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In slide shows and master plan presentations, the contours of what will become the Broadway Corridor are taking shape.

On Tuesday, the 37-member steering committee that was convened two years ago by Prosper Portland met for the 20^th and final time. Earlier recommendations by the committee led to the hiring of Continuum Partners of Denver as development adviser and the selection of the 鈥淧lay鈥� concept from three development scenarios put forth by ZGF Architects.

A master plan for the 14-acre U.S. Postal Service site is in the design review process, with the Portland Design Commission scheduled to meet with the project team for the second time on July 18.

A few things are becoming clearer, including a general layout for the larger 32-acre area bridging the Pearl District and Old Town Chinatown. A large-scale office development could be located in the north end of the Broadway Corridor, near the Broadway Bridge and Union Station. Mixed-income housing, with a substantial complement of affordable units, would be built in the south section.

Northwest Johnson Street is emerging as a main street through the Postal Service site that could be lined with commercial uses, said Nolan Lienhart, director of planning and urban design for ZGF Architects.

The North Park Blocks would extend through the site, with the city’s Green Loop running along the west side of the Park Blocks. As the Green Loop heads north, it would begin to zig-zag and elevate, climbing toward the Broadway Bridge as a viaduct. Bicyclists could also take advantage of a cycle track on Ninth Avenue.

At the north edge of the Broadway Corridor, the street grid would terminate, providing a large site that could be used for a major office development. 鈥淚t means it is very flexible from a development perspective,鈥� Lienhart said.

The development potential of the site is far larger than at any other location in Portland. The Postal Service property alone is planned to host 3.8 million square feet of development, with 2,400 households and 4,000 jobs, according to the 2015 framework plan.

Prosper Portland is planning to issue its first requests for proposals for on-site work later this year. The work will include relocating the post office’s retail operation, demolition and environmental remediation. It’ll be the first significant construction spending for the project.

鈥淲e’re still fine-tuning the procurement strategy and timelines,鈥� said Sarah Harpole, Prosper Portland’s project manager for the Broadway Corridor.

Continuum Partners is expected to begin serious talks with Prosper Portland this summer on how to develop the site.

鈥淣ow that the plan is better defined, we can begin a more concrete conversation with Prosper about a vertical development strategy, and that process will unfold over the next few months,鈥� Mark Falcone, Continuum’s CEO, said in an interview.

Falcone said Prosper Portland’s process has been sound, and Continuum is moving forward toward a memorandum of understanding with the agency.

鈥淲e’re pretty excited about it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think it does have an opportunity to create an iconic project for the city that creates a new kind of space that doesn’t really exist there right now.鈥�

Continuum’s commitment could be critical to the project’s success. In recent years, developers have courted major public-private projects with Prosper Portland only to walk away prior to signing a development agreement.

Falcone acknowledged there are 鈥渃hallenges鈥� working with a government agency that has a prolonged public process. Continuum Partners was selected as development adviser in April 2018 after a competitive application.

鈥淲e’ve got a lot of time invested in this, and hopefully we’ll find a path forward together,鈥� Falcone said.

Prosper Portland spokesman Shawn Uhlman said Continuum Partners has been 鈥渁ctively engaging鈥� in planning for the Broadway Corridor.

In May, Prosper Portland’s board endorsed the 鈥淧lay鈥� concept, carrying a $50 million price tag for public realm improvements, including open space, the Green Loop, streets and public utilities.

鈥淲e’re far from being done with the project,鈥� Lienhart said. 鈥淲e’re closer to getting done with this phase of planning.鈥�

Planners are considering how to make active, welcoming spaces underneath the Broadway Bridge, looking to precedents in other cities. Lienhart said a combination of public art, landscaping and activation is being considered underneath the bridge.

In a central open space, a flexible athletic court that could accommodate basketball, futsal and other activities is envisioned.

Alongside development planning, Prosper Portland is planning to forge a community benefits agreement that would guide work at the site.

At Tuesday’s meeting, steering committee members reflected on the two-year process.

鈥淚t took a long time to come to details,鈥� said Jeremy Simer, a representative of Service Employees International Union, Local 49.

Neil Lee, vice president of the Oregon Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, said he would have liked to hear more from Continuum Partners. 鈥淲e saw a lot of the architect, but we didn’t see enough of the developer here,鈥� he said.

Paul Vanderford, director of green markets at Sustainable Northwest, said the planning process had proved fruitful.

鈥淚 do like the design we ended up with,鈥� he said.