Portland’s Historic Landmarks Commission on Monday unanimously approved plans for to alter the two lower levels of the 12-story Selling Building for the James Beard Public Market.

The building is located at 610 S.W. Alder St. The project also includes modifying space in an adjacent building at 622 S.W. Alder St. The entire façade of 622 S.W. Alder St. and the first two stories of the Selling Building are being reconstructed to provide new market entries.

The project team includes lead architect and architect of record BCV Architecture + Interiors of San Francisco, local architect COLAB Architecture + Urban Design, civil engineer Humber Design Group, and general contractor Hoffman Construction.

The project is valued at $1.6 million, according to Portland Permitting & Development.

Market programming will include vendor stalls, prepared food vending spaces, a restaurant anchor tenant, a teaching kitchen/cooking school, common space for community events, common seating areas throughout the market, trash and vendor storage, and a rooftop bar with covered seating.

The Historic Landmarks Commission previously provided the project team with design advice during a hearing in May 2025. The design for the market’s western portion (622 S.W. Alder St.) was approved by staff in late February, said Ben Nielsen, senior city planner for Portland Permitting and Development.

Monday’s hearing was a type III historic resource review for proposed exterior alterations to the market’s eastern half — in the historic Selling Building, which was built in 1910.

“The alterations will essentially restore the lower two levels of the building to their historic states,” Nielsen said.

Alterations include replacing granite cladding, storefronts and windows on the ground floor and second floor with new polished black granite cladding, new aluminum storefronts, and new awnings on the ground floor and with new wood windows and terra cotta cladding on the second floor. Glass fiber reinforced polymer cladding was proposed as an alternate design. A sign band proposed above the new storefronts will be composed of black, back-painted glass with bronze lettering and decorative trim.

The historic storefront at Spella Caffè will remain, as will portions of the lobby entry to the Selling Building.

Hans Baldauf, founding principal at BCV Architecture + Interiors, said the firm is working with a terra cotta manufacturer — Gladding McBean, of Lincoln, California — that provided the original terra cotta for the building. The decision to use an alternate material came down to cost and technical matters, Baldauf said, adding that it looks promising for the team to use terra cotta for the project.

“The resin approach gives us that fallback,” Baldauf said.

The proposal includes two modifications related to signage. One increases the maximum area allowed per sign and the other increases the maximum area allowed for all signs. Ordinarily, total signage cannot exceed 250 square feet; the proposal calls for a total of approximately 282 square feet.

Commissioners voiced support for the proposal, specifically on restoring the two levels of the building, the multiple storefronts, the signage and the conditions of approval.

Construction of the market began this past fall. It’s on track to open next spring.

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Two adjacent buildings in downtown Portland are on track to receive changes to accommodate the James Beard Public Market, which will hold 40 small businesses.

The Historic Landmarks Commission got its first look Monday at a proposal to make exterior alterations to the Selling Building, at 610 S.W. Alder St., and the building at 622 S.W. Alder St.

The design team includes the San Francisco office of BCV Architecture + Interiors (lead architect and architect of record) and COLAB Architecture + Urban Design (local architect). Other project team members include Grummel Engineering LLC, Humber Design Group, and Hoffman Construction.

The project is valued at $2 million, according to Portland Permitting & Development.

The Selling Building’s storefronts and granite cladding on the bottom two floors would be removed. New storefronts would be constructed with dark granite bases and pilasters, embossed metal cladding, back-painted glass sign bands, and awnings at the ground level. New wood-framed windows and terra-cotta cladding would be installed at the second level.

Similar alterations are proposed across the whole façade of the 622 Alder building. Modifications to sign code standards may be requested, along with a modification to the bird-friendly glazing standard.

An entry at the corner of Alder Street and Sixth Avenue would be maintained but new ones to the market as well as one to a restaurant would be created, said Hans Baldauf, founding principal of BCV Architecture + Interiors.

The ground floor of the 115-year-old Selling Building has been renovated twice – once in 1930 and again in 1937, Baldauf said.

“Our approach on this is to try to restore the Selling Building as having its traditional base, while at the same time acknowledging its history through time,” he said.

The 1930s-era art deco elevation of the storefronts is a more appropriate touchstone for the ground-level commercial space, Baldauf said. City staff support the proposal to restore the glazed terra-cotta cladding and three-part wood windows on the second floor. The team was looking into potentially using fiber-reinforced concrete because it is more affordable. During the meeting, the commissioners voiced support for terra-cotta if possible. The commissioners also asked to see more of a connection between the two buildings.

As proposed, building signage would be larger than typically approved for a retail project; however, since the market is expected to be a major public attraction, city staff believe the signage would be appropriate and consistent with the style and period of significance for the Selling Building, according to a Portland Permitting & Development staff report.

The awnings shown on the drawings would not be deep enough to provide useful cover from rain or sun for pedestrians passing by or visiting the market site, the staff report states. Deeper awnings (at least four feet) should be provided, and awnings or canopies should be provided at the main entrances to the market, according to staff.

The overall proposed concept for the redevelopment of the 622 Alder building is supportable, as it has no existing historic character, according to staff. For the vertical metal bays at either side, rather than extending embossed metal panels from the ground to the parapet, staff suggest incorporating glazing and dividing these bays to be more consistent with the adjacent storefronts in the center of the façade.

A mural is proposed for the Selling Building, adjacent to the roof deck on the 622 Alder building. Staff have recommended that the applicants pursue the public art approval process with the Regional Arts and Culture Council.

The Selling Building will require a type 3 historic resource review from the Historic Landmarks Commission. The 622 Alder building will require a type 2 design review.

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