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 “For Mrs. Noble,” 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.

“We saw an opportunity to revitalize a corner that’s been quiet for 30 years,” 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 “mocktails.”

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.

“Nothing significant had been upgraded,” said Dan Bramske, an EMA Architecture architect who is working on the project. “It’s really just bringing this building up so it can be open for another hundred years.”

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.

“We’re kind of trying to modernize the old details,” 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 façade 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 cafĂ©. 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 Café 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.

“It’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,” said Thea Munchel, Prosper Portland’s project manager for Lents.

“This project is really just another addition to so much work that’s already occurring in the neighborhood,” Munchel said.

The For Mrs. Noble project is an example of “neighbors investing in the neighborhood,” 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.

“I believe in my community,” said Morgan, who moved to the area in 2012. “I’m surrounded by people who work hard and care.”

The post Adaptive reuse ‘For Mrs. Noble’ appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

Dan Bramske, an architect with EMA Architecture, figured that like many dream projects explored by nonprofits, the Rotary Youth Center at Morrison would start with a nice conversation and then be forgotten.

That didn’t happen.

Morrison Child and Family Services forged ahead with a plan to build a 4,100-square-foot facility for children, many of whom have suffered from sexual abuse, or have drug or alcohol addictions.

The concept for the project started as a simple covered area for the organization’s clients to use for outdoor play to fulfill Portland Public Schools‘ physical education requirements. Morrison, in consultation with EMA Architecture, decided to dream bigger, and applied for a once-in-a-decade grant from the Rotary Club of Portland.

The youth center plan was chosen for the club’s Project 2020, which led to a $500,000 contribution toward the project’s $2.3 million budget.

EMA Architecture worked with Morrison and general contractor Joseph Hughes Construction to round up donors and subcontractors willing to reduce their rates.

“The fact that this has all come together, and has blossomed into a project that’s 100 percent donated, is amazing,” Bramske said.

The project site is on a portion of Morrison’s property that was used for surface parking. The building will finally give the organization a purpose-built facility, Development Director Deanna Kavanaugh said.

“Morrison has never built a building in its 73-year history, which is kind of amazing, and we serve over 8,200 clients a year,” she said.

Completion of the building at 11025 N.E. Sandy Blvd., in Portland’s Parkrose neighborhood, is expected this summer. Morrison has scheduled a grand opening celebration for Sept. 4.

The project is on track to be net-zero energy, Bramske said. The facility may even end up producing more energy than it uses, he added.

Donors pushed the project toward higher environmental performance, Bramske said. A solar array and a green roof will be installed. The project team is considering proposals for solar installations of 40 to 57 kilowatts, Bramske said.

“Through the design process, we realized the form and location of the building were ideal for solar and ideal for eco-roofs,” he said.

High-performance insulation and glazing are being installed. A 2,500-gallon cistern will collect rainwater that will be used to irrigate a grass play field behind the building.

The project team brought in ecoREAL Solutions as a consultant. Participation in certification programs such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or Green Globes was considered, but determined to be too expensive, Bramske said. The LEED process, for example, was anticipated to cost $50,000, he said.

Instead, the project team is following Energy Trust of Oregon‘s Path to Net Zero program.

The front of the building is to be wrapped with a mural by a Portland artist who goes by the moniker Dominatah. The Regional Arts and Culture Council is evaluating the proposal.

Inside, the building is dominated by a large multipurpose room with a basketball court. A projector will be installed to show presentations or films. The room should be able to accommodate more than 100 people for events, Bramske said.

The building will be equipped with a “warm kitchen” – everything except a commercial stove – and bathrooms.

The building is envisioned to be used by youths in Morrison’s day treatment programs. It could host meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, and be used by foster families.

The design will be accessible to visitors with disabilities.

The project is close to fully funded, but is still accepting donations, Bramske said. Suppliers including Parr Lumber, Metallion Industries, Chown Hardware, James Hardie Siding, Sherwin-Williams, Thermal Supply and the Lake Oswego-based Home Builders Foundation have chipped in with in-kind donations. More are expected to arrive as the project wraps up.

As with all construction sites at this time, this one has adjusted to the coronavirus pandemic. During a May 27 site visit, workers (including those with subcontractors) were wearing masks. That’s a company-wide rule for Joseph Hughes Construction, said Scott Wigman, project manager for the Portland-based contractor.

“It’s definitely not easy, but for the most part we’re really coherent on it,” he said.

Some final tasks remain. Bramske is still working to secure permits from the Oregon Department of Transportation, which oversees Sandy Boulevard, to widen the driveway. Also, work is continuing on an outdoor space that will be terraced and have grass planted to provide a play field.

The post Longtime nonprofit finally getting a new building appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.