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Lloyd Center‘s owners spent a lot of time and money in the past two years trying to make sure the mall’s east end is in fashion. This season, they’re back with a new look.

The first program didn’t quite fit, but the Portland Design Commission assured them the new approach promises to be much more attractive. And with a little further persuasion, Cypress Equities may have its return approved.

The Dallas-based developer revisited the Design Commission on Thursday seeking significant changes to a design approved by the commission in April 2018. Those plans called for a remake of the mall’s east end with a Regal movie theater and office space.

鈥淚t was a hard decision to make,鈥� Kirk Williams, Cypress Equities’ managing director, told the commission. 鈥淲e had it designed. We could have gone forward. But we did not want to go forward with a design that would not be successful.鈥�

Changes were made in response to tepid retail demand and some issues with the office design, he said.

鈥淭he retail market 鈥� let’s say the commercial markets 鈥� are very fluid,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淐hange is happening very quick. Sometimes information is coming faster than we can design. From lease-ability, particularity on the office level, we had challenges 鈥� significant challenges.鈥�

The new design from LDA Design Group of Burbank, California, and 505 Design‘s Boulder, Colorado, office, calls for stacking the movie theater in a taller structure. Ground-floor office space has been removed in favor of bringing the theater lobby to the ground floor. The former Sears building will become an office building, with a design that lets in natural light.

The theater lobby will now front the corner of Northeast 15th Avenue and Multnomah Street.

鈥淵ou guys always wanted the theater lobby at the corner of 15th and Multnomah, and guess what 鈥� we’re giving it to you,鈥� said Nick Igel, partner at 505 Design.

Prospective office tenants had said the office space in the Sears building was too dark, Williams said. Changes will include an atrium to bring in natural light.

鈥淲e’ve taken two buildings that were very inward looking to as outward looking as we can,鈥� Igel said. 鈥淭here’s a huge transition to what’s there now and what we’re proposing.鈥�

The theater building will grow from the previously approved design’s height of 78 feet, 9 inches, to 106 feet, 4 inches, with a smaller footprint. More glazed glass will be added to the frontages.

Commissioners said some aspects of the new design, like a pedestrian breezeway fronting the office building, are better in line with guidelines.

鈥淭his is a huge improvement,鈥� Commissioner Jessica Molinar said. 鈥淭he move from office to theater adds so many more people, so much more activity 鈥� a much better response to guidelines.鈥�

Molinar was less enthused by a stair tower that takes up a street corner 鈥� something discouraged by city design guidelines 鈥� and she expressed concern about an oriel window that hangs over the sidewalk.

Thursday’s meeting marked at least the 10th Design Commission hearing for Lloyd Center since 2017. In addition to the east end changes, a major renovation is coming to the mall’s west end for a Live Nation concert venue to become an anchor.

Taken together, the changes represent a major shift away from traditional anchor retail stores to entertainment spaces. Brands such as Sears, Nordstrom, J.C. Penney and others have hemorrhaged retail locations.

鈥淲e’re keenly listening to the market, and it is telling us what to do,鈥� Williams said in a brief interview after the meeting concluded. 鈥淭he market always wins.鈥�

The project team will proceed to a Type III design review hearing, said Don Linane, a partner at LDA Design Group.