New leadership is ahead for Ankrom Moisan’s interior design group.

Karen Bowery is retiring from her position as executive vice president and director of interiors on Tuesday – leaving a 45-year career-legacy.

Bowery was the first interior designer at Ankrom Moisan when the firm was founded in 1983. Now, the firm’s interior group has grown to 72 people who work across three offices and seven market sectors, including market-rate housing, which Ankrom Interior has coined “urban living,” senior housing, higher education, affordable housing, health care, office and workplace, and retail.

Ankrom Moisan’s Interiors group leadership will be turned over to Alissa Brandt, vice president of interiors, and Leah Wheary Brown, vice president for interior design strategy – bringing the firm’s executive leadership team to 60 percent women.

“Over that span of 40 years,” Brandt said, “I think it’s fair to say that Karen has worked tirelessly, tirelessly to empower women in this industry and (for) designers to have a solid and respectable seat at the table with architects, with our clients (and) with construction teams.”

While at Ankrom Moisan, Bowery launched a hospitality-driven interior design company called The Society in 2016, which works primarily with hoteliers. Casey Scalf, a design principal and founding member, will become the director of The Society when Bowery retires.

Under her leadership at both Ankrom Moisan and The Society, Bowery and her teams have received numerous awards from the American Institute of Architecture and the International Interior Design Association Oregon and Pacific Northwest chapters, along with Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality Design, 91��Ƶ Oregon TopProjects Awards and more.

When Bowery started at Ankrom Moisan, interior design was still a relatively new discipline. The Foundation for Interior Design Educational Research and National Council for Interior Design Qualification had only recently been formed to establish, maintain and govern standards for the education and examination of interior design professionals.

In the 1970s, only a few accredited schools offered it as a program. Bowery said she counts herself lucky to attend one of them. When she graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1978, Bowery was only one of 10 in her program.

“There was no road map. There was no ability to figure out how to create and envision an interior design firm or an interior design discipline,” Bowery said.

She added that back then and for many years after, people would think of interior design as interior decorating, which Bowery said she set out to put aside and squash. Today, however, more than 3,000 interior design programs are offered at colleges and universities in the U.S., .

Bowery said curiosity, nimbleness and innovativeness have been key characteristics of Ankrom Moisan’s interior group’s success. These particularly came into play in the condo days of the Pearl District when the neighborhood was first being transformed from railroads to skyrises.

Ankrom Moisan was tapped to design 10 to 12 of the new buildings, a spokesperson stated.

“In so doing … we recognized a gap,” Bowery said.

The developers needed to presale the condominiums, and the contractors needed the end cost. Between them was an opportunity to increase the sale of the units by offering customizations.

Ankrom Moisan hired a software developer to create an online package listing the unit and all the upgrades a buyer could make, from a high-end applicant package to individual customizations – all already priced by the contractor. A designer from the firm then went and met with every owner when selecting their customizations.

It was great, Bowery said. The condo owners felt they had a designer’s opinion. Any customization selected was marked in the software, which then fed straight into a sales agreement the contractor could use to build.

While not prevalent then, unit customization is standard practice with condominium design by today’s metrics.

Through the years, Ankrom Moisan’s interior group continued to innovate with projects like Aegis Living Lake Union, the first assisted living community built to meet the Living Building Challenge Petal Certification through International Living Future Institute (ILFI), a highly rigorous green building standard.

Wheary Brown said that sustainability and a more holistic approach to wellness that includes mind and body have also been major talking points in interior design. It is more than just providing a physical fitness option but having spaces that might meet a person’s desire to have a calming retreat or an outdoor space to work or be social.

“It’s no longer just status quo to have a fitness gym and check it off the box,” she added.

Bowery said there’s a cost-benefit to developers for taking a more sustainable or holistic wellness approach to their buildings. Renters are looking for differentiation and authenticity. If a renter opts to stay in the building for 18 months to two years versus the average of 11 months, she added, that’s sustainable in a more monetary way.

The interior group’s success partly has been due to its work outside the firm – about 60 to 70 percent, Brandt estimated. With specific markets like market rate, 80 percent of the work is with outside firms. The only market sector that’s all internal is senior housing.

“Being able to fill the gaps and innovate and being the best is, I think, the hardest success,” Bowery said.

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Fewer developable properties remain in Portland’s Pearl District than can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

One of the last sizable projects under way there is at the corner of Northwest 13th Avenue and Quimby Street. Crews are making rapid vertical progression on the 16-story Holden of Pearl, a 237-unit senior living facility designed by Ankrom Moisan Architects for Alliance Residential. Ground was broken in March, and general contractor Walsh Construction is expected to finish in August 2023.

Holden of Pearl tenants will have access to a huge range of amenities as they age in place.

“There’s going to be a lot of green space and courtyard space so that residents can play at chess tables; there’s even going to be a giant chessboard,” said Laura Waddick, a Walsh Construction project engineer. “There are barbecues, water features. There’s a double-sided fireplace on the first floor. It’s going to be a good spot for people to come and visit their grandparents.”

The building will have 16 stories of post-tensioned concrete and a single level of below-grade, tandem parking. A three-story podium will support a narrower tower with the bulk of the residential units – including luxury penthouse units at the top.

The building’s ground floor will have a double-height, arched entryway off of 13th Avenue. Memory care units on that level will serve residents with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. A porte cochere (essentially a circular driveway) off of Quimby Street will be used for valet parking and access to the parking garage.

The second and third levels will feature assisted living units, while the fourth floor will host shared facilities such as a dining area, a yoga studio, a bistro, a nail salon and more. A massive rooftop patio on the fourth level will hold a barbecue area, a dog run and the aforementioned giant chess set. The remainder of the brick-clad building will host studios and one- or two-bedroom apartments.

Because of low soil quality at the site, the engineering team of Kramer Gehlen & Associates and Harper Houf Peterson Righellis chose to employ auger cast piles to shore up the foundation. Pacific Foundations used a massive drill.

“It’s bored out and they pour concrete in and pull the drill out,” Walsh Construction assistant superintendent Abigail Anderson said.

“Our deepest one was 117 feet,” Walsh Construction superintendent Mario Hernandez added.

Other work was required to allow Westech Construction crews to proceed with excavation.

“This is the lowest elevation part of the Pearl District, and we had to do some pretty extensive waterproofing,” Waddick said. “We are in the flood zone, and we had to ‘bathtub’ the entire basement.”

While many Portland project teams have had to deal with radon mitigation, the Holden of Pearl team also had to deal with methane seeping from the ground.

Though no sustainability certifications will be sought for the building, it will have a large eco-roof as well as bird-safe glass on the floors with outdoor amenities. Because birds are unable to see standard transparent glass, bird-safe glass has patterns of dots or stripes.

“It’s basically around all of the courtyard green spaces,” Anderson said. “It’s just around the fourth-floor roof and then there’s a courtyard on first, second and third where the residents can just go out there and have lots of green space, so they put bird-safe (glass) all around that – anywhere where birds land.”

Currently, crews with RDF Builders, Walsh Construction’s carpentry and concrete division, are constructing formwork and piecing together shoring for what will be the fourth-level PT deck. Other crews from Ocean Park Mechanical, Bergelectric and Patriot Fire Protection are installing mechanical, electrical and fire suppression systems, while ironworkers with Timberland Inc. are handling structural steel.

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A 434,720-square-foot building set for Goose Hollow will be one of Portland’s largest multifamily developments after winning land use approval from the Design Commission.

Modera Main Street was approved by a 4-1 vote on Thursday. The commission’s chairwoman, Julie Livingston, cast the sole vote against the project. Commissioner Sam Rodriguez did not participate in the hearing; he recused himself because he is senior managing director in Portland for the project’s developer, Mill Creek Residential Trust.

The Design Commission approved project plans despite complaints from Goose Hollow residents that the 17-story building will be too large for the neighborhood and will worsen traffic, among other concerns.

“We heard from a lot of people, and very heartfelt testimonies on issues that I personally have a lot of empathy for,” Commissioner Zari Santner said. “Regretfully, we as a body do not have the authority to really respond to those.”

Final findings will be issued by Oct. 8. Then appeals of the Design Commission’s decision may be filed, said Ben Nielsen, a senior planner for the Bureau of Development Services.

The project’s approval comes as city officials push for more housing to meet demand. Modera Main will have 337 apartments – one more than earlier design iterations included. The building will wrap around a large-scale parking structure with 403 stalls that residents will share with Multnomah Athletic Club members.

The approval is also a milestone for Mill Creek. The national developer, based in Boca Raton, Florida, has been working for at least a decade to bring a multifamily building to the site. Mill Creek has built seven Modera-brand multifamily projects in neighborhoods around Portland, often inciting ire from local residents. Most recently, Mill Creek proposed Modera Woodstock, which would bring 194 apartments to the Southeast Portland neighborhood.

Commissioners were largely complimentary of Ankrom Moisan Architects‘ design for Modera Main. Commissioner Brian McCarter said the podium and tower are well integrated, and he praised the simplified facade, which will be broken into three-story groupings.

Commissioners also praised how well the design hides the parking structure.

“The fact that the entire garage is surrounded by program use is a very big deal,” Commissioner Jessica Molinar said. “It’s not easy to pull off.”

The garage will have only one entrance and exit, reducing conflicts with people using surrounding streets and sidewalks.

Livingston said she voted against the design because it does not activate Main Street on the ground level and thus falls short of meeting public realm guidelines.

“I look at Main Street, and I see the thinness of the program behind the facade adjacent to the sidewalk, and it’s just not enough to support real activity,” she said.

Livingston nevertheless praised the overall design.

“This is a really strong proposal and it will be a very strong building,” she said.

Commissioners attached two conditions of approval. One requires additional outdoor lighting in landscaped areas, and the other sets a minimum gauge for metal copings and exposed metal flashings.

The record was closed after a prior Design Commission hearing, so the project team did not speak at Thursday’s meeting, which was conducted virtually.

Opponents may appeal to the City Council. However, the council has not been receptive to opponents of housing projects in recent years, routinely rejecting appeals of Design Commission approvals.

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Modera Main Street, the 434,720-square-foot multifamily building and parking structure proposed for Goose Hollow, will have to wait for land-use approval from the Portland Design Commission.

A hearing that was to be held Thursday was delayed because the Design Commission could not muster a quorum, Chairwoman Julie Livingston said. A vote had been expected at that meeting.

The hearing was continued until Sept. 23. The record is closed, meaning commissioners can debate and take a vote, but no new written or oral testimony will be accepted.

Modera Main has drawn opposition from neighbors who have protested the proposed height and bulk. At 17 stories and 175 feet tall, it would be one of the largest multifamily buildings in the city. It would occupy the full block surrounded by Southwest 19th and 20th avenues, and Main and Madison streets.

The Mill Creek Residential Trust proposal has a large parking component. A portion of Modera Main’s 403 parking spaces would be dedicated to users of the neighboring Multnomah Athletic Club.

Livingston previously said she will vote against the project because it falls short of public realm guidelines on its Main Street frontage. Four other commissioners have indicated they will vote in favor of the project.

Commissioner Sam Rodriguez has recused himself from the case because he serves as senior managing director for Mill Creek Residential Trust.

The project is being designed by Ankrom Moisan Architects.

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LEVER Architecture‘s next design for a mass-timber building in Portland is planned for the site of a closed post office in the Northwest District.

Design commissioners got their first look Thursday at the four-story, 40,000-square-foot proposal. It would use mass timber and brick in a contemporary office building for Thesis, a local marketing and creative services agency.

Commissioners said they liked the design presented by LEVER principal Thomas Robinson.

“The architecture response and the landscape response are both sensitively thought out,” Commissioner Brian McCarter said.

However, commissioners warned Robinson that he could not expect a requested modification to minimum standards for floor area ratio (FAR). The proposed building would have a 1.2:1 ratio – below the minimum 1.5:1 ratio. The zoning regulation ensures a minimum density for projects built within the Central City.

“Minimum FAR is something Design Commission has fought hard for,” Chairwoman Julie Livingston said. “It’s asking a lot to ask for a modification on minimum FAR. That’s probably an uphill struggle.”

Reaching the minimum with the current design would require a site adjustment, the project team and commissioners said.

“Find a way to redefine the site and get to the floor area ratio,” Livingston told the design team.

Lango Hansen is on board as landscape architect. Patrick Kessi’s PHK Development is the project’s developer.

Initial plans also proposed a one-story office building on the property at 1706 N.W. 24th Ave. However, Robinson said the project team may prefer to place food carts there, potentially with an eye toward adding a larger building on that portion of the site in the future.

Commissioners said the property might be better served with food carts than a one-story building that is not meant for the long term.

“The one-story building on Thurman (Street) seems like a lot of money for very little gain,” Livingston said. “If the real plan is to do real development at a time that has not been identified, then stick to something that is easy to take away.”

McCarter agreed.

“I lean towards the food cart solution, which leaves the option to build a more substantial building in the future,” he said.

Thursday’s meeting was a design advice hearing meant to provide initial guidance. The project could proceed to a Type II design review, which would be overseen by Bureau of Development Services staff.

Also on Thursday:

Sizable project on track

Design commissioners appeared to be on the verge of approving Modera Main Street, a 17-story, 434,720-square-foot apartment building planned for Goose Hollow.

Commissioners did not vote on the Mill Creek Residential Trust proposal, and it is scheduled to return Sept. 2. Several commissioners said the latest designs from Ankrom Moisan Architects had made progress on reducing a dead zone on Main Street, relocating mechanical ventilation and other issues.

“I think they were very responsive,” Commissioner Don Vallaster said.

Livingston said she would vote no on the project because it still does not meet design guidelines. Portions of the Main Street frontage appear destined to be storage, she said.

“I so hope that when this building is constructed I am proved wrong,” she said.

Livingston was the only commissioner who still opposed the project design in a straw poll. Four other commissioners said the project would earn their vote of approval at a future meeting.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly described developer Patrick Kessi’s role in the office project.

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The Vera is gaining a neighbor.

BRIDGE Housing‘s 203-unit affordable housing structure opened in Portland’s South Waterfront District in June 2020. Now, general contractor Walsh Construction is building for the real estate developer a similar structure at the corner of Southwest River Parkway and Moody Avenue.

RiverPlace Phase II will have 178 apartments – a mix of studios and units with one, two or three bedrooms. The units will be available to residents with incomes up to 60 percent of the area median income.

“We’ve got 50 units of family housing, which is always desirable,” said Nicole Peterson, a BRIDGE Housing senior project manager.

Also, 20 units reserved for veterans will be rented out through Veterans Affairs via project-based vouchers.

The Phase II building will have five stories of wood framing over two levels of post-tensioned concrete. The ground floor will have a mixture of office space, retail space and residential space, while the upper stories will hold apartments and community spaces. A second-level outdoor courtyard will be enclosed on three sides and open to the south, where a Pacific Power facility exists.

“We’re targeted to be done in the fall of next year, and it’s been going pretty well,” Walsh Construction project manager Brian Johnson said. “The biggest limitation being it’s the last block to build in this space. It’s about as tight as it gets. You’ve got the streetcar on two sides, you’ve got The Vera, and then PP&L doesn’t really want us to put stuff in their yard.”

The RiverPlace Phase II building, like The Vera, was designed by Ankrom Moisan Architects. A Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold rating will be sought through the LEED for Homes program. Johnson said the intent is to lean on the energy component to reach that goal. Even without an active photovoltaic array, the efficient building envelope (designed by RDH Building Science) and judicious use of high-quality windows and materials, insulation and brick masonry cladding should allow that to happen.

“How many bike racks you have – OK, that’s helpful,” Johnson said. “But if you really want to talk about the intent of sustainability, figuring out a way to reduce energy usage in buildings is number one. So, you start there.”

The material usage aspect of LEED is “pretty straightforward,” he added.

“We’ve got a lot of great local supply, and wood framing helps us out there,” he said. “And then you get points for the location. Just by virtue of using this site, the transit-oriented development, the amenities, you chalk up a whole bunch of points. It’s a good place to build, and it’s challenging, which is probably the reason it’s the last block to get built here. But it’s compelling.”

Because of site constraints, the building will feature panelized wall systems built by Pacific Wall Systems of Olympia, Washington. Also, motorized scaffolding will be used on all four sides of the building for installation of cladding.

“It would be nice to have a panel company a little closer, but capacity is also an issue,” Johnson said. “There is so much work going on right now, getting a partner is everything. They’ve been taking wood material for two months and have started putting the panels together, so we should see them middle of August.”

Nobody has inventory of almost anything, Johnson added. That has become a fact of life for teams tackling projects of all sizes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s funny in a way because it’s kind of followed the flow of construction,” he said. “For a while there you couldn’t get form ply, you couldn’t get a bunch of wood material, you couldn’t get engineered wood material, you couldn’t get dimensional wood material.”

These days, flooring materials are difficult to procure because the cost of international shipping has tripled in recent months, according to Johnson. Also, there is a dire shortage of paint caused by a lack of polymer compounds normally manufactured in Europe and Asia. Even overhead doors suddenly experienced a 25 percent price increase overnight.

Currently at the RiverPlace Phase II site, carpenters with Whitaker/Ellis are building formwork and preparing to pour the second concrete deck, while mechanical, electrical and plumbing subcontractors Tapani Plumbing, Affordable Electric and American Heating are starting to work on the ground floor.

“We are finding ways around it and that’s where we have to work as a team,” Johnson said. “We have to be open with communication and say here’s what’s available now. And let’s look at options and see if we can be flexible. We certainly knew we would face challenges, but we couldn’t know where.”

The project’s financial partners include: the Portland Housing Bureau, Prosper Portland, Oregon Housing and Community Services, Home Forward, Metro, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs, Bank of America and Barings Multifamily Capital.

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The Portland Design Commission meets throughout the year on the first and third Thursdays of each month. Here is a glimpse of projects the commission is scheduled to examine on Aug. 19:

Modera Main Street

Address: full block bounded by Southwest Salmon and Main streets and 19th and 20th avenues

Developer: Mill Creek Residential Trust

Architect: Ankrom Moisan Architects

This is continuation of a design review hearing that began Aug. 5. Previously, the project team proposing a 17-story, 434,720-square-foot building faced significant questions from the Design Commission.

The commission’s chairwoman, Julie Livingston, said she would vote against the project as designed currently because it would fail to activate its Main Street frontage.

“We are allowing a building to go up that acknowledges the nothingness of this block of Main,” she said. “All four of these frontages need to be active to be a strong response to public realm guidelines. I feel strongly enough about this that it will cause me to vote no.”

One hour is allotted for Thursday’s meeting. A final vote may or may not take place.

Cambria Hotel Portland

Address: 105 and 135 N.W. Park Ave.

Developer: HighSide Development

Architect: SERA Architects

Engineers: Vega Civil Engineering and KPFF (structural)

HighSide Development of Denver, new to the Portland market, is seeking design advice for its proposed Cambria Hotel. It’s one of the Choice-branded hotels the developer is working on across the U.S., including downtown L.A.

The six-story Cambria Hotel Portland, designed by SERA Architects, is planned for the Pearl District. It would have 174 guest rooms and�� look out onto Portland’s North Park Blocks.

The first floor would contain the hotel lobby, a restaurant and bar, meeting rooms, a fitness space, and a 1,900-square-foot tenant space.

Two office buildings

Address: 1706 N.W. 24th Ave.

Architect: LEVER Architecture

LEVER Architecture aims to make another notch in its mass-timber belt – this time with a 40,000-square-foot office building to serve as the new headquarters for a Portland-based creative agency. A design advice hearing is planned for Thursday. Patrick Kessi of 1706 LLC is the owner’s representative.

The proposed plan places the four-story mass-timber structure at the corner of Northwest 24th Avenue and Savier Street. A one-story accessory office building would be oriented along Northwest Thurman Street.

The project team is seeking adjustments to the minimum FAR (floor-area ratio) and building height.

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PROJECT: The Ackerly at Reed’s Crossing

LOCATION: Hillsboro

SIZE:��182 residential units

COST:��not provided

START DATE: August 2021

ANTICIPATED END DATE: early 2023

DEVELOPER: Rembold

ARCHITECT: Ankrom Moisan Architects

ENGINEERS: AAI Engineering (civil), Kramer Gehlen & Associates (structural)

CONTRACTOR:��Pence Construction

OTHER ASSOCIATES: Angelo Planning Group (land use), Marx|Okubo (accessibility), Mayer/Reed (landscape), Morrison Hershfield (envelope)

SIGNIFICANCE OF PROJECT: The Ackerly at Reed’s Crossing will feature a total of 182 units – 89 independent living, 65 assisted living and 28 boutique-style memory care units. Planned amenities include multiple dining venues, a theater, a library and game room, fitness and wellness spaces, a salon, a gourmet bistro with on-site chef’s garden and more. Residents also will have access to Reed’s Crossing’s parks, trails and green spaces, including the 23-acre greenway that runs through the community.

“The pandemic has taught us how important it is to keep family close,” said Eric Peterson, vice president of operations at Reed’s Crossing. “With the addition of The Ackerly at Reed’s Crossing, older adults can live near their children and grandchildren while still retaining their independence, giving everyone what they need to thrive.”

Reed’s Crossing by Newland, owned in a joint venture partnership between North America Sekisui House LLC (NASH) and , is a 463-acre mixed-use, master-planned community. It is managed by Brookfield Properties. Once completed, Reed’s Crossing will include 3,300 new homes from an array of builders. Built with lifestyle in mind, the community features housing options for all life stages, green spaces with outdoor seating and picnic areas, and a number of proposed elementary and middle schools. The Ackerly is located in Reed’s Crossing’s 34-acre Town Center, which is planned to include restaurants, a grocery store, shops and services as well as a Providence Health Center, which is set for completion in summer 2022.

“Building Blocks” spotlights noteworthy projects either under construction or approaching the start of construction. To submit a project for consideration, please visit: djcoregon.com/building-blocks.

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Mill Creek Residential Trust‘s massive Modera Main Street proposal – 17 stories, 434,720 square feet, 336 apartments, 403 parking spaces – faced significant questions from the Portland Design Commission on Thursday, but eventual approval may be all but assured.

The Design Commission held an initial review hearing on Thursday, after two previous design advice meetings. At least three commissioners signaled they may vote against the proposal, and a fourth, Don Vallaster, said he wants to see changes before voting in favor.

The multifamily colossus designed by Ankrom Moisan Architects for the Florida-based developer is planned for a vacant Goose Hollow lot that neighbors the Multnomah Athletic Club. The building would be linked to the MAC via a tunnel, and have parking for club users as well as building residents.

The Design Commission’s chairwoman, Julie Livingston, said that even if the project were rejected by design commissioners, it would surely be approved by the housing-friendly City Council.

“We have not won on this issue, ever,” Livingston said, referring to height and scale concerns. “There have been several appeals to commission based on building height and building scale – FAR (floor-area ratio) – and Design Commission has gotten no traction on this issue.”

Goose Hollow has been a locus of growth, aided by accommodating zoning thanks to the Central City 2035 plan. Projects such as ART Tower, Sawbuck and Press Blocks stand to add hundreds of multifamily units to the neighborhood.

Developers have targeted the close-in neighborhood, which enjoys walking proximity to downtown and transit options including a MAX light-rail line. Major institutional projects – including a new Lincoln High School and a Providence Park expansion – also have moved forward.

Goose Hollow’s explosive growth has raised the ire of residents, who are watching the neighborhood with historic Victorians become much denser. Several residents testified against the project on Thursday.

“The sheer size, height and mass of the building are just going to destroy the neighborhood,” said Chrys Martin, who was one of several MAC members who opposed the project despite the athletic club’s agreement to use Modera Main’s parking.

Rachel Clark, daughter of former Mayor Bud Clark, said Modera Main would be one of Portland’s largest residential buildings and break a decades-old promise to not further expand MAC parking.

Erin Winn, a counselor, said she and her husband are looking to move.

“We can’t imagine staying here once the neighborhood changes so drastically with this tower right out the front window,” she said.

Winn said she values quiet in the neighborhood because she counsels trauma victims.

Modera Main would occupy a full block bounded by Southwest 19th and 20th avenues, and Main and Madison streets.

Some testifiers complained that Sam Rodriguez, managing director of Mill Creek Residential Trust in Portland, also serves on Design Commission. Rodriguez did not participate in the hearing, but that did not satisfy some opponents who expressed concern that commissioners could be biased toward their fellow commissioner. Mill Creek is one of the most prolific multifamily developers in the city.

Livingston said she would vote against the project, as presented Thursday, because it fails to activate its Main Street frontage.

“We are allowing a building to go up that acknowledges the nothingness of this block of Main,” she said. “All four of these frontages need to be active to be a strong response to public realm guidelines. I feel strongly enough about this that it will cause me to vote no.”

Livingston praised other aspects of the project, calling the landscape plan “lovely.”

Commissioners said the design team had made strides in reducing the building’s apparent size since the design advice meetings.

“I think they’ve made improvements in sculpting the mass a bit more,” Commissioner Chandra Robinson said.

The building fits in an increasingly dense Goose Hollow, Commissioner Zari Santner said.

“As incongruous as this may appear, from the perspective of looking at the guidelines, I think this is contextual.”

Commissioners also scrutinized vinyl window frames planned for the façade. Isaac Johnson, managing principal at Ankrom Moisan Architects, said the frames had been used successfully in other Portland buildings.

“These are high-quality products,” he said. “I think they look very good, and they are a good value.”

The project team will return for a brief check-in on Aug. 19. That’s likely to be followed by a final meeting and a vote on Sept. 2.

Johnson said the project team is eager to apply for permits soon.

“We need to lock our design in,” he said.

Johnson added that architects would revisit the building’s Main Street frontage design.

“We have heard you and we need to take a look at it and see if we can make any improvements,” he said.

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PROJECT: Holden of Pearl

LOCATION: 1540 N.W. 13th Ave., Portland

SIZE:��16-story tower (237 units)

COST:��$36.3 million

START DATE: April 2021

ANTICIPATED END DATE: September 2023

DEVELOPER: Alliance Residential

ARCHITECT: Ankrom Moisan Architects

ENGINEERS: Kramer Gehlen & Associates, RDH Building Science Inc.

CONTRACTOR:��Walsh Construction

ADDITIONAL CONSULTANT: Biella Lighting Design

SIGNIFICANCE OF PROJECT: Construction of Holden of Pearl, a 16-story senior living tower, began in April. Type I-A construction is being used for the building, which will have an urban, vertically integrated design. Red brick will dominate the exterior; other materials will include metal panels, an aluminum storefront system and vinyl windows.

In a departure from the traditional senior living model, Holden of Pearl will offer residents striking views of the city and modern amenities. The site is within walking distance of Portland’s cultural hubs, restaurants, boutiques, art galleries, public parks and museums. There will be 237 apartments that cater to people seeking either independent or assisted living. A separate, private community space will be reserved for memory care residents.

With 28,000 square feet of indoor amenity space, Holden of Pearl will offer residents access to a range of culinary experiences, including multiple dining venues, a street-level bistro and an elevated bar. State-of-the-art wellness amenities will include a yoga studio, a salon, activity areas, family gathering spaces and more. Terraced courtyards and rooftop spaces will provide outdoor dining opportunities.

There will also be outdoor living rooms, water features, a chef’s herb garden and a covered pet area. At the street level, an enhanced pedestrian experience will include park-like elements. There will be convenient, weather-protected pick-up and drop-off, valet parking, housekeeping and transportation.

Milestone Retirement Communities will manage the property. Medication management will be among services provided.

Currently, Phoenix-based Alliance Residential has 16 communities in its senior housing pipeline; they represent more than $1 billion in total capitalization.

“Building Blocks” is a 91��Ƶ feature that spotlights noteworthy projects either under construction or approaching the start of construction. To submit a project for consideration, please visit: djcoregon.com/building-blocks.

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