This is an updated version of an article originally published on August 7th 2015.

Construction is underway on a 243 room Hampton Inn & Suites in the Pearl District. At the ground level the building will have public spaces such as the lobby, lounge, dining area and meeting rooms facing onto NW 9th Ave. Restaurant and retail spaces will face onto NW Everett St and onto NW Park Ave. 104 on-site parking stalls will be located in above grade structured parking, accessed from NW Flanders St.

The developer of the project is Wisconsin based Raymond Management Company. Gary Brink & Associates, also of Wisconsin, are the architects of record, while local firm Hannebery Eddy are serving as the design architects. The landscape architects are Lango Hansen.

The hotel will be located on a three quarter block site bound by NW Everett St, Park Ave, Flanders St and 9th Ave.  Three existing low rise buildings were demolished, all of which were previously empty. The building at 338 NW 9th Ave had most recently been used as a filming location for MTV’s “The Real World: Portland”. At the time of the Design Review application the architects were investigating the opportunities for reusing elements from the old buildings in the new hotel. Possibilities included using an industrial safe door as the enclosure to the actual front-desk guest-safes; using a wood bracket with stenciled “Portland Elevator Company” lettering over the elevators; and using wood trusses as interior screen walls.

The 8 story building will be arranged in an L shape, with an interior courtyard at the 4th level. A roof terrace overlooking the Park Blocks will be located on the 8th floor. Since the first hearing, an ecoroof at the top level has been added in response to concerns raised by Design Commission and nearby neighbors. At the request of residents of the adjacent Park Northwest condos, a blank wall on the interior of the block will include infrastructure to allow the residents of the condos to grow a vegetated wall.

The primary exterior materials for the building will include grey norman face brick, aluminum bar grilles, smooth metal paneling, cast stone and aluminum windows. Metal canopies at the street level will have wood soffits.

The Pearl District Hampton Inn & Suites were approved through a Type III Design Review on July 23rd 2015. In the Final Finding and Decision of the Design Commission [PDF] the applicants were praised for their willingness to respond to concerns raised by the Design Commission in the two previous hearings:

The design review process exists to promote the conservation, enhancement, and continued vitality of areas of the City with special scenic, architectural, or cultural value. The project revisions have been responsive to the Commission’s concerns at the first two hearings. The revised proposal improves the design of the fourth floor rooftop adjacent to the neighboring rooftops, creates a comprehensive roof treatment, creates cohesive elevations, integrates pedestrian level elements of canopies, lighting and signage to create a lively urban environment, and clarifies the detailing of the aluminum grille features. The revised proposal, located at an important location in the Pearl District fronting the North Park Blocks, provides a strong urban element with an active ground floor suitable for its location. The Modification to the Ground Floor Window Standard will allow the loading and parking entries to remain in the appropriate location on NW Flanders. The Modification to the Maximum Sign Face in the Right-of- Way will allow for appropriate way-finding signs for the hotel. The Adjustment to the loading standard will allow for a more active ground floor.

Since the first hearing, the applicant has made numerous changes to the proposal to better meet the design guidelines. With the changes described in the findings above, the proposal now meets the following applicable design guidelines, modification and adjustment criteria, and therefore warrants approval.

Plans, Sections and Elevations