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Nestled along the edge of the Kerns and Laurelhurst neighborhoods in Northeast Portland, the Anna Mann House is heralding a new era of community and affordability.

The 133,984-square-foot project combines adaptive reuse of a building on the National Register of Historic Places with the construction of two new buildings, resulting in 128 family oriented, low-income apartments and one manager鈥檚 unit. The apartments are reserved for those earning at or below the 30 percent or 60 percent median income.

The Anna Mann House has roots dating to 1910. The old building, a Tudor Revival, served as inspiration for two new structures on the three-acre site. The existing building, which had served as an assisted living facility, a rehabilitation center and, most recently, a local ashram, now features 39 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. It also features the historical dining and community rooms.

The East Building sits on the northern portion of the site between a single-story wing of the historic building and the hedges and trees that define the east property line. The design takes advantage of a steep grade change to create a daylight basement and adds 50 new apartments.

The South Building features a large outdoor community space with a playground and picnic areas, and 40 one- to four-bedroom sun-drenched units. The South Building also uses a tuck-under parking scheme to screen vehicles from the outdoor spaces and incorporates a helical-pile foundation to help preserve a tulip tree that highlights the lawn. Both buildings are targeted to receive Earth Advantage Multifamily Gold certification.

The project is a testament to collaboration, with two general contractors 鈥� Todd Construction and Silco Commercial Construction 鈥� sharing the site. Weekly joint meetings with the contractors, architect and owner-aided coordination of site logistics, reviews of upcoming schedules and sequencing. Anti-harassment training for contractors fostered a respectful environment.

The pandemic posed an early challenge for the project. In March 2020, the design team had submitted a Design Advice Request (DAR) package to the city for a hearing with the Historic Landmarks Commission. Within days of the submission, the COVID-19 state-of-emergency was declared and the in-person meeting with the commission was canceled. The Anna Mann House was the first to undergo a virtual hearing with the Historic Landmarks Commission.

It also was one of the earliest projects to navigate the city鈥檚 new online permitting process.