Edlen & Co., the developer collaborating with the city on a proposed workforce housing project at Heritage Square, unveiled a new outline Thursday during a second open house at the Astoria Armory.

Stuart Emmons, the project’s architect, said the new concept incorporates some of the public feedback from the first open house earlier this month.

The change would create room for a large plaza along Duane Street near the Garden of Surging Waves. The open space would be flexible and could be used as parking, by the Astoria Sunday Market or for other activities. A parking lot with 24 spaces would sit behind the plaza.

Some critics of the workforce housing project have called on the city to pursue a plaza, amphitheater or park at Heritage Square, which were among the original ideas after the city acquired the former Safeway property two decades ago. Over the past several years, the City Council has made housing a goal at Heritage Square.

The revision to the outline would remove retail space and office space for Clatsop Behavioral Healthcare’s Open Door program from the ground floor. The mental health agency is partnering with Edlen & Co. on a supportive housing component for people struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues and facing homelessness.

The four-story building would sit on the eastern portion of the block and include a community room on the ground floor along Duane. It would also include offices for two Clatsop Behavioral Healthcare housing retention specialists and for Open Door staff when they come to work with clients. A room would also be dedicated for a live-in resident manager.

Amy Baker, the executive director of Clatsop Behavioral Healthcare, said the removal of the Open Door program was not her first choice.

“While my preference was to have Open Door on-site, having a captive audience within the building is still better than what we have now because our clients would be easier to find and to provide ongoing support,” she said.

The program’s staff, which include case managers, therapists and nursing staff, will be able to use the offices dedicated to the housing retention specialists when they visit clients, Baker said. The live-in resident manager will ensure the building remains tidy, things run smoothly and that the residents are abiding by the good-neighbor agreement.

“We would also have a community space for the residents where we can have community meetings, recovery groups and other program-focused activities,” Baker said.

The building would include up to 97 apartments. Sixty-four of the units would serve people earning 60% to 80% of area median income. That means, to be eligible, most workers would need to earn around $14.74 to $19.65 an hour, or $30,660 to $40,880 annually, using 2021 figures.

The other 33 units would be reserved for supportive housing priced for people at 30% of area median income.

The open houses were an opportunity for Edlen & Co., a Portland-based developer, to finalize the basic outline before the City Council decides whether to take the next step on the project in April.

The City Council will hold work sessions on Wednesday and Friday covering financing and what commitment would be needed from the city to move forward.

In order to apply to the state for government financial help this year, the developer must meet the application deadline on April 22.

The City Council could vote on whether to take the next step on April 4.

If city councilors agree to move forward, there would be a pause until August, when Edlen & Co. expects to hear whether the application for government funding has been approved.

If the team secures state funding this year, it would resume the design process, community engagement and review by the city’s Historic Landmarks Commission.

If the project is approved by the city, construction could begin by the summer of 2023 and could be completed by 2025.