Gravel / Gravé / Gnarmac / Groad / ATB

Oh, great minds of LFGSS gravel thread! A friend has asked me to help find him a replacement for his old, and well used Cross Check. Mostly used on road with a small load, but also his primary trail and gravel bike.

His wants:

1. Livelier feeling than the CC (this isn't hard)
   
2. More road than MTB in feel and appearance.
   
3. Normal reach numbers. He has a short torso and is worried that the long front center trend would put bars too far even with a nubby stem.
   
4. 68mm BSA threaded BB. He wants to use a sub compact road crank with a power meter.
   
5. Disc brake
   
6. Ideally GRX 2x11, but could do 2x10. He is a big time nerd about gear ratios.
   
7. Big clearance. His words are "I'd like to use up to a 2.2 race king." This is the real limiting factor in the search. 650b OK, 700c better.
   
8. Open to steel, alu, carbon.
   
   

I've found some that can get quite close to hitting all requirements. Salsa Stormchaser can do subcompact double, 50mm 700c, and would handle well on and off road. Rodeo Labs Flaanimal is in the same boat there. I've found a handful of others that get close but haven't found anything that gets us all the way there.

It seems that the tire size request is pretty incompatible with his narrow BB and double crank wants.

Any other bike options to consider?