The first project within the OMSI District has a green light. The Portland Design Commission on Thursday approved the design of a five-story, 100-unit affordable housing development, Los Colibris, on tract A of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry campus.

Holst Architecture designed the approximately 86,500-square-foot building planned at 1701 S.E. Water Ave. The project is being developed by Hacienda CDC and Edlen & Co. OMSI is the landowner. The project team also includes civil engineer KPFF, landscape architect PLACE, and Colas Construction.

Portland Permitting & Development values the project at $36 million. No specific construction schedule exists at this time, Holst Architecture principal and owner Dave Otte stated in an email. The project team will next look to secure funding.

Previously, the project team received design advice during a hearing in November 2025.

The site’s primary challenge is its location adjacent to Interstate 5. A large, multiuse courtyard on the east side faces away from the freeway to give residents a space shielded from traffic noise, the project’s narrative states.

Landscaping will be intense closer to the building, Holst Architecture senior associate Dustin Furseth said, adding that color will also be a key component.

“We think something bright and colorful next to OMSI adds to the beauty of that area,” he said.

The building’s name, Los Colibris (“The Hummingbirds”), ties into the design, Furseth said.

“Hummingbirds have a neutral palette often with highlights of color, which I think is a nice way of thinking about how to add color and vibrancy to a project,” he said.

Overall, the building will have a neutral color with hints of color at the windows and more vibrancy on the massing at the courtyard and entry.

Building materials will include primarily fiber cement with options for texture and paneled direction. Metal panels might have deeper texture folding like chevrons able to reflect color, Furseth said. The design team is exploring custom accent colors for fiber cement.

Layers of glazing are planned at the front entrance and the community room.

The roof will hold heat pumps and mini splits. Most of the rooftop equipment will be relatively low in sightlines, Furseth said.

Commissioner Brian McCarter added that he’d like to see a buffer around the children’s play area.

The commission’s approval came with five design modifications and 12 master plan amendments. One condition requires a landscape buffer of at least 10 feet maintained for the length of the building’s south elevation, at the northern side of the western half of the Bull Run pathway. Alternative configurations would be considered through a staff-level type II design review. This will preserve existing trees to screen the ground-floor units as the Bull Run pathway develops.

Modifications were approved for zoning code standards. These include providing approximately 57.5 percent of frontage and a wide courtyard to create active public space, creating an arcade along the east façade, modifying window standards and uses on the ground floor, and using 50 percent of the roof area for solar panels.

Master plan amendments include changing the timeline of development of open space 2, reducing the extent of the Bull Run improvements associated with tract A, removing the 20-foot building setback above 50 feet in height for tract A, removing the building pass-through at tract A and shifting vehicle access to the north, relocating the private wastewater treatment plant to a location to be determined, delaying provision of the OMSI identity framework, transferring 2,000 square feet of floor area to tract A from other tracts, removing the building line requirement from the north side of tract A, reducing the ground floor height requirement for tract A, and adjusting the Southeast Old Water Avenue right of way.

The wastewater treatment plant will likely be relocated to the south on tract A or tract F, according to OMSI.

Artwork will be included in the project; OMSI plans to be involved in the process.

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The Portland Design Commission on Thursday got its third look at plans to replace Ida B. Wells-Barnett High School with a new 300,000-square-foot building.

The school is at 1151 S.W. Vermont St., in the Hillsdale neighborhood.

The project is being designed by Bora Architecture & Interiors. The project team also includes Walker Macy (landscape architecture), KPFF (civil and structural engineering), Rivero Design (civil engineering), and NBZ Consulting Engineers (structural engineering).

Plans call for redeveloping parking areas, athletic fields, field support structures and pathways on the 35-acre site. The swimming pool, run by Portland Parks & Recreation, will remain in the center of the site. The track and field will remain in the same location due to budget constraints, according to a staff report.

The Portland Public Schools project is valued at approximately $349.1 million, according to Portland Permitting & Development.

Currently, the design includes a plaza east of the school, Bora Architecture & Interiors associate principal Becca Cavell said. On the west side, a student terrace would connect to the student commons.

“Our entrance to the building is on the east side,” Cavell said.

The proposed three-story building would have a partial lower level to the west, and an overlapping four-story element as it steps down the sloping site. The difference in elevation from the site’s east side to its west side is approximately 60 feet, according to the staff report.

The design calls for enclosing certain parts of the site, including the athletic fields and the pool, with fencing and gates. Commissioner Joe Swank said he hopes the gates around the pool will be sizable and open during the day. Sarah Norman, senior director of school modernization for Portland Public Schools, said the gates are intended to be oversize. However, she didn’t know if they would be open during the day.

Gates are also planned on the north-south driveway – also known as Rieke Road – through the center of the site between the high school and Rieke Elementary School. Use of vehicles, including bicycles, will be restricted in this location during school hours.

“These gates are going to take maintenance and a bunch of other things,” Swank said. “I would challenge the landscape team, the design team, and PPS to think a little more creatively about how to separate those things.”

Commissioner Zari Santner acknowledged the much-improved design of drop-off and pick-up circulation.

Since the previous Design Commission hearing, the north entry has been widened to a 20-foot-wide crossing, Walker Macy managing principal and landscape architect Chelsea McCann said. Also, a seating nook and a monumental entry sign are planned.

Other design elements include a plaza space outside the swimming pool and carved walkways outside the after-hours gym entrance.

In the previous design, glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) was the sole façade material, Bora Architecture & Interiors associate and project designer Amelie Reynaud said. The design team was inspired by different colors of bark and ultimately, darker colors were preferred.

The updated design includes use of thin brick and GFRC woven together. The team is looking at two options for brick: a lighter, smooth one or a darker, textured one. The student commons would have a mass-timber interior.

Commission Chair Chandra Robinson said she likes the new choices for different reasons and that the textured look is more visible, adding that the textured brick is hard to clean. Swank said he would like to hear PPS’ analysis on cleaning the exterior materials.

The project team intends to submit for land use review and conditional use approval on March 12.

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KPFF, founded in 1960, has established itself as a leader in civil, structural, and transportation engineering, serving a wide range of industries, including commercial, residential, and public infrastructure projects. The firm’s collaborative approach ensures that designs meet both functional and aesthetic needs. Notable projects include the PAE Living Building in Portland, the largest commercial Living Building, which features mass timber construction and operates with net-zero energy, water, and waste. KPFF provided civil and structural engineering services, ensuring sustainability and resilience.

KPFF’s commitment to sustainability is demonstrated in more than 800 LEED-certified projects, including the first LEED Platinum public housing project, Bud Clark Commons in Portland. The firm also pioneered Portland’s first integrated green street neighborhood, New Columbia. Additionally, in 2024, KPFF updated its Embodied Carbon Action Plan, committing to reducing embodied carbon in structural engineering projects by 2050.

With a focus on sustainable development and a strong presence in Portland, where its office has become one of the largest civil and structural engineering firms, KPFF continues to shape the built environment. The firm’s work supports the growth of sustainable, thriving communities across the Pacific Northwest, with a strong emphasis on collaboration and innovation.

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Each year, the 91��Ƶ editorial staff compiles a list of the contractors, engineers and architects that are shaping skylines and redefining the industry through their outstanding work. This year’s Power Lists features 20 companies that are leading the AEC industry into 2023 (in no particular order).

GBD Architects

GBD Architects is behind some of Portland’s most recent mega-projects. Highlights include Block 216, a 35-story giant rising out of the city’s downtown; the eight-acre RiverPlace master plan development near the South Waterfront District; and the 30-story RiverPlace tower. The firm’s most recent large-scale work is a proposed 22-story tower in the Pearl District.

Andersen Construction

Andersen Construction has served as the contractor for several of Portland’s recent tall multifamily developments. Projects include Alta Art Tower, a 21-story, 314-unit mixed-use tower; the Sutton (previously “Fremont Place”), a 17-story apartment building; and the Alamo Manhattan Blocks that include a 23-story mixed-use tower and a six-story mixed-use building.

LEVER Architecture

LEVER Architecture is one of Portland’s leading architecture firms in mass timber with projects such as Albina Yard and Redfox Commons. Now it is turning this early innovation into a maturing excellence. The firm hit a significant milestone in 2022 when Portland’s Design Commission approved Sandy Pine, a planned 12-story mass-timber tower. If built, Sandy Pine will be the city’s tallest timber development.

ZGF Architects

As the largest architecture firm in Portland, ZGF Architects has taken on some of the city’s most high-profile projects. Recent highlights include the ongoing $1.95 billion Portland International Airport Main Terminal Core project that features a nine-acre timber roof as well as the PAE Living Building – poised to be the world’s largest commercial living building.

Carleton Hart Architecture

Carleton Hart Architecture is one of Portland’s most prominent firms for designing affordable housing developments. It is a cornerstone of the firm’s mission-driven focus. Projects in recent years have included Nesika Illahee, Mamook Tokatee and Red Rock Creek Commons. One of the firm’s most recent endeavors consists of the complete renovation of the Joyce Hotel in downtown Portland into permanent supportive housing.

PAE Engineers

PAE Engineers is the “brain” behind the recently completed PAE Living Building, which is slated to be the world’s largest living commercial building. Sustainable systems designed by PAE allow the four-story building in Portland to be primarily independent of any city systems. PAE also provided mechanical, electrical, fire protection and technology system design and engineering for the University of Oregon’s modernized Hayward Field, which recently hosted the World Track and Field Championships.

KPFF

KPFF is the engineering firm behind some of Oregon’s largest commercial projects – and more. Work includes Block 216, Oregon State University’s Gladys Valley Marine Studies Building (91��Ƶ Project of the Year 2021), Portland International Airport’s (PDX) Concourse E extension, and the PAE Living Building.

Howard S. Wright

Howard S. Wright is the general contractor behind the largest building in Portland since the U.S. Bancorp Tower – Block 216. At 844,117 square feet, the project will likely become the largest Portland building of its era. It will house 158,000 square feet of office space, a five-star Ritz-Carlton hotel with 215 rooms, and 138 residences.

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Walsh Construction is the general contractor for many sustainable and complex projects and myriad affordable housing developments. The contractor recently constructed the four-story PAE Living Building, which required that every item be thoroughly researched and approved against a list containing the “worst in class” materials, chemicals and elements concerning human health and the ecosystem. More than 2,700 materials were vetted for the project.

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Affordable housing has become a cornerstone of the Portland-metro development market. Many general contractors tackle such projects, but LMC Construction is behind most. More than two-thirds of the contractors’ work is building affordable homes. Projects include Red Rock Creek Commons, Nesika Illahee and Cathedral Village Apartments.

Hoffman Skanska JV

Hoffman-Skanska is the joint venture contractor formed to partly undertake the $2 billion modernization of Portland International Airport. At the heart of this endeavor is the $1.95 billion main terminal project that involves a new nine-acre, mostly cross-laminated-timber roof structure. The entire roof will weigh about 18 million pounds. A self-propelled modular transporter capable of carrying a submarine is being used to move each section into position. Officials anticipate the roof being fully installed soon and the entire terminal updated in 2025.

Kiewit

Kiewit Corp. is known for tackling projects that would be described as large, massive, and complex. All three terms represent the general contractor’s current undertaking with the Abernethy Bridge project that spans the Willamette River. The venture involves drilling more than 200 feet into the earth below the water to place new bridge foundations capable of withstanding a significant seismic event. It is the first major interstate freeway construction project in Oregon in nearly 45 years.

TVA Architects

TVA Architects is one of Oregon’s most high-profile firms, and few others have placed as large a stamp on the state. Projects include Park Avenue West, Fox Tower, and the University of Oregon’s basketball palace – Matthew Knight Arena. Most recently, the firm designed the Sutton (previously called “Fremont Tower”) – a 17-story residential tower under construction on the banks of the Willamette River.

R&H Construction

R&H Construction is building some of Portland’s largest multifamily developments. Projects include Freewell, Saltwood South and Tiller Terrace – a six-story, a 214-unit development in the Goose Hollow neighborhood. Recently, R&H broke ground on Splash Apartments – the first phase of the five-acre Pop Blocks development.

David Evans Enterprises

Oregon’s largest engineering firm, David Evans and Associates, has worked on a wide range of notable projects in the state. Recent highlights include the Newberg-Dundee Bypass, in which the firm designed two new bridges and seven support structures. DEA’s work on the Oneonta Tunnel rehabilitation project also earned . The 2017 Eagle Creek Fire severely damaged the tunnel and rendered it unusable until DEA’s work allowed it to reopen in spring 2021.

Harper Houf Peterson Righellis

Regarding transportation infrastructure improvements in Oregon, Harper Houf Peterson Righellis is one of the key players. The firm is behind the Clackamas Regional Center improvements, which involved widening a bridge that spans Interstate 205 at Sunnyside Road, as well as the Willamette Falls Drive streetscape improvements project that topped the transportation category for the 2022 ACEC Oregon Engineering Excellence Awards.

��Mortenson��

Mortenson is a general contractor with a long reputation in Oregon for building challenging and unique projects. Recently, the contractor has undertaken a significant renovation of the Multnomah County Behavioral Health Resource Center – a 116-year-old building in downtown Portland.

SERA Architects

SERA Architects has worked on some of Portland’s largest multifamily developments in recent years. Projects include Freewell, the Saltwoods, Tiller Terrace and more. Most recently, SERA drew up Slabtown Savier, a two-building multifamily project under construction in Northwest Portland.

BORA Architects

BORA Architects is behind several notable projects in Oregon, including the Cosmopolitan – a 28-story residential tower in Portland’s Pearl District and the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact on the University of Oregon’s Eugene campus. One of the firm’s most recent undertakings is the modernization of Lincoln High School in Portland; It is one of the first high-rise schools west of the Mississippi River.

Swinerton��

Swinerton is a leading general contractor for mass-timber innovation in Oregon. Recent projects include the Wingspan Event and Conference Center in Hillsboro, Steeplejack Brewing in Portland, and Oregon State University-Cascades’ Edward J. Ray Hall in Bend.

Clarification: An earlier version of this story implied an incorrect association for Swinerton to the Beaverton Public Safety Center project. Swinerton was the mass-timber subcontractor for the project.

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Project name: Multnomah County Library Operations Center

Location: 221 N.E. 122^nd Ave., Portland

Start date: July 2022

Completion date: Fall 2023

Cost: $62,528,627 ($37,500,529 for construction)

Owner: Multnomah County Library

Construction Manager/General Contractor: Fortis Construction

Architect: Hennebery Eddy Architects

Engineers: KPFF, Interface Engineering

Other Associates/Consultants: The Greenbusch Group (acoustics and AV), Code Unlimited (code consultant), PLACE Studio (landscape architecture), Lensa Consulting (LEED consultant), Biella Lighting (lighting consultant), Arris Consulting LLC (mechanical, plumbing, energy modeling), Knot Design (signage), JG Pierson (structural), Kittelson & Associates (traffic engineer, street lighting)

Significance of Project and Project Description: A ceremonial groundbreaking was held Wednesday for the Multnomah County Library Operations Center, located at the southwest corner of 122^nd Avenue and Glisan Street on the site of a former Safeway grocery store. The center will be at the heart of many library services, where new books and materials come into the library system, where many items placed on hold are sorted and transferred, and where specialized materials and services for outreach to new immigrant communities, schools, retirement communities, shelters and other settings are centered.

The 72,925-square-foot, two-story building will house Automated Materials Handling technology, getting library items to patrons efficiently while ultimately making staff available for more customer service. Additionally, the centralized location provides an opportunity to better serve the community through the library’s outreach programs in schools, child care centers, shelter and transitional housing, and other settings.

While most of the building will not be public-facing, Friends of the Library will run a year-round public retail space that will sell donated books and retired library materials. This is an opportunity to provide a new, affordable retail amenity for East Portland in an accessible location in coordination with Friends of the Library.

Hennebery Eddy Architects will lead design of the center and Fortis Construction is the general contractor. The building will provide a pathway to greater efficiency with sustainability at the core of the work. With plans for approximately 600 photovoltaic panels on the building’s rooftop that convert sunlight into electricity, the goal is to make this a net-zero energy building in addition to attaining LEED Gold certification.�� In addition to the photovoltaic panels, the project is following guidance and strategies from Energy Trust of Oregon’s Path to Net Zero plan from initial design planning to construction document review to ensure Net Zero.

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PROJECT: Patricia Reser Center for the Arts

LOCATION: Beaverton

SIZE:��43,000 square feet

COST:��$55 million

START DATE: late 2019

ANTICIPATED END DATE: February 2022 (opening March 8)

OWNER: city of Beaverton

OWNER’S REPRESENTATIVE: Gerding Edlen

ARCHITECT: Opsis Architecture

ENGINEERS: KPFF Consulting Engineers (structural), Otak (civil), PAE (mechanical and plumbing), Reyes Engineering (electrical, tele/data low voltage)

CONSTRUCTION MANAGER/GENERAL CONTRACTOR:��Skanska USA Building

OTHER CONSULTANTS/PARTICIPANTS: Anderson Krygier (environmental graphic design), Angelo Planning Group (land use), DCW Cost Management (estimating), JLC Consulting (specifications), Morrison Hershfield (envelope), Pacific Habitat Services (environmental consultant), PLACE (landscape architecture), Stantec (acoustics), The Shalleck Collaborative (theater planning and audio/visual)

SIGNIFICANCE OF PROJECT: Located near The Round between Southwest Cedar Hills Boulevard and Southwest Hall Boulevard, the Reser Center features a 550-seat theater; an art gallery; rehearsal, workshop and meeting space; a lobby; an outdoor plaza and an adjacent parking structure. The site is near a light rail station, City Hall, Beaverton Creek, shops, restaurants and lodging. This is the first facility of its kind to be built from the ground up in the Portland area in more than three decades.

Opsis Architecture sought to blend urban and natural settings in the design. The plan included not only the main structure, but parking, a pedestrian-friendly promenade with a street festival ambience, and public art. Inspired by the metaphor of a beaver dam, wood panels and long, thin wood slats or “sticks” and incision points are integrated to enable light to pour into the atrium, while blending with state-of-the-art acoustic and theatrical systems in the Mainstage Theater. With blue seats, the theater is evocative of a body of water adjacent to a creek housing a beaver dam. The facility includes 21,000 square feet of Douglas fir. The second floor has space for a variety of educational workshops, classes, rehearsals, meetings and events. The performing and presentation spaces are designed to maximize the connection between artists and audiences.

The concept of creating a center for the arts in Beaverton started in the late 1990s. Later, a study led by Opsis and Theater Consulting Group, in conjunction with University of Oregon students, showed what a world-class arts center could look like. In July 2018, the Beaverton Arts Foundation announced a pledge of $13 million from Pat Reser to launch the project. In three years, more than 950 donors – individuals, families, foundations and businesses – provided more than $12 million to exceed the initial goal by $1 million. Gifts ranged from $2 to $1.5 million. Also, the Beaverton City Council approved a hotel lodging tax to help pay for construction and provide ongoing financial support of operations.

“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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The city of Eugene and private developers are working on a series of significant projects near the banks of the Willamette River in a bid to revitalize the long-neglected waterfront.

Walker Macy is designing a 4.5-acre riverfront park for the city of Eugene. The aim is to link downtown Eugene to the river with a newly constructed multiuse path.

“It’s a really exciting opportunity to connect the people of Eugene and visitors with the water,” said Chelsea McCann, managing principal of Walker Macy. “The Willamette is important to the city. It’s hard to get to, right? We’re trying to remedy that, at least to the extent that we can, and create easier transitions and pathways for people to get from the urban core to the water.”

Nearby, developer Atkins Dame is planning for the first buildings on a former Eugene Water & Electric Board industrial site.

Atkins Dame is led by Jim Atkins and Dike Dame, two developers who have left their mark on Portland by revitalizing neighborhoods such as the Pearl District and the South Waterfront District. They also teamed up to build two condo towers and a hotel in Los Angeles’ South Park neighborhood.

Atkins Dame has closed on the land and acquired equity for the first two Eugene buildings, Dame said. KPFF is advising the developers on the new streetscape, and consulting with Walker Macy on the riverfront park.

“This is something that Eugene has been trying to make happen for a long, long time,” Dame said.

In the first phase, Atkins Dame will construct two multifamily buildings with approximately 228 units. The buildings will not include retail space, but that is planned as the neighborhood grows, Dame said.

“I don’t see office in the cards,” Dame said. “It will primarily be multifamily and neighborhood-serving retail, but the retail will also be attractive to people coming to the neighborhood for the new park.”

SERA Architects is designing the first two buildings, and Essex General Construction of Eugene is on board as contractor. (SERA completed a master plan for Atkins Dame in 2018).

“We’ve acquired about 360,000 square feet of property, so over time there will be a number of other projects,” Dame said. “These are just the first two.”

A separate development team, led by Mark Miksis of deChase Miksis and Mark Frohnmayer of Arcimoto, is negotiating with the city of Eugene to redevelop the EWEB steam plant. The Miksis-Frohnmayer group has unveiled adaptive reuse plans that call for inclusion of office space.

Construction of the waterfront park is well under way. Crews are working to complete the project ahead of the World Athletics Championships, a 10-day track and field competition set to take place in Eugene in July 2022.

The multiuse path will connect to Fifth Avenue, a street in the heart of downtown Eugene that is home to the Fifth Street Public Market and other restaurants and shops. The trail will include amenities to serve pedestrians and bicyclists, McCann said.

The project is part of a nascent movement to create access to the river in Willamette Valley cities that once used it primarily for heavy industry. Albany is at work on its own project to connect downtown with the Willamette River, which currently is blocked by a street, parking lots and thick foliage. In Portland, some activists are lobbying for greater access to the river from the Eastbank Esplanade.

In Eugene, Walker Macy is restoring the riverbanks along the trail.

“We’re planting with native species, but throughout this area we’re also trying to be really cognizant of plant scale,” McCann said. “We want to keep the views open.”

Trail users will have ample opportunities to linger.

“There’s lot of spots to sit and enjoy the river,” she said.

McCann said people were discussing what to do with the EWEB property when she was studying landscape architecture at the University of Oregon in the late 1990s. For years, the trail has been a narrow path, fenced off from the river, with few amenities.

“We’re excited to have it finally open up and having people using it,” she said.

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PROJECT: Beaverton Youth Development Center

LOCATION: 9785 S.W. Harvest Court, Beaverton

SIZE:��14,000 square feet

COST:��not provided

START DATE: September 2021

END DATE: summer 2022

OWNER/DEVELOPER: YMCA of Columbia-Willamette

ARCHITECT: Leeb Architects

ENGINEERS: MKE & Associates (mechanical/electrical); Standridge Inc. (civil); KPFF (structural)

CONTRACTOR:��Precision Construction

OTHER CONSULTANTS/ASSOCIATES: CU Design (interiors)

SIGNIFICANCE OF PROJECT: An existing warehouse is being renovated to become a YMCA youth development center. The structure had served as a Beaverton Police Department evidence storage facility prior to acquisition by the YMCA of Columbia-Willamette. Now it will become a community hub that hosts youth-focused activities and events.

The Youth Development Center will be next to the existing Beaverton Hoop YMCA. Together, the two facilities will be part of an expanded, inclusive YMCA campus. The new center will be 14,000 square feet and serve children of all ages. The campus will expand after-school, child care and learning options for families in the area.

A $10 million capital campaign was launched several years ago by the YMCA of Columbia-Willamette to purchase both the Beaverton Hoop building and its warehouse neighbor in order to develop a fitness and child care center. Though the COVID-19 pandemic created challenges, the organization tapped operating dollars to buy the buildings in July 2020.

Leeb Architects was engaged from the beginning, working with the community and stakeholders on design. Now, Precision Construction is tackling the project, which is expected to wrap up next summer.

“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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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: New Road Ahead (Oregon Humane Society expansion)

LOCATION: 1067 N.E. Columbia Blvd., Portland

SIZE:��two buildings on 4.25 acres

COST:��$39.5 million

START DATE: March 2020 (site work); June 2021 (construction)

ANTICIPATED END DATE: summer 2022

OWNER/DEVELOPER: Oregon Humane Society

CONSTRUCTION/PROJECT MANAGER: inici Group

CONTRACTOR:��Lease Crutcher Lewis

ARCHITECT: Scott | Edwards Architecture

ENGINEERS: Humber Design Group, KPFF, PAE Consulting Engineers

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE/PLANNING: PLACE

SIGNIFICANCE OF PROJECT: After more than seven years of planning, the Oregon Humane Society’s most ambitious expansion project in its 153-year history – New Road Ahead – has begun. One new building will house a Behavior Rehabilitation and Rescue Center, and a second building will house an Animal Crimes Forensic Center and a Community Teaching Hospital. They will rise on land adjacent to the group’s existing campus in Northeast Portland. The project is intended to address some of the most pressing animal welfare issues: keeping pets and people together, and preventing animal cruelty and neglect.

The first building will hold 21,498 square feet on two stories. The Community Teaching Hospital will occupy the first floor. It will be the first clinic in Oregon dedicated to providing accessible veterinary care to low-income clients and their pets. The Animal Crimes Forensic Center – the first facility of its kind on the West Coast – will occupy the second floor. It will facilitate collection and analysis of evidence to build strong cases against animal abusers.

The second building will be one story and hold 13,876 square feet. The Behavior Rehabilitation and Rescue Center will be dedicated to helping traumatized pets heal in a safe environment.

Both buildings will feature specialized HVAC systems able to increase air circulation and prevent the spread of disease.

Excavator operators have already removed 2,875 tons of rock, asphalt and concrete from the site, which formerly was designated for industrial use. Crews will construct a tranquil landscape with bioswales, a rain garden and a dog walking path.

The New Road Ahead project will create more than 60 jobs.

The Oregon Humane Society is providing $3.5 million for the $39.5 million project; fundraising is under way for the remaining $36 million. To learn more and donate, visit www.oregonhumane.org/new-road-ahead.

“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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