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The Goodman family 鈥� specifically, its Downtown Development Group 鈥� is one of the most prominent names in Portland real estate. That’s probably why the firm’s 230 Ash mixed-use development in the Skidmore/Old Town Historic District of downtown Portland has garnered so much more attention than a typical six-story building.

鈥淚t’s a really significant deal for us,鈥� Downtown Development Group co-President Greg Goodman said Monday. 鈥淲e’ve owned that property for 30-something years, we’ve assimilated 11 other properties in the area, and this is something we think will be the next West End or Twelve W. So, we’re going to go out of our way as we did in the West End to curate it and put local tenants in. It will represent Portland.鈥�

Ground will be broken soon on 230 Ash, which is one of 11 envisioned developments comprising Downtown Development Group’s ambitious Ankeny Blocks plan. Early this week, general contractor Lease Crutcher Lewis started moving heavy excavating equipment onto the site for initial work at the half-block property.

230 Ash will include around 8,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, a mix of studio and one-bedroom apartments on upper floors, and a rooftop amenity space for residents. There also will be a below-grade parking garage and bicycle rooms at the basement and ground-floor levels with space for a total of 63 vehicles and 250 bicycles.

The building will hold a total of 133 residential units, 20 percent that will be 鈥渁ffordable.鈥� These will be reserved for residents with incomes at or below 80 percent of the area median family income.

The development will be one of the few residential projects in the Skidmore historic district. While there is an affordable housing element, the residential units planned are definitely aimed at a specific demographic.

鈥淭his is the first multifamily project in that area,鈥� Downtown Development Group Vice President Matthew Goodman said. 鈥淭here’s a certain grit to the element around there, and this is not trying to reverse that; it’s trying to embrace that. We want to embrace the culture, because there’s a very exciting nightlife out there we think our tenants will enjoy.鈥�

Matthew Goodman pointed out that recent figures show the proportion of so-called 鈥測oung working class鈥� residents, those 20 to 34 years old, living in Portland’s Central Business District is around 42 percent 鈥� double that of the rest of the city.

鈥淲e believe this is the perfect project for that demographic,鈥� he said.

Notably, 230 Ash is the first Goodman family-owned project within the Downtown Development Group’s ambitious Ankeny Blocks plan to come to fruition.

The Ankeny Blocks, announced slightly more than two years ago, refers to the 11 downtown properties the family owns in an area between the Willamette riverfront on the east and Sixth Avenue on the west, and Burnside and Morrison streets on the north and south, respectively. Initial plans released by the firm envision up to five high-rise developments as tall as 460 feet, with others’ heights ranging from 75 to 325 feet.

The Goodmans are picky about who they will work with, having rejected several entreaties already from companies interested in building office space exclusively. Instead, they are looking to 鈥渃urate鈥� development in the Ankeny Blocks to create mixed-use space favoring businesses with local owners. They are taking this approach with 230 Ash, which they believe will be enhanced by the presence of other developments and businesses that add livability to the Skidmore historic district.

鈥淲e own land surrounded by people doing exciting things already,鈥� Matthew Goodman said. 鈥淲e’re not in a position where we’re reinventing this neighborhood; we’re excited to play a part in a neighborhood that already has a great organic trajectory. There’s arguably as much exciting stuff going on without us as with us, so it’s exciting to play a part.鈥�

Design requirements for 230 Ash were stricter than for other projects because of the site’s location inside a district listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

鈥淭his is one of the few parcels that we own in this area that is historic,鈥� Goodman said. 鈥淭his wasn’t a 鈥榩ick a design and build it.’ We had to build something we’re excited about, but built within narrow guidelines. It wasn’t as easy as it would have been in the other neighborhoods. It was something we haven’t had experience doing.鈥�

This is why GBD Architects drew up 230 Ash to feature a brick exterior that complements neighboring buildings. The structure will be composed of two volumes at different elevations. A six-story mass will comprise the west side, while a five-story volume with a glass penthouse will sit to the east.

Downtown Development Group will retain ownership of 230 Ash once it is complete. Company co-President Mark Goodman said that participation in Multnomah County’s Multiple-Unit Limited Tax Exemption (MULTE) program will provide a 10-year property tax abatement that will allow 20 percent of the building’s apartments to be offered below market rate.

鈥淭hat’s the same program that (Portland Mayor) Ted (Wheeler) has now offered to people who beat the inclusionary zoning deadline,鈥� Mark Goodman said. 鈥淗e’s offered that to get some more low-income units on the market.鈥�

The 8,000 square feet of retail space can be divided to accommodate as few as two tenants or as many as five, he added. HSM Pacific Realty is handling leasing of those spaces.

Proximity to the Willamette riverfront and existence of a young, educated population in the city core should serve to boost developments like 230 Ash and other new developments, Matthew Goodman said.

鈥淭here is already a very strong workforce in the area, especially young creative people,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t’s great having people who are young and educated in the neighborhood. It’s good for the Ankeny Blocks and it’s good for our project.鈥�

230 Ash

Owner: Downtown Development Group

Development manager: Gerding Edlen

Architect: GBD Architects

General contractor: Lease Crutcher Lewis

Leasing agent: HSM Pacific Realty