The James Beard Public Market now has a designated location at the west end of the Morrison Bridge. As a result, the board of directors has formed a working committee which is charged with executing the initial development planning. They will work in concert with Melvin Mark Companies to seek a qualified fund raising consultant for the $20 million capital campaign and to realign the board to achieve the new mission.
Multnomah County approves development of west Morrison bridgehead
PORTLAND, Ore. (DATE, 2011) – In a unanimous vote last week, Multnomah County Commissioners approved the sale of property at the west Morrison bridgehead to Melvin Mark Development Company for the purpose of building the James Beard Public Market and a 17-story commercial tower. The two elements of the design link seamlessly and will be a catalyst for business development within the adjacent districts and a model for sustainability.
The James Beard Public Market will be a daily, year-round, indoor-outdoor marketplace showcasing the region’s bounty while promoting community health, rural and urban economic development, neighborhood revitalization and tourism. James Beard, a Portland native and the father of American cuisine, shopped within blocks of the proposed market site.
"More than 10 years ago, a diverse group of Portland citizens began meeting to discuss the creation of a public market, forming what became the Historic Portland Public Market Foundation," said Ron Paul, consulting director for the James Beard Public Market. "With great support from the community and the county’s recent ruling, we’re able to move forward with this vision. The James Beard Public Market is sure to become an iconic public amenity and seamless connection between downtown and the riverfront."
The market will have the capacity to house 110 permanent vendors, 40 day tables, one full-service restaurant, a teaching kitchen and a flexible space that can be used as a lecture hall, meeting space or banquet room. Potential retailers include local food and beverage producers (dairy, fish, meat, flowers, pastries, wine, beer and spirits).
According to the economic consulting firm ECONorthwest, the James Beard Public Market will create 247 jobs within the market itself and an additional 101 jobs through indirect impact on local agriculture.
The signature tower will announce the gateway to the city. It will transform the commercially-zoned Block 16 into a Class A office tower marketed to professional firms requiring large blocks of office space and raising property values in the surrounding area. The tower will boast uninterrupted views of the river and Mt. Hood, and its building lobby level will celebrate the market beyond, providing a pedestrian connection between the downtown retail core and Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park.
"After examining several sites within Portland’s downtown corridor – and assessing various public markets throughout the region – we believe this is the ideal location for both the public market and the commercial tower," said Dan Petrusich, president of Melvin Mark Development Company. "From here, we’re eager to move forward in our negotiations with the county to ensure this project is mutually beneficial for all parties involved."
More than 50 years ago, the four-block piece of land at the west end of the Morrison Bridge was the staging area for construction of the existing bridge and has most recently served as a surface parking lot.
"It’s more than past due for the county to get out of the business of operating surface parking lots in downtown Portland," said County Chair Jeff Cogen. "This is an opportunity for us to take this prime property and put it back on the tax rolls and put it to work in revitalizing downtown Portland."
The county will now enter into negations on a disposition and development agreement with Melvin Mark Development Company.
About Melvin Mark Companies
Melvin Mark Companies has developed, owned and managed property in Portland since 1945. They currently own or manage more than 2.8 million square feet of commercial space in the metro area, and provide a full range of commercial real estate services for landlords and tenants. The companies include Melvin Mark Development Company, Melvin Mark Capital Group, Melvin Mark Construction Company, Melvin Mark Brokerage Company. Melvin Mark Development Company is a seasoned leader in many of the region’s foremost development projects.
On May 3rd, Multnomah County released the results of the evaluation of the two competing proposals for developing the West Morrison Bridgehead. We're delighted that the Evaluation Committee appears to have preferred our proposal, which includes the creation of the James Beard Public Market on that site. On May 26th, the County Commissioners will vote on whether or not to authorize negotiations with us for a development agreement, which would allow us to proceed. Please check back after May 26th for further news.
Melvin Mark Companies and the James Beard Public Market submitted their proposal for creatively transforming the Morrison Bridgehead property. We have joined with SERA Architects and Mayer/Reed Landscape Architects to offer an innovative and compelling alternative to the surface parking lots currently covering this prime, but challenging, parcel. We acknowledge and accept the property's general conditions as described in Section 11 of the Morrison Bridgehead Request for Proposal.
This project combines an iconic public amenity - a thriving public market - with a signature tower announcing the gateway to the city. Architecturally and through its urban design considerations, the project's plan incorporates the bridge's existing ramps as part of the appeal of this location. With a footbridge spanning the MAX tracks, the two elements of the design link seamlessly and provide uninterrupted pedestrian access from Second Avenue to the riverfront. Our development proposal will anchor the eastern boundary of the downtown retail core while catalyzing a "market district" linking the Saturday Market and other recent developments at the Burnside Bridge with the Public Market at the Morrison Bridge.
Multnomah County continues to take bold and innovative steps to improve the quality of life for its residents, especially in the areas of public health and sustainability. This project supports those goals. The public market will offer fresh ingredients and prepared meals for the region's diverse populations at affordable prices. The project will also have a significant economic impact on the region, including the benefit of creating a sustainable business model for start-up and maturing enterprises that promote local and healthful food.
The joint City/County Food Policy Council stated in their letter of support for the Project, one of more than 27 letters from elected officials, organizations and community leaders that you can access at this site:
"The James Beard Public Market will provide a development solution that responds to sustainability benchmarks for construction, economic development and job creation set by the Portland community."
Melvin Mark Companies, a seasoned leader in many of the region's foremost development projects, has partnered with the non-profit Historic Portland Public Market Foundation (the holder of rights to the James Beard Public Market) in this dynamic public-private project. We believe that current real estate market conditions point towards an office use for the high-rise tower. The inclusion of a highrise structure as part of the overall development accomplishes many objectives: transforming the commercially zoned Block 16 into a seventeen-story Class A office tower marketed to professional firms requiring large blocks of continuous office space downtown and raising property values in the surrounding area.
We understand that community participation is integral to successful public-private partnerships. Our team looks forward to involving stakeholders in all aspects of the project's development, including a capital campaign chaired by a dedicated leader: Pete Mark.
It's easy
to contribute: either on line at www.portlandpublicmarket.com
or by check to:
The Historic
Portland Public Market Foundation
P.O. Box 511
Portland, Oregon 97207
And don't
forget that your contribution qualifies as a match for the Oregon
Cultural Trust. (See
www.culturaltrust.org for details.)
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