New renderings, or we should say “a rendering,” just emerged showing what one of our tallest proposed buildings could eventually look like.
ARRIS Studio Architects recently added the rendering of The Zev to its website, offering a clearer look at the proposed 13-story (not 14-story) student housing development.
The design features three glass-covered sections, ground-floor storefronts, and trees growing from upper-level terraces. Holding back all Birds vs. Benton County references, it’s not easy.
(Photo: Rendering from ARRIS Studio Architects)
The Zev would occupy approximately half a block along Southwest Fourth Street, between Western Boulevard and Washington Avenue. The current rendering of the site:
(Photo: The Corvallis Inquirer)
According to the City’s land-use decision, the approximately 144-foot-tall building would contain 262 residential units and ground-floor commercial space, although plans could still change and be resubmitted for approval.
Plans previously submitted to the city include units of varying sizes and bedroom counts. The building would encompass approximately 309,000 square feet, about 95 percent of which would be devoted to residential use.
The architect says, “ground-floor retail spaces are designed at a pedestrian scale to create more activity along the street and connect the building with the surrounding neighborhood.”
Courtyards on the second level would separate the building into three distinct sections, an attempt to make its overall mass appear less imposing. The top floor would contain indoor and outdoor amenity spaces. The project’s completion date is still listed as “TBD.”
Remember those system development charges (SDC’s) that the city collects to help pay for the additional strain a new development places on transportation and other infrastructure?
If a single food truck could face a transportation SDC approaching $16,000, it raises an obvious question: What will The Zev pay for a proposed 262-unit, 300,000-square-foot mixed-use development?
We assume those SDCs have not yet been calculated because the development remains in the planning phase. Still, the amount could make for an interesting comparison once it becomes available. Whatever the final figure, the invoice might require its own floor.
Charging Common Fields around $30,000 to add two food trucks seems difficult to justify. Credit to the City Council, though, for recognizing the controversy. It is expected to discuss the food-truck charges at its next meeting, potentially beginning the process of reconsidering how those fees are applied.
Less serious.
We did a rare reach out to ARRIS Studio Architects about the name “The Zev”. We had to. We just assumed we could find its meaning or roots, but nowhere in any of the planning documents is this listed or explained. It’s not on the company website either.
Even a lazy Google search for a historical meaning of “Zev” did not show anything super connecting… outside of a Hebrew given name meaning “wolf.”
Maybe “The Zev” was conjured up by one of those marketing agencies responsible for pharmaceutical drug names like Skyrizi, Jardiance, and Tremfya. Probably the agency that came up with “Skyrizi.”
Ask your developer if The Zev is right for you. Side effects may include increased density, diminished skyline visibility, affordable housing, and an SDC invoice requiring its own floor.
This article was written by Jackson Hayes, a contributor to The Corvallis Inquirer. Feel free to send us your stories or articles to publish at: editor@corvallisnow.com
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