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Portland design commissioners agreed that exterior alterations proposed for the PacWest Center are headed in the right direction, but not yet ready for approval.

鈥淚 think it’s a very sensitive intervention of a very interesting building,鈥� Commissioner Samuel Rodriguez said during a design review hearing on Thursday.

Construction of the 30-story PacWest Center finished in 1984. It’s part of the transit mall, on the block surrounded by Southwest Madison and Jefferson streets and Southwest Fifth and Sixth avenues. Lincoln Property Co. owns the skyscraper.

Plans call for remodeling the Fifth Avenue entrance, removing the canopy at the Sixth Avenue entrance, removing and replacing granite planters, sidewalk material, steps and landscaping by the Fifth and Sixth entrances as well as the east corner of Madison Street, and altering the third-floor roof terrace.

鈥淭his is an important project for the city,鈥� Vice Chairman Tad Savinar said. 鈥淭his is a fantastic building that serves fantastic tenants. It’s a dream and we’re fortunate to have it.鈥�

The project goals are to create presence through the entries, cultivate and activate the ground-floor experience and enhance the landscaping, according to GBD Architects‘ Dustin White.

鈥淲e’re trying to offer better opportunities and enhance opportunities for pedestrians,鈥� he said.

Along the main entrance on Fifth Avenue, designers proposed removing the existing one-story entry vestibule and partially removing the existing metal panels and glass at the second level fa莽ade, and then adding a two-story vestibule and a new metal canopy above it.

They also proposed removing the granite planter that is partially in the sidewalk and replacing it with two smaller planters in an effort to open up the pathway to the entrance.

鈥淲e feel that it struggles because the sense of identity as an entrance is not there,鈥� White said about the existing layout.

The design team also wants to replace the large canopy over the office entryway along Sixth Avenue and a portion of the storefront with a new all-glass entrance. However, commissioners didn’t approve the proposed change to pavement material on the sidewalk adjacent to the building.

For the corner retail space along Madison Street, the team proposed removing the brick planter, stair and railing, and installing a granite planter, retaining wall and glass railing.

Retail has struggled in the building for quite some time, White said, so the goal is to highlight the retail space by increasing the visibility and improving the entrance.

However, commissioners didn’t like revisions to the Madison Street corner and asked for the design team to come back with alternatives.

鈥淚 think in general the concept is a good idea, but not the execution,鈥� Commissioner Jessica Molinar said. Commissioner Andrew Clarke agreed, saying he doesn’t think the alterations create a successful retail space.

For the third-floor terrace, the design team proposed replacing the existing planters and landscaping with new metal planters, wood benches and lighting.

Overall, most commissioners said they like the direction of the proposal, but want to see some revisions.

鈥淲hat you’re proposing is waking up that area, that whole pedestrian experience,鈥� Clarke said. 鈥淵ou’ve been able to add a lot more usable space for the tenants and a lot more spaces for people who have to walk around this whole entire building and experience it from a whole block perspective.鈥�

The design team will come back on April 26 to present design alternatives.

Also on Thursday:

Pearl District storage facility design approved

The Design Commission voted 5-0 in favor of a proposal by developer Hoyt Street Properties to build a new 129,520-square-foot self-service storage facility in the Pearl District, on a vacant site at Northwest Savier Street and 14th Avenue.

MCA Architects‘ design calls for a six-story, 97-foot-tall building with an 8,400-square-foot plaza and six ground-floor retail spaces. A 20-foot-high rose sculpture by artist Ivan McClean has been proposed within the plaza.

The building’s upper stories will be clad in metal panels, with alternating gray tones, and glass. Entry to the storage facility and surface parking area will be along 14th Avenue.