The Design Commission has approved the Alder.9 apartments, a nine story mixed use building designed by TVA Architects for VWR Development. The building will include 176 residential units over approximately 5,000 sq ft of ground floor retail. Parking for 62 vehicles is proposed, mostly in an at-grade mechanical parking system. Long term parking for at 308 bicycles will be provided.

The project site is roughly half of the block bound by SE Alder St, 9th Ave, Morrison St, and 8th Ave. An existing building, built in 1890, will be demolished. Two other buildings on the block, built in 1927 and 1970, are not part of the site and will remain. A design review application for a one story addition to the 1927 building at SE 8th & Alder was approved in 2017. Other under construction or recently completed on the lower Morrison St corridor include the Goat Blocks, Little LOCA, Modera Buckman, and the Modera Belmont.

The building is arranged in a U-shaped plan, with a exterior courtyard for the use of residents at level 2. An amenity room and fitness room are proposed adjacent to the courtyard. A roof deck is also proposed at the top of the building.

Primary materials for the building include dark norman brick, honeycomb backed smooth metal panel, ribbed metal panel, vinyl or aluminum windows at the upper floors, and aluminum storefront glazing at the ground level.

The Alder.9 apartments went in front of the Design Commission four times in total: for design advice request hearing in April 2017 and July 2017; and for design review hearings in February 2018 and April 2018. The project was approved by a 4-0 vote, with Commissioners Molinar,  Rodriguez, Vallaster and Clarke voting in favor of the project, and Commissioners Livingston and Savinar choosing to abstain from the vote. Conditions of approval added to the Final Findings and Decision by the Design Commission included: that a laser-cut metal art screen shall be installed in place of the proposed storefront windows to the west of the garage door along SE Alder Street; that the proposed window projections over the right-of-way at the southeast and northeast corners be removed; and that the projecting fin over the main entry on SE 9th Ave be removed from the project.

The project will be need to obtain a building permit before construction can begin on site.

Full disclosure: the author of Next Portland is employed by TVA Architects.

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