Homebuilding giant Lennar has submitted a proposal to construct a 193-lot subdivision on the Alpenrose Dairy site in Southwest Portland.

The former dairy property spans 56 acres. Lennar is looking to potentially build single-family detached homes, according to an early assistance application submitted to the Portland Bureau of Development Services.

A Lennar Northwest representative couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

The development would require new on-site public streets to connect to existing streets surrounding the property at 6149 S.W. Shattuck Road, according to the application.

Open space, including a public trail alongside Southwest Pendleton Court, is also proposed.

The application lists Westlake Consultants of Tigard as developer’s representative.

The property is beloved by many Portland families and hosts baseball diamonds, a velodrome and an opera house. Its future has been in doubt as various members of the Cadonau family that founded the dairy debated the way forward.

Portland housing prices have ballooned this year amid record-low inventory. The possibility of 193 new homes arriving in the Hayhurst neighborhood could be welcome news to prospective buyers.

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Newland Communities, the developer behind the sprawling Reed’s Crossing development in south Hillsboro, has chosen two homebuilders to begin construction there.

Homebuilding giant Lennar Corp., based in Miami, and Stone Bridge Homes NW of Lake Oswego have been selected to begin building homes.

Lennar and Stone Bridge are expected to begin building homes starting in December. Seven model homes from the two builders will be going up first, said David Brentlinger, vice president of operations for Reed’s Crossing.

Plans for the first phase call for 300 homes, with homes expected to be ready to occupy in spring and summer 2019.

Reed’s Crossing is a major expansion for Hillsboro. The development totals 463 acres, and is expected to eventually encompass 3,000 homes ranging from small apartments and condominiums to large single-family homes.

The development will also have a town center with a mix of commercial and residential uses, at least three schools and a 23-acre greenway corridor with wetlands and trails.

Newland Communities has already built an extension of Cornelius Pass, which is oversized to accommodate growth. The extension opened in July.

“It’s public now, and it’s already taking some of the burden off of (Tualatin Valley) Highway,” Brentlinger said.

Approximately 20 different contractors are at work on the development. Crews have been busy grading home sites, extending utilities and adding residential roads, curbs, gutters, street lights and landscaping.

“Everything, really, to make it builder ready,” Brentlinger said. “Everything from the ground standpoint is ready for them, and once they get their building permit, they can immediately start building homes.”

Newland was looking for a national homebuilder and selected Lennar, Brentlinger said. “They are very meticulous in everything they do,” he said. Every house Lennar builds is a “smart” house with high-tech features, he said.

Stone Bridge is led by founder and owner Kelly Ritz, who serves as chairwoman of the Oregon Home Builders Association‘s government affairs committee.

“She does have a good reputation as a builder and a spokesperson for the industry,” Brentlinger said.

Contractors will have an opportunity to jump in on the next phase of Reed’s Crossing in March, when Brentlinger said he expects to post new requests for proposals for lot construction.

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The adequacy of a panel material emerged as the main point of contention for a seven-story mixed-use building proposed for West Burnside Street.

The 147,507-square-foot proposal comes from Lennar Corp., a Miami-based developer. The site at 815 W. Burnside St. is a Firestone tire shop on one of Portland’s busiest thoroughfares, two blocks east of Powell’s City of Books.

Lennar proposes to build 144 housing units along with 8,960 square feet of ground-floor retail space. The development would have 50 underground parking spaces.

The Portland Design Commission held a work session for the project on Thursday.

Lennar and designer Ankrom Moisan Architects propose to use oko, a type of commercial paneling. Commissioners questioned why brick wasn’t used. They also asked architect Bronson Graff why the design team chose Juliet balconies rather than full balconies.

“Simply put, management of the budget,” Graff said.

The city valued the project at $32 million.

Commissioner Tad Savinar questioned whether the project would have a cohesive appearance using the oko material.

“I have a problem with the material in this context and how the material is treated,” he said. “I’m extremely concerned about all the seams, joints – the way this is going to be built.”

The project should reflect the urban location and the nearby Park Blocks, Savinar said.

“It reads pretty suburban, and this is not a suburban environment,” he said.

Savinar said he liked the building’s massing.

Designs show a residential lobby on Park Avenue and a loading bay on Northwest Ninth Avenue. The building’s east side has a rectangular white element that surrounds a portion of the exterior windows.

Graff assured commissioners the design would be further refined.

“I agree that the devil’s in the details,” he said.

The upper floors are more active in the design, he said.

“From far away, it would have a … more grand expression,” he said.

Commissioner Andrew Clarke said he preferred the design without full balconies, saying it would look cluttered if they were added.

“I tend to agree,” Commissioner Sam Rodriguez said. “I think the clarity of the concept is important.”

The oko paneling could be OK with some additional design work, Rodriguez said.

“I just think this is a refinement process that needs to happen,” he said. “It’s just a matter of dialing it and calibrating these materials.”

Chairwoman Julie Livingston likewise said the design is on the right track.

“You’re getting there, and I think you’re going to get there with a majority of commissioners with this scheme and these materials,” she said.

Graff said he would like to have a work session with Bureau of Development Services staff before proceeding to a Type III design review, ideally in August.

The project exemplifies the institutional money that has come into Portland in recent years as the city’s employment base and population have grown. Lennar purchased the property from Firestone for $7 million in December 2017, according to Multnomah County records.

The tire shop was still open Thursday, with work under way on several cars. Auto repair shops and car lots have proved to be popular redevelopment opportunities in recent years, with several older buildings in the Central Eastside and along Sandy Boulevard receiving updates.

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