91视频

When Lisa Schroeder opened Mother’s Bistro in 2000, she may not have imagined that the restaurant would become popular enough to outgrow its space in downtown Portland’s historic Concord Building.

Fast forward to 2018, however, and she and her eatery are expanding from one National Register of Historic Places building to another, located just blocks away. Mother’s will open early next year in an 8,000-square-foot ground-floor space in the Multnomah Hotel building, which now houses the Embassy Suites by Hilton. R&H Construction is building the Scott | Edwards Architecture-designed renovation in a space formerly occupied by Portland Prime restaurant.

鈥淣ow you can actually walk in the room,鈥� Schroeder said. 鈥淢other’s is just really cramped quarters, so I think the most exciting thing is when you walk inside the door you can walk in and get to the host stand and not be smashed around; so that’s exciting.鈥�

Crews are currently busy with work including installing kitchen equipment, painting, refinishing, and refurbishing the electrical system.

鈥淲hen we came in we had a whole bunch of holes punctured for new lights, so we’ve gotten out of the ceiling, inspected, we are closing in this bakery,鈥� said R&H Construction Project Engineer Mike McGrew. 鈥淚t was a private dining area previously, so we tore out some tiles and put in new walls, retiled it and put in a floor drain.鈥�

Most significantly, crews are installing an ornate new bar to replace one that existed in the old space for decades.

鈥淲e were trying to use the existing bar, but during floor demo we exposed what should be a die wall that was just plywood and was all rotted out,鈥� McGrew said. 鈥淪o we demoed all of it and we are doing something completely new.鈥�

Demolition work started in October. The discovery of the rotted wall pushed back the completion date a full three weeks into 2019, Schroeder said.

鈥淚t was really nice before we had to take it apart, too,鈥� she said.

One other significant find also had the effect of changing the interior design plans. When demolishing the old floor materials, which contained carpet layered on top of hardwood panels, plywood and slate tile, it was discovered that the original, ornate terrazzo flooring actually was in superb shape for being nearly 130 years old.

鈥淚t was a vein that went all the way into the lobby of the hotel,鈥� said Adam Rainey, senior project manager for R&H Construction. 鈥淪o when the slate came up it was like, 鈥榳ow, look at this beautiful floor’.鈥�

Some people would cover it, Schroeder added.

鈥淚 was trying to live with it the way it was,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut once this floor was revealed, to me, it’s just too exciting. How can I not live with this? As imperfect as it is, it makes it just that much more interesting.鈥�

The project is not restaurateur Schroeder’s first renovation in a historic building. The former owner of Mama Mia’s Trattoria oversaw the renovations of that both that restaurant’s space in the Waldo Block building on Southwest Second Avenue and the current Mother’s space in the Concord Building.

鈥淓very time I’ve done a remodel, and it’s been a few, I always go in thinking 鈥極h, I won’t have to do this’,鈥� Schroeder said, referring specifically to the need for a new bar. 鈥淓very time there’s always something and you have to go into expecting that there’s going to be something unexpected. You just never know how much.鈥�