Portland Art Museum officials’ proposal to build the $50 million Rothko Pavilion has prompted some opposition from neighbors who lament the enclosure of a pedestrian walkway.

Officials are moving ahead with plans to build the pavilion, which would link the downtown institution’s two main buildings with a glass enclosure. Currently, pedestrians can walk between the buildings.

The plans have the official blessing of the Portland Downtown Neighborhood Association, but some residents are not satisfied.

“I feel downtown does not need any more superblocks,” said Mary Vogel, who serves on the association’s Land Use and Transportation Committee. “It is very inconvenient, and it is getting more so.”

Vogel spoke to the City Council last week, urging commissioners to question museum officials’ proposal. They’re seeking the amendment of an ordinance that would allow the walkway to be enclosed, but ensure that the public could walk between the buildings during museum hours. The matter is scheduled to go before the council on April 20.

The design from Vinci Hamp Architects of Chicago calls for enclosing the area between the two buildings with a glass façade. Also, the design contemplates moving a loading dock and providing significant interior upgrades.

Vogel, in an interview, said the city’s wide blocks are an asset to downtown.

“Portland downtown is known for its 200-foot blocks that are supposed to really be the leading edge for walkability,” she said.

The area is also a thoroughfare for bicycles coming to and from the Hawthorne Bridge, Vogel said.

Museum officials said they understand residents’ concerns, but argue the pavilion will be a positive change for the city.

“We are aware there is some concern and opposition, but it’s our belief that the benefit of the pavilion outweighs the slight change of pedestrian traffic,” said Laura Bartroff, director of communications for the museum.

Pedestrians would be able to walk between the buildings during museum hours, and on Mondays when the museum is closed, museum officials said.

The area was bisected by Madison Street until the city vacated the space and the museum took it over in 1968. At the time, the agreement was for the area to remain an open-air mall in perpetuity, Vogel said.

As the museum has grown, officials have long sought a way to bridge its two primary buildings. The main Belluschi Building was completed in 1932 and expanded in 1970, while the Mark Building was originally constructed as a Masonic Temple in 1927 and then renovated for the museum’s use in 2005.

A fundraising campaign was rolled out last year for the Rothko Pavilion, named for Mark Rothko – a 20th-century abstract painter who was raised in Portland.

Officials have raised $27.3 million during its $50 million capital campaign, said J.S. May, the museum’s chief advancement officer. Construction is expected to begin in 2018.

“What we’re trying to create is one of Portland’s premier public spaces,” he said.

May said he expects neighbors to be impressed by the finished project.

“My sense is once this is built and it’s a beautiful public space, people will love it,” he said. “It’s designed to connect the (Belluschi) Building to the (Mark) Building, the museum to the community, people to art.”

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