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Project: The Spot

Location: 225 S. Fifth St., Madras

Size: 3,150 square feet

Start date: March 2024

Completion date: November 2024 (event center will be complete at a later date)

Cost: Not disclosed

Owner/developer: Andre Jackson

General Contractor: O’Brien & Company

Architect: Open Concept Architecture

Engineers: Eclipse Engineering, H.A. McCoy Engineering & Surveying

Project Description: The Spot opened in November as a new community hub in downtown Madras. It features a taphouse with a second-story balcony area, three food carts, outdoor heated seating with fire pots and an adjacent event center.

The building and site amenities are designed for seamless indoor/outdoor activities and year-round enjoyment regardless of weather conditions. Warm wood and clean modern details create a space for people to interact while enjoying food, drinks, music and other entertainment activities.

The John Brown Event Center, named after the first African-American to move to and homestead in Central and Eastern Oregon, is a tented area being raised alongside the taphouse. Entertainment bookings are now under way.

The city of Madras and the Madras Redevelopment Commission played a key role in bringing the project to life. Since 2022, MRC has provided $60,000 in grant funding and $450,000 in loan funding to help transform the site, formerly the location of the Wild Bleu, according to the MRC website.