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The team proposing a core-and-shell renovation of the historic Multnomah County Courthouse still has hurdles to cross before it can gain the Portland Historic Landmarks Commission‘s approval.

Historic landmarks commissioners and city staff discussed the project at a three-hour hearing on Monday. They related concerns with transportation impacts and loading on Southwest Salmon Street, removal of some historic materials from the building and changes to lighting, and the placement and size of doors and windows.

GBD Architects is charged with designing a conversion of the full-block brick masonry building completed in 1914 into a modern office space for Portland-based NBP Capital. The 300,000-square-foot courthouse, at 1021 S.W. Fourth Ave., once housed prisoners and is familiar to many Portlanders who have paid traffic tickets and settled legal matters there for generations.

The building on the downtown Park Blocks is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, so proposed changes must also win approval from the National Park Service and State Historic Preservation Office to secure needed tax credits.

NBP Capital purchased the courthouse from the county in November 2018 for $28 million. After considering a hotel use, NBP has opted to bet on Portland’s rapidly expanding office market as tech firms jockey to lease attractive urban workplaces.

Traffic impacts loom large for the proposal. GBD is engaged in ongoing discussions with the Portland Bureau of Transportation regarding loading from Salmon Street and related issues.

鈥淲e were hoping we’d be able to come in here with the transportation things resolved,鈥� said Agustin Enriquez, a GBD design director. 鈥淲e’re not quite there yet.鈥�

A PBOT representative said the agency needs more information from the project team.

鈥淲e don’t know much about the proposal yet,鈥� PBOT’s Tammy Borden-King said.

As designed, trucks would back into the building’s single loading area, at times blocking both traffic lanes on Salmon Street. PBOT requested the applicant consider moving the loading to Southwest Main Street on the building’s south elevation.

鈥淲e asked them to study both,鈥� Borden-King said. 鈥淭hey declined to do that; they only studied Salmon.鈥�

The loading is needed to supply a ground-floor restaurant, and to provide trash and recycling services, Enriquez said.

GBD has abandoned plans for parking at the building.

The building’s central courtyard 鈥� sort of a donut hole in the center of the square exterior 鈥� will enable a contractor to perform a seismic upgrade with minimal disturbance to the structure, Enriquez said.

鈥淲e don’t have to remove a lot of material in the center of the building to seismically upgrade a very heavy masonry building,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat allows the building to be upgraded without really having to gut the inside.鈥�

GBD proposes to convert old jail cells on the penthouse level into transparent office space with substantial window coverage. That portion of the existing structure is made of hollow clay tile. That material is not historically important, commissioners said, adding they were open to granting more leeway at the penthouse level.

Chairwoman Kristen Minor said the height of the penthouse level could be an issue for pedestrians and observers from other downtown buildings.

鈥淚 have a little concern that now we’re creating a wedding cake,鈥� she said.

The project previously came before the Historic Landmarks Commission for a design advice hearing on Sept. 9, 2019, and a land use review hearing on Oct. 25, 2019. The project is tentatively scheduled to return on March 23.

Enriquez said the project team should be able to satisfy the commission’s objections.

鈥淚 think we could solve all these things,鈥� he said.