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Will Portland finally get a mass-timber high-rise?

Plans for Sandy Pine, a 12-story, 125-foot-tall structure, were unanimously approved by the Portland Design Commission on Thursday. The building would hold 276 apartments (including six live-work units), 14,500 square feet of commercial space and bike parking, and 2.5 levels of below-grade parking for 178 motor vehicles.

The project is the second mass-timber tower LEVER Architecture has designed for a Portland site. Framework, a 12-story mixed-use building envisioned for the Pearl District, gained approval and even had building permits issued 鈥� but was never constructed. Financial difficulties halted the project in 2018.

Sandy Pine, if built, will be Portland’s tallest mass-timber building. The eight-story Carbon12, at 85 feet, became the tallest wood building in the U.S. when it was completed in 2018.

SolTerra Capital is the developer of Sandy Pine, which according to the Bureau of Development Services would cost approximately $36 million. Framework initially was expected to cost $34 million.

The tower will rise to the maximum height allowed for 900 S.E. Sandy Blvd., with a 6.45-1 floor area ratio. A bonus was granted that increased the standard maximum of 6.1-1 for the site.

Structurally, there will be no beams. Instead, Sandy Pine will have a 10-by-16 column grid, creating a fairly dense wood structure. LEVER Architecture principal Jonathan Heppner, who also served as the project manager for Framework, said this will allow floors to be higher.

Commissioner Chandra Robinson did not participate in the hearing; she recused herself because she is a LEVER Architecture principal. Other commissioners had little to nothing to say about the V-shaped tower, with a one-story podium. They had previously seen the proposal during a design advice hearing in November 2021.

Most of the discussion was centered on how string lights could be allowed along Ninth Avenue. Plans call for reconfiguring that stretch into an outdoor gathering space.

鈥淒oes anybody have anything that they wanna discuss on the building at all?鈥� Commission Chairman Sam Rodriguez said. 鈥淒oesn’t seem like it, since we’re talking about lighting on a tree.鈥�

The development team has worked with the Portland Bureau of Transportation to extend the sidewalk along Ninth Avenue, on the property’s western edge, and turn the road into a two-way bicycle lane. That will expand the typical 4-foot furnishing zone to roughly 14 feet.

Vehicle access will be cut off from the street in favor of a 70-foot-wide bike lane. Signage, striping, and probably a bollard will be added to the ends of the avenue to indicate there is no vehicle entry, PBOT development supervisor Bob Haley said.

The project owner strongly desired string lights be used in this area, Heppner said, but did not want that to hold up potential approval. The Bureau of Environmental Services denied the request to place poles necessary for the lights within stormwater planters. Without another pole placement option within BES’ purview, the lights were removed from the proposal.

The development team indicated it may choose to return for a Type 1 design review hearing in the future in another bid to add the lights.

No public comments were received for the project. Commissioners praised the development team for creating a design that met every one of the necessary guidelines.

鈥淭he idea of turning that Ninth Avenue into a wonderful public street 鈥� I hope our Green Loop would take notice and use these elements as an example,鈥� Commissioner Zari Santner said.

The commission included minor conditions of approval such as height limitations for mechanical equipment on the roof, material requirements for glazing and metal flashings, and a requirement that the residential space in the live-work units be limited to the second floor.

鈥淭his will be a massive change on the character of Sandy Boulevard,鈥� Commissioner Don Vallaster said.