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Redevelopment of the former PepsiCo bottling plant in Northeast Portland inched closer to fruition Thursday, when the first part of the project went before the Portland Design Commission for advice. The development, led by Seattle firm Security Properties, was approved as a whole by the commission in December, but each step of the building process will undergo its own design review process.

The first phase of the project, in the site’s southeast corner, will involve constructing the first mixed-use building, redesigning the iconic arched-roof Pepsi pavilion for restaurant or retail space and constructing an outdoor plaza that extends southeast to Sandy Boulevard. The initial construction will also involve creation of the woonerf, a Dutch-inspired one-way shared street that will run between buildings for pedestrians, cyclists and slow-moving cars.

Seattle-based Mithun is the architect and landscape architect for the project. Commissioners carefully deliberated on the various details of the development’s first phase, and were overall excited about the plan, and criticism was mostly given to some of the more particular details.

Commissioner Jessica Molinar expressed concerns about the scale of the development, with the residential towers expected to come in at 87 feet tall. At such a contrast to the surrounding area, it might not blend well into the neighborhood, she said.

Molinar was also skeptical of the proposed plaza, which she said might be too far away from the main intersection at Sandy Boulevard to attract other residents of the area. Commissioner Samuel Rodriguez likewise said plans for the plaza need to be more developed, but said he understood that it was in preliminary stages and would be more thoroughly planned later.

The plaza was otherwise acclaimed for its planned structural and water features, which will go beyond aesthetics and help drown out noise from Interstate 84 nearby.

Another major point of consideration was the mixed-use building itself. While housing about 200 residential units, it will also feature retail spaces at ground level. Several commissioners said they were unconvinced that a work/life balance could be maintained in such a space.

A final suggestion was made to move the location of a loading space currently planned along the woonerf. Commissioners suggested that large trucks moving into such a place would distract from the public realm.

The commission praised plans for materials and manufacturing details.

The mixed-use building will be made up of two distinct towers, which will form a large 鈥淟鈥� shape. One each residential floor the towers will be connected by an open-air bridge. The facades of the towers will contrast as they face toward the pavilion and plaza, with one to be made of metal and the other a stucco/cementitious material.

Balconies will not protrude from the building but will instead be recessed, allowing residents to enjoy the outside while being free from inclement weather.

The Pepsi Blocks development team is expected to seek a land use review by September, with construction to commence as soon as possible following approval.