The Julian Apartments, formerly the Hotel Julian, was constructed in 1892 as the first brick hotel in Corvallis. For this rehabilitation, the development team undertook an ambitious renovation to save the neglected building and its 35 affordable housing units for seniors and people with disabilities. The result is a much-improved building envelope with work to the masonry, existing windows, parapets, and cornice, and replacement of the roof, lightwell walls and windows, and skylight. Other improvements include voluntary seismic upgrades, improved ADA compliance, increased energy efficiency, new building interiors, and improved ventilation and lighting to common areas and units.

The renovation shifted the residents’ entry and lobby from the west side of the building to the north, providing better articulation between the residents on the quieter street frontage and commercial residents on the more active downtown frontage. Ground floor commercial spaces were reconfigured to allow for more retail space, a new resident lobby and community room, as well as new management and resident service offices. All commercial tenants remained open for business during construction with minimal impact. The design team successfully navigated concurrent review processes by the Corvallis Historic Resources Commission, NPS, SHPO, Restore Oregon, and the Corvallis building department while adhering to a strict construction timeline imposed by the different funding agencies.