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All it took was one walk through a building on Southeast Yamhill Street to convince Bridgid Blackburn that she had found the new home for Cargo, the Portland-based direct import business she and business partner Patty Merrill co-own.

The building, which had previously housed an office furniture wholesale company, was rough in spots. Thick layers of paint covered fat beams. Transom windows were covered. But Blackburn, who has a background in interior design, and Merrill could see the potential.

In the time since, the paint has been removed to reveal the character of the old-growth wood beams as well as the floor. Natural light now streams into the basement. An elevator has been added; a stairway has been widened. During the next few weeks, finishing touches will be set in place to prepare the building to open Oct. 1 as the new home of Cargo.

The direct import business will fill the basement and main floor. The ground-level floor also contains a 650-square-foot micro-retail space that will serve as a new location for Kure Juice Bar. The building’s upper level has been turned into approximately 10,000 square feet of office space with its own entrance.

Cargo’s move to the Central Eastside area is a return to its original roots, Blackburn said. Although Cargo originally opened on Portland’s eastside, it relocated to the Pearl District approximately 17 years ago, when that area was less polish and more grit. Huge warehouse spaces could be rented on the cheap. The eclectic feel of the neighborhood was a perfect fit for Cargo’s unique mix of imports that range from 19th century Burmese altars to vintage puppets from Indonesia.

Over the years, development has transformed the Pearl into a mix of in-demand retail and residential space, and rents for renovated old warehouses have climbed, Blackburn said. So as the lease for Cargo’s building on Southwest 13th Street neared an end, Blackburn and Merrill decided to look for a new location.

鈥淎s we realized the (Pearl) rents wouldn’t be what they were when we first signed, we started looking around,鈥� Blackburn said.

The business partners set their sights on the Central Eastside Industrial District, and contacted Brad and Jonathan Malsin, the father-son team behind Beam Development. In light of the organic way that the eastside area has grown in recent years, Jonathan Malsin felt it was the right fit for Cargo.

鈥溾��There’s a great legacy of distribution and production (in that area),鈥� he said. 鈥�(Merrill and Blackburn) are direct importers and they do some production on the furniture side, so they’re perfect for the neighborhood.鈥�

The search for a space eventually led to Urban Works Real Estate‘s Craig Sweitzer and the Southeast Yamhill building.

鈥淥n the first walk-through, I said sign me up,鈥� Blackburn said. 鈥淭he rawness of the space was appealing. The ceiling height was amazing; the wood structure was incredible. The basement was beautiful 鈥� all those transom windows.鈥�

While the building had potential, it also presented some challenges that became apparent once the project’s general contractor, Lorentz Bruun Construction, began work on Works Partnership Architecture‘s design for the renovation.

鈥淲ith these old buildings, there’s always something,鈥� Schweitzer said.

In the case of the Cargo building that something was an existing footing.

鈥淲e found a giant footing, one much bigger than we thought it would be, and it was down below the water level,鈥� Lorentz Bruun’s Erik Bruun said. 鈥淲e exploded (it) and installed a new, larger footing that was incorporated into the new elevator pit.鈥�

Another unexpected project twist, at least for Sweitzer, was the level of interest in the micro-retail space.

鈥淲e were surprised at how many people wanted it,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e had several people ask about it on a daily basis.鈥�

Part of the interest can be attributed to the quality of the tiny space, which Sweitzer describes as 鈥渁 perfect, small square of glass.鈥� But he also thinks it is a sign that there’s not enough retail space to meet a demand that doesn’t show signs of flagging in a neighborhood that has found a balance between robust daytime activity and a healthy night life.

鈥淚 think the retailers we were talking to have a strong desire to be there,鈥� Sweitzer said.

鈥淵ou can’t fake this type of urban development, and I think that’s why people are drawn to it,鈥� he added. 鈥淭his is organic development where you get different ideas and visions coming together.

A search for tenants for the top-level office space will start once Cargo moves into the building, Sweitzer said.

Cargo’s new location is larger than its previous one, which will allow Merrill and Blackburn to add a wholesale component to the business. Cargo’s customers also will gain an unexpected benefit from the relocation.

鈥淭his (has allowed us) to 鈥� lower our overhead,鈥� Blackburn said, 鈥渁nd that savings will be passed on.鈥�

The Cargo Building

Location: 81 S.E. Yamhill St.

Owners: Cargo, Beam Development, Craig Sweitzer

Developer: Beam Development

Leasing: Urban Works Real Estate

Architect: Works Partnership Architecture

General contractor: Lorentz Bruun Construction

Structural engineer: Butler Consulting