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Timeline set for remodel
Portland Tribune

Construction is expected to begin on the $137 million redevelopment of the downtown Meier & Frank store in January or February, according to Bruce Warner, executive director of the Portland Development Commission.
Plans call for an upgrade of the aging Portland landmark and transformation of the 10 top floors into a luxury hotel. Warner said the store plans to stay open during the construction .
“This is a critical project for downtown that has been many years in the making,” Warner said.
The city has offered many incentives for the building to be saved, including loans backed by the PDC and a 15-year state historic property tax. Work was delayed on the project earlier this year while Federated Department Stores Inc. bought the May Co., which owned Meier & Frank.
Additional delays occurred when preservationists called for the Georgian Room — the store’s well-known dining area on the 10th floor — to be saved. Although discussion about the room continues, Warner expects it to be concluded soon and construction to begin after the holiday shopping season.