 deadline for land-use approval.

Also on Thursday:

Fremont Apartments

The Design Commission approved plans for a 275-unit apartment complex at 1650 N.W. Naito Parkway.

The 17-story, 309,000-square-foot building would be located on the Willamette River on a parcel currently serving as a surface parking lot.

The commission voted 3-1 to approve the design by TVA Architects, with Livingston voting against it. The project’s developer is Lincoln Property Co. of Dallas.

Livingston, in an interview, said she has concerns about the building’s context in the neighborhood.

鈥淭hat building was not an appropriate response in the North Pearl adjacent to the (Fremont) bridge, given the characteristics of other buildings in the neighborhood,鈥� she said.

Some neighbors 鈥� particularly residents of the Encore Condominiums at Northwest Ninth Avenue and Overton Street 鈥� have objected to the building’s height blocking views of the Fremont Bridge.

The Design Commission’s decision may be appealed to the City Council.