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Surely Mary Noble would be proud.

Nearly a century after the late Portland businesswoman commissioned construction of a two-story commercial building at Southeast 63rd Avenue and Foster Road, an effort is under way to gut and refresh the structure.

An investment group is hoping the building, called 鈥淔or Mrs. Noble,鈥� will serve as a gateway to the Foster-Powell area and a retail anchor for an overlooked but heavily trafficked intersection slightly south of Holgate Boulevard.

鈥淲e saw an opportunity to revitalize a corner that’s been quiet for 30 years,鈥� said Shawn Morgan, a local attorney who is one of the owners.

The ownership group includes nine people, and all of them have ties to the neighborhood. The investors purchased the 6,160-square-foot building at 6256-6258 S.E. Foster Road for $1.1 million from Berg Christian Enterprises in December.

East Fork Cultivars, led by CEO Mason Walker, is an investor. The Southern Oregon cannabis farm and CBD business will open a retail outlet on the ground floor in the For Mrs. Noble building. A planned bar will offer CBD 鈥渕ocktails.鈥�

Morgan and three other attorneys who live and work in the neighborhood will occupy office space on the second floor. In total, the building will be about 80 percent owner-occupied, Morgan said. The remaining second-floor office space will be available for lease. The owner-occupants hope to move in this November.

Joseph Hughes Construction is handling the renovation of the 92-year-old building. A large crack found on a wall at roof level will require crews to grind it out, seal it, brace it and tie it into the main structure. The project also involves installation of new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems as well as the addition of insulation in the attic and other improvements.

鈥淣othing significant had been upgraded,鈥� said Dan Bramske, an EMA Architecture architect who is working on the project. 鈥淚t’s really just bringing this building up so it can be open for another hundred years.鈥�

The project team is keeping many of the building’s original elements, including the existing sill-and-apron windows, wainscoting and wooden casework. Light fixtures from O’Malley’s Saloon & Grill, a former hangout in the neighborhood, will be installed.

鈥淲e’re kind of trying to modernize the old details,鈥� said John Fifield, a Joseph Hughes Construction project manager. The exterior concrete walls will be repaired and upgraded, he said.

Neighborhood artists have decorated the fa莽ade with murals and portraits.

In the 1920s, Mary Noble was a young businesswoman. Originally, the building held her family’s meat market. Later, it held a tailor’s business and then a caf茅. The investors chose the name For Mrs. Noble to honor the early Portland developer.

Some signs of investment have cropped up in Foster-Powell, although the corridor hasn’t been transformed by many of Portland’s hip brands. Instead, small businesses have arisen.

Portland Mercado, a collection of Latino food carts and related businesses, opened at Southeast 72nd Avenue and Foster Road in 2015. Assembly Brewing, a large pizzeria and brewery, opened at Southeast 61st Avenue and Foster Road last year. Other small businesses that have opened in the area include Favela Brazilian Caf茅 at 5300 S.E. Foster Road and Bar Maven at 6219 S.E. Foster Road.

For Mrs. Noble received a $50,000 matching grant from Prosper Portland‘s Prosperity Investment Program.

鈥淚t’s really designed to just invest in the businesses that are here, that are choosing to call the Foster business district their home, and providing a tool to help them be successful,鈥� said Thea Munchel, Prosper Portland’s project manager for Lents.

鈥淭his project is really just another addition to so much work that’s already occurring in the neighborhood,鈥� Munchel said.

The For Mrs. Noble project is an example of 鈥渘eighbors investing in the neighborhood,鈥� Morgan said. He has been active in the Foster-Powell Business Association and the Mt. Scott-Arleta Neighborhood Association. He’s also a board member of Restore Oregon, a historic preservation nonprofit.

鈥淚 believe in my community,鈥� said Morgan, who moved to the area in 2012. 鈥淚’m surrounded by people who work hard and care.鈥�