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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