Plans for a six-story mixed-use building in Portland’s Buckman neighborhood are on the right track but need some refinement so that it will more cohesively relate to an adjacent historic structure, according to the Historic Landmarks Commission.

In a design advice meeting last week, designers with Chicago-based Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture presented concepts for a nearly 150,000-square-foot structure at 1010 S.E. Ash St. The building would occupy the northern half of a block bounded by Southeast 10th and 11th avenues and Pine and Ash streets, and hold 135 residential units over ground-floor retail space and residential amenity space and two stories of below-grade parking.

The new structure would abut the Troy Laundry Building, which was constructed in 1913 as a commercial laundry facility and was designed by Ellis Lawrence, founder and longtime dean of the University of Oregon‘s School of Architecture and Allied Arts. The entire block falls within a landmark boundary due to the Troy Laundry Building’s presence on the National Register of Historic Places.

AJ Capital Partners, also based in Chicago, purchased the full-block property this past summer from Intrinsic Ventures for $15.65 million. In addition to the new residential structure, the developer is planning adaptive reuse of the Troy Laundry Building, including a rooftop addition.

Designers took cues from the architecture of the Troy Laundry Building to create a concept for the adjacent structure. The new building would be clad in a dark charcoal brick in order to complement, rather than compete with, the red brick of its neighbor.

“The goal for 1010 S.E. Ash is not to be a historic building, but to bring a sophisticated level of detail to the urban fabric inspired by the historic context,” said Beth Nowicke, a project architect with Hartshorne Plunkard.

While commissioners and Bureau of Development Services staffers were generally complimentary of the building’s design – including its height, massing and materials – one major sticking point was the relationship between the buildings as they meet mid-block. A stepped-down portion of the new building, at five stories in height, would overwhelm the existing two-story structure at their adjoining point, commissioners said.

“The step-down bay is modest at best, and I think is awkward,” Commissioner Andrew Smith said. “The way it’s designed is, I think, a big problem.”

Though the buildings will not be connected, commissioners agreed that the new structure should be treated as an addition because it falls within the landmark area. Commissioners suggested decreasing the massing of, or eliminating entirely, the stepped-down portion of the new building to soften the transition to the Troy Laundry Building. To make up for the square footage lost in doing so, some commissioners floated the idea of increasing the building height by one floor – an uncommon suggestion from the Historic Landmarks Commission.

“We’re all talking about density and trying to bring more density into the city,” Commissioner Derek Spears said. “I would definitely be OK with another floor going in if we’re going to take out some additional residents at (the step-down).”

At six stories, the building is maxed out at allowable height for Type III-A construction, so adding a story would be a challenge, Nowicke noted.

During the hearing, commissioners also provided positive early feedback on plans for the nearly 6,000-square-foot rooftop addition – including terrace space and a swimming pool – to the Troy Laundry Building. The scope of the planned building renovation is forthcoming, but will include a full window and façade restoration, seismic upgrades, and fire/life safety requirements. Upgrades to the historic building will eventually go before the commission in a separate design review hearing.

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Core Spaces, a Chicago-based developer known for upscale student housing, is building its next project in Portland.

Construction of The Collective on 4th – a 15-story, 417-unit luxury residential tower – is now under way on a full block near the Portland State University campus, at the intersection of Southwest Fourth Avenue and Harrison Street. The building will include ground-floor retail space – potentially a grocery store – and 278 below-grade parking spaces. The apartments will be a mix of micro-units, studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom units with an array of amenities suited for young urban professionals.

“Really, at Core, what we’ve always done is to build campus properties in an urban setting – places like Madison, Wisconsin, or West Lafayette, Indiana,” said Chip Schell, vice president of new business for Core Spaces. “And they’re always conveniently located where our residents could walk or take transit; they really fit that model. And Portland really fit that model.”

Chicago firm Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture designed the building, while John Hyland Construction of Springfield is the general contractor. Ground was broken in May 2017. Completion is scheduled for late 2019.

“So right now we’re pouring the second floor and part of the third floor, and our last concrete pour is scheduled for the end of January 2019,” said Jeff Durmaj, project manager for John Hyland Construction. “Starting a little bit later this summer we’re following with all the mechanical trades, HVAC systems, fire protection, electrical work – all this stuff is starting to follow.”

What was originally a U-shaped building oriented toward Southwest Fourth Avenue transformed over the course of six meetings with the Portland Design Commission into an L-shaped structure that opens toward Pettygrove Park on the northeast side. Inside the tower’s two wings, a four-story section tops out with a tree-lined amenity deck intended to smoothly connect the building with the park.

Materially, The Collective on 4th will include a structurally glazed window wall system with aluminum slab edge covers on the upper parts of the south and west sides. The rest of the exterior will have roughly 75 percent glass and 25 percent metal panels.

It’s the interior of these future apartments, however, that’s really meant to capture attention. There are quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances and Bluetooth shower speakers in each unit. Every resident will have access to a pair of rooftop hot tubs, a fire pit and barbecue stations, as well as a large fitness center, a steam room, a sauna, a dog park and even a bocce ball court.

University students won’t be the only demographic targeted for The Collective on 4th.

“We’ll be including students in our marketing approach, so they’re certainly be an appeal there,” Schell said. “What we’re trying to do is take a brand that’s been successful to a more targeted group and then expanding it. This is something that’s unique to The Collective; this is the first time we’re doing it.”

Dennis Huffing, Core Spaces senior general manager in charge of leasing at The Collective on 4th, said the idea is to provide more options for both students and young professionals attracted to the central city, as well as fill Portland’s incessant need for more housing overall.

“We’re not leaning toward one or the other; we want everybody to have more options,” he said.

The Collective on 4th is one of the four primary styles of residential housing currently being developed by Core Spaces. The others include the Hub on Campus, State on Campus and The James. The Collective on 4th is the firm’s first attempt at this brand, and its second project in Oregon. Its first was in 2015: an eight-story, 183-unit Hub on Campus building near the University of Oregon in Eugene.

“What we’ve done with The Collective is really try to expand and take what’s been successful with our Hub brand and bring it to a wider audience,” Schell said.

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Core Spaces, a Chicago-based developer known for building upscale student housing, has chosen Portland as the next market it intends to impact.

To that end, the firm is developing , a 15-story, 417-unit luxury residential tower currently under construction on a full block site marked by the intersection of Southwest Fourth Avenue and Harrison Street on the Portland State University campus. When completed in late 2019, the building will include ground floor retail space, potentially a rumored grocery store, while the residential units will have an array of amenities suited for young urban professionals. The general contractor on the job is John Hyland Construction of Springfield.

Check out this new video below that shows off some of the work that currently is happening on-site. And check back with us in the near future for the complete feature story about this project.

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