Market hungry for bridge site
Multnomah County looks to sell Morrison Bridge property
By Jim Redden
The Portland Tribune, Jan 8, 2009
Supporters of a year-round downtown public fresh-food market are entering the new year with fresh hope that it may finally have a home.
After years of searching for a suitable location, the Historic Portland Public Market Foundation is now focusing on a parcel of Multnomah County-owned property at the west end of the Morrison Bridge.
The county is currently using the just-under-three-block-long parcel as a surface parking lot. It has agreed to sell the property, however, and is expected to solicit development bids in the near future.
In a Dec. 22 letter to supporters, the foundation’s president, Amelia Hart, and its consulting director, Ron Paul, call the parcel an “incomparable opportunity” for the project.
“This county-owned property sits along the waterfront, central to downtown workers and shoppers, with abundant nearby parking and easy access by MAX to all parts of the region,” the letter reads.
According to Paul, the foundation has teamed with Portland developer and property owner Melvin Mark to propose building a high-rise tower with the market based on the ground floor and in two adjacent pavilions. The tower would be built in the block adjacent to the fork between the on- and off-ramps at the west end of the bridge, while the pavilions would be located under and to the sides of the off-ramps.
“It would be an iconic location for a feature that Portland is fast becoming known for — local food and produce sold directly by the people who grow it,” said Paul, stressing that the idea is more of a concept than an actual design at this point.
According to Paul, the tower would be owned by the Melvin Mark Development Co. Ideally, Paul said, the market would own the pavilions and rent the space on the first floor of the tower, but exact costs and arrangements have yet to be worked out.
“There are many different ways this can be done, including using tax credits,” said Paul.
The foundation has already acquired the rights from the New York-based James Beard Foundation to name the market after the late famous chef. Beard was born in Portland in 1903 and grew up shopping with his mother at fresh food markets that thrived in the area at that time.
Paul said the entrance to the market could include a statue of the rotund Beard.
“Visitors could rub his stomach on the way in,” he said.
The Melvin Mark company has yet to decide whether the tower would house condominiums, apartments, a hotel, offices or some combination of the four, said president Dan Petrusich.
“That would depend on what we believe the market will support when the project is completed, which would be a few years from now,” he said.
An illustration included with the Public Market Foundation’s letter shows a conceptual design for the tower and surrounding pavilions. It includes a copy of the Portlandia statue on the east side of the building — an idea Paul said is purely “aspirational” and would require the approval of sculptor Raymond Kaskey, who created the original one that adorns the Portland Building.
The idea of locating the market on the property is strongly supported by Multnomah County Commissioner Jeff Cogen, who calls it a creative use for a difficult site to develop.
“The block where the tower would go is relatively easy to develop, but the property under the ramps is very challenging,” he said.
According to Cogen, the county agreed to sell the property “because we’re broke and need the money.”
But in addition to raising funds, Cogen said, he and the other commissioners hope to see a project that helps revitalize downtown.
“The west end of the Morrison Bridge is one of the major gateways into the city,” he said. “The Portland Development Commission and others have urged us to do something with the property that is in keeping with their efforts to redevelop downtown. A home for the public market could be a win-win for everyone.”
Cogen said the county expects to receive fair market value for the property, but is not sure what that is because it has not been appraised recently. A new appraisal will be part of the bid process.
“I’ve heard $5 million to $10 million tossed around, but those figures were developed when the real estate market was much better,” he said. “We’ll just have to wait and see what it’s worth now.”
The idea of a year-round downtown fresh food market has been kicked around for years. The foundation has seriously considered several sites, only to lose them in the end. It was looking at going into the building that was going to replace the city’s main fire station at 55 S.W. Ash St. when Mayor Tom Potter decided to remodel it instead. Market organizers also considered the 511 Building at 511 S.W. Broadway that will be acquired by the Pacific College of Art after the Immigration Division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security vacates it. And they considered using a portion of Union Station until the idea was vetoed by Homeland Security.
Paul is hopeful the end of the search is now in sight, though.
“This is the most promising location we’ve ever considered,” he said.
For more information on the project, visit the market’s Web site at
www.portlandpublicmarket.com .
JONATHAN HOUSE / TRIBUNE PHOTO
This surface parking lot at the northwest end of the Morrison Street Bridge would hold food booth pavillions under a plan proposed by the Melvin Mark Development Company and the Historic Portland Public Market Foundation.
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