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The Portland Design Commission on Thursday voted 4-0 to approve plans for a 206-unit affordable apartment complex in the Creston-Kenilworth neighborhood, blessing a key project toward Mayor Ted Wheeler’s goal of producing 1,300 housing units from the 2016 housing bond.

The development at 3000 S.E. Powell Blvd. will rise on a vacant site that once hosted the Safari Showclub. Home Forward is serving as developer, and Holst Architecture is providing the design.

The project was first submitted for design review in November 2020. It did not pass an initial hearing on Jan. 7 because of remaining objections from the city’s Environmental Services and Transportation bureaus.

Commissioners said that with the bureaus’ objections satisfied, they had no remaining concerns. The Design Commission had seen the project in three prior design advice meetings, in addition to the earlier review hearing.

鈥淚 think they’ve satisfactorily amended the design to address our concerns on all of these (items),鈥� Commissioner Brian McCarter said.

Holst’s design arranged the four-story, 137,200-square-foot building in a kinked H shape, with a central courtyard and playground. There will be 28 surface parking spaces. The ground floor will have a lobby, lofted housing units, property management offices, and residential and community amenity spaces.

Exterior materials will include brick and fiber cement panels. Commissioner Don Vallaster praised the design’s 鈥渧ery elegant, rich鈥� use of brick.

Detailing of the brick and panel materials evolved as the design moved ahead.

鈥淲e have taken a lot of key details and simplified them,鈥� said Ray Brand, a senior associate at Holst.

A neighbor, Tony Deschamps, said vehicle access to the site should not be solely on Southeast 31st Avenue 鈥� a dead-end street.聽 He also urged the commission not to make exceptions for landscaping requirements.

鈥淭he project currently seems to be waiving or minimizing many requirements that were required of the prior owner,鈥� he said.

The Powell Boulevard property spans three zones. An adjustment from design guidelines was made to raise the height limit to 60 feet on the southern portion of the property, up from 45 feet.

McCarter lamented that the parking lot design seemed to have shifted away from a shared-space concept to a more standard parking lot to satisfy the Portland Bureau of Transportation.

鈥淲e’re going to do everything in our power to still make that a special place,鈥� Brand responded.

The project is poised to be the third ground-up new construction project to draw on the $258.4 million housing bond passed in 2016, following Crescent Court Apartments and Las Adelitas. The city has made other moves to preserve existing affordable housing, such as the acquisition of the 206-unit Ellington Apartments in Northeast Portland.

Commissioners Vallaster, McCarter, Sam Rodriguez and Chandra Robinson unanimously approved the project. Chairwoman Julie Livingston and Commissioner Jessica Molinar declared conflicts of interest and did not participate in the hearing, which was held via video call.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the 3000 S.E. Powell Blvd. project would be the first new construction project to use funds from the 2016 housing bond.