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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Maria Rivero was looking for a balance between her career in civil engineering and her family life when she started Rivero Design. As a consultant she has enjoyed more flexible hours, a more manageable workload and clients who offer a diverse array of projects.

“Staying as a sole proprietor and being the only employee in my business, for me, it’s been the best decision because I’m not stressed about keeping staff employed,” Rivero said. “I enjoy what I do, and I can work with my clients one on one.”

Her services include project management; civil engineering and design using AutoCAD Civil 3D; river, habitat and tidal restoration; drafting support; storm water design and reports; feasibility studies and site development for residential and commercial sites; roadway and utility improvements; agency coordination and permitting; cost estimates; and grading and earthwork analysis.

While Rivero has a long list of projects to her credit, there’s one she points to as a defining moment for her business – the Riverview force main replacement project, which was her first contract with the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services.

“That was my first contract as a subconsultant with the city program that they offer,” Rivero said. “I felt like once I got on that project, my name kind of got out there, I got invited to be a subconsultant on more city projects and that was the start of it all. That’s when I got my foot in the door and it’s been great ever since.”

Marjorie Wolfe, president of Wolf Water Resources, praised Rivero for her ability to consistently produce quality designs on time and within budget as well as her reliability in meeting project schedules even when balancing multiple clients.

“Maria worked with our in-house staff on CAD training and setting up standards. She works as part of our team and doesn’t feel like an outsider. Her commitment is clearly with our clients rather than trying to get the most work for herself,” Wolfe said.

Wolfe noted that Rivero has worked internationally in Spain, Costa Rica and Australia. She also highlighted Rivero’s efforts to actively mentor other small business owners and participate in events that promote minority- and women-owned small businesses.

Rivero volunteers as a group officer for the Northwest Civil 3D User Group.

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