91视频

Get the green just right.

The Portland Design Commission on Thursday approved the design of Welby, a 21-story, 280-unit multifamily building planned in the Pearl District. Commissioners did so with trust that the project team will deliver on a bold set of colors.

The developer, Killian Pacific, is going green. Welby’s fa莽ade is colored by two shades of green similar to oxidized copper 鈥� think the St. Johns Bridge 鈥� meant to evoke Northwest Portland’s industrial past. Once built, Welby could become a landmark for the North Pearl District, as it will stick out from the gray, black and brown tones of most towers.

Design commissioners universally praised Bora Architecture & Interiors‘ design for the mixed-use building.

鈥淚t’s a wonderful project,鈥� Design Commission Chairman Sam Rodriguez said. 鈥淚t’s going to be unique.鈥�

He added jokingly: 鈥淕et the color right 鈥� I mean, we know where you live.鈥�

The Design Commission has been burned before by exterior colors turning out different in reality than as proposed. Most notably Yard, the Burnside bridgehead tower, ended up a darker shade than expected.

Design commissioners admitted they were relying a bit on faith. Killian Pacific has ordered a color mock-up, but it has been delayed by supply chain issues, said Hannah Bryant, a Bureau of Development Services planner. Design commissioners were left to rely for guidance on architectural renderings and samples glimpsed via Zoom.

鈥淚f they get it off a little bit, it’s going to be a little uncomfortable,鈥� Commissioner Don Vallaster said. 鈥淏ut I bet they’re going to study it in all lighting conditions.鈥�

The green shades are meant to evoke Welby’s surroundings, Bora principal Brad Demby said. The site is a half-block property at Northwest 13th and 14th avenues and Kearney and Lovejoy streets.

鈥淭he color green is meant to conceptually tie to the area and its past, not only with the bridges and the surrounding hill colors but also the industrial nature of the railroad tracks and machinery,鈥� Demby said.

Killian Pacific has pursued development on the property since acquiring it in 2016 for $19.75 million. An earlier development scheme, known as Lovejoy Square, was approved by the Design Commission in January 2018, but it was not built and its entitlements expired.

Killian Pacific returned last year with a different design. The Portland-based developer traded office space for residential, and mass timber for glass and steel.

Welby’s massing scheme is essentially stacked boxes, with setbacks from the property line. Besides the unique fa莽ade, the building will also feature a carbonized wood door with brass fixtures at the front entry set into the surrounding glass fa莽ade. Roof decks will give residents outdoor access on levels seven and 21.

Welby’s 234-foot height comes in under the property’s 250-foot height limit, and the building will contain 371,265 square feet. Apartments will range from studios to three bedrooms, Michi Slick, Killian Pacific’s development director, said in an interview in advance of Thursday’s meeting.

Welby will have 5,500 square feet of retail space at ground level. Parking will be provided in 4.5 levels underground. No office space is planned.

The idea for a green fa莽ade came from Bora, Slick said.

鈥淲e’ve worked with them, and we wanted to find a way to differentiate this building but not in a way that was garish,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e explored some different ways, and color was one of them.鈥�

Killian Pacific altered the building’s program as the pandemic, remote work and economic troubles dented the office market.

鈥淚t had a lot to do with the economics of the deal,鈥� Slick said.

Meanwhile, the multifamily market has shown signs of improvement, she said.

鈥淚 would say that starting in the second half of last year, the market started improving for multifamily,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 don’t want to say that it’s now soaring, but it’s certainly shifted the tides in the direction of multifamily.鈥�

With housing demand outpacing supply, investors are looking to the multifamily sector, she said.

鈥淭he investors have capital they need to place, and they’re putting it there,鈥� she said.

The project will comply with inclusionary housing rules for providing affordable housing, Slick said. Killian Pacific has not decided whether it will opt to provide 20 percent of units at 80 percent of median family income, or 10 percent of units at 60 percent of income, likely with the bedroom reconfiguration option, she said. Killian Pacific plans to provide affordable apartments in all of Welby’s unit sizes, she added.