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The team behind a proposed mixed-use building in Northeast Portland has significant work to do after a second design advice meeting in which the Portland Design Commission issued critical comments.
The project from developer Fairfield Residential Co. of San Diego is being designed by Ankrom Moisan Architects.

The eight-story building would be approximately 86 feet tall and hold 170 market-rate apartments, plus 5,000 to 6,500 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. Parking would be provided on the ground floor and in two underground levels.

The location is approximately a half-block at 203 N.E. Grand Ave. and 206 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd that is also bounded by Davis and Everett streets. The lot has been home to a used car dealer and vehicle detailing shop. It’s on the northern edge of the Central Eastside Industrial District, visible to Interstate 84 and the neighboring Lloyd District.

Ankrom Moisan Architects’ design drew inspiration from existing buildings by Works Progress Architecture that were cited in Design Commission documents as precedents. The architects also pointed to a historical photo of a railroad trestle made from stacked logs as inspiration.

In a design advice hearing Thursday, commissioners said the proposal lacks coherency.

鈥淲ell, it’s a concept,鈥� Commissioner Don Vallaster said. 鈥淢aybe they can make it work and maybe they can’t.鈥�

The design came as a significant departure from one presented during the first design advice meeting in which the building featured a purple vertical line.

Other commissioners said a multitude of windows detracted from the new concept.

鈥淚t’s definitely a much more obvious concept, but it’s definitely fighting the building use as apartments with all of the windows,鈥� Commissioner Jessica Molinar said.

Commissioners were unimpressed by one option that would place an 800-square-foot leasing office on the busy corner of Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Everett Street.

The architects should re-examine the design concept that uses blocky window apertures, Commissioner Tad Savinar said.

鈥淭he team needs to do some real soul-searching about whether you’re a slave to the concept,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f you can move away from the concept a bit, that’ll free you up.鈥�

The metal paneling used by the architects isn’t a good fit for the design, according to Commissioner Sam Rodriguez.

鈥淚 would not tie myself to the concept literally,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t’s a strong concept, and you don’t have the materials to pull it off.鈥�

Vallaster also called for better integration of apartment balconies into the building exterior.

The design team will work to create a signature appearance for the north-facing side that drivers on I-84 will see, said Ryan Miyahara, a senior associate at Ankrom Moisan.

鈥淲e need to do it in a cost-effective way, and we need to find that balance, and we’re not there,鈥� he said.

Ankrom Moisan and Fairfield Residential will return for a brief work session June 7 before proceeding to design review. The project is valued at $60 million.