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A new project in the Lents neighborhood of Southeast Portland aims to provide a unique combination of residential living and professional childcare.

The new YMCA Foster development is a mixed-use project, combining a full-service daycare facility with 48 new apartments intended for workforce housing. The project will ultimately replace the existing aging YMCA facility the currently sits on a trapezoidal shaped piece of property near the junction of Southeast Foster Road and Southeast Holgate Boulevard.

Architect Charlie Baxter is the project lead for Portland firm Leeb Architects. He said the way in which the YMCA property is split between commercial and residential zoning propelled the design and led to the concept of bringing the project much closer to the street than the existing structure. In addition, it also led to the use of sweeping rooflines and other design features that will set this project apart from the rest of the neighborhood.

鈥淵ou can see where the zoning bisects the site and puts some limits on where the residential could go,鈥� Baxter said. 鈥淚 found it interesting because I like geometry, and to have this parameter I was working around, watching the zoning requirements carve out how this thing can be laid out, it lent itself to a more playful roof form and more of an interesting fa莽ade.鈥�

The project also should complement the city of Portland’s ongoing Foster Transportation and Streetscape Project. This will reduce vehicle traffic from two lanes to one in either direction between Southeast 50^th and 90^th avenues. It also will slow down traffic, make the existing streetscape more pedestrian friendly and create a catalyst for future development along Foster Road.

There are other residential and commercial projects currently under way in Lents, but the YMCA Foster will remain unique among them for its mix of apartments and daycare. While it won’t technically qualify as affordable housing by being limited to certain income levels, Baxter said, the one-, two- and three-bedroom units that will be available still will fall below the market average in Portland.

鈥淚t’s a mix of ones, twos and three-bedroom units, which is complimentary to families moving in,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t’s convenient for families who want to live in the units and walk their kids downstairs to daycare.鈥�

Because the daycare facility is an integral part of the project, there will be plenty of glass incorporated into the design, as well as natural wood finishes on the fa莽ade and interior.

Summit Real Estate Management is the property owner, and the project will be funded through a mix of public and private money. A general contractor has not yet been selected, Baxter said. That process will involve a negotiated contract, he added.

鈥淚t’s all about finding the right fit and the right price,鈥� he said.

On the Boards is a 91视频 feature offering a look at the projects in Oregon being tackled by local architecture firms. To have your firm’s projects considered, contact Josh Kulla at 503-802-7226 or [email protected].