A vacant building near the Oregon Convention Center will be renovated into a 14,000-square-foot food hall, bar and event space. Also, a patio on the site’s eastern end will be able to accommodate 10 food carts.

The property, owned by Prosper Portland, is located at 910 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., in the Lloyd-Holladay Tax Increment Finance District.

Prosper Portland’s Board of Commissioners on Wednesday passed three resolutions related to the project. These include a minor amendment to the Lloyd-Holladay Urban Renewal Plan to include the site as a priority project area, a revision to the property plan, and an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Metro to seek a $3 million loan for the improvements.

Prosper Portland purchased the property in 2005 with plans to develop a hotel to serve the convention center. Metro later identified a different location for the hotel – the eventual Hyatt Regency at the Oregon Convention Center – which required a reexamination of opportunities for the property at 910 N.E. MLK Jr. Blvd., a Prosper Portland staff report states.

“We heard significant input and interest from the community about repositioning the asset, particularly as a potential to take advantage of the opportunity to bring more local food options into Lloyd,” said Amy Nagy, a Prosper Portland development manager.

The project concept calls for a highly visible, high-traffic food and drink venue that complements activities at the convention center. Design priorities include a four-season gathering space, a flexible and dynamic layout, and a safe and professional experience.

Portland-based Parti Architecture LLC has completed preliminary schematic designs for the project. The team plans to submit plans to the city for design review in March.

The business plan calls for work with a third-party operator. ChefStable, a consulting and management firm that partners with chefs to build and operate restaurants, was selected for this role and will be the master leaser of the property. Food cart owners will then lease their spaces.

The total estimated redevelopment cost is $7.5 million. Prosper Portland invested $4 million and ChefStable invested $500,000.

The $3 million loan is contingent on approval by the Metro Council, which is expected to consider the proposal in March. The IGA includes a 4 percent interest rate and a 10-year payback period. Agreement on those terms will require approval by both the Metro Council and the Prosper Portland Board of Commissioners.

The project will involve interior renovations, seismic improvements and electrical work as well as partial demolition and build-out of the patio for the food carts, said Will Thier, Prosper Portland’s real estate manager.

A request for proposals will be issued for a construction manager/general contractor in May or June, Prosper Portland spokesperson Shawn Uhlman stated in an email. Construction is scheduled to begin this fall and require nine to 10 months to complete. The estimated opening date is late summer 2027.

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Plans to redevelop Centennial Mills received the Portland Design Commission‘s unanimous approval on Thursday.

Three mixed-use buildings are designed for the site, at 1362 N.W. Naito Parkway, along the Willamette River. Buildings 1 and 2 will be five stories and Building 2 will be six stories; all will share 174 below-grade parking spaces. The proposal is to include a total of 272 residential units and four retail spaces in the buildings.

SERA Architects designed the project – valued at $80 million, according to Portland Permitting & Development – for Lindquist Development Co.

The project team participated in a pre-application conference in 2023 and then twice met with the Design Commission for advice. The team submitted a land use application this past August. The first land use hearing was held last month, when the commission delayed voting on the proposal.

The Design Commission approved modification requests to reduce the size of parking stalls, allow non-river-dependent exterior lights for ground-floor residential patios, and allow vehicle access along Naito Parkway. The review included allowing buildings and associated development in the River Environmental overlay zone, ramp and stair access to the river, a public trail, and four stormwater outfalls.

The commission added to the summary a note suggesting the project team acknowledge the Indigenous community in some way regarding the river access, possibly with signage, although it is not a requirement for approval.

During the previous hearing, the commission discussed the issue of human access to the river, the apparent absence of HVAC units on the rooftop, and plans for the existing water tower and a new replica.

The condenser units will be underground in the parking garage, the team explained.

The applicant, SERA Architects, added stairs and a ramp for river access. At the intersection of the Tanner Creek woonerf and plaza and the Greenway Trail, there will be an overlook of the river.

“From that overlook, we’re proposing a concrete, very gentle stair that takes you down to what we’re calling the beach area that is just riverward of the sea wall that is existing currently on the site,” SERA Architects principal Kurt Schultz said.

From that overlook area, the design team has added an accessible path, allowing pedestrians to reach the river in a different location. The path will also be made of concrete.

Commissioner Sarah Vaz asked about widening the pathway to accommodate bicyclists. A 15-foot-wide trail exists now, Schultz said. The design team sees this new path as a pedestrian promenade to the river.

The design team also added a landscaping area with trees to create a buffer against the new pathway. To make the pathway wider, the landscaping strip would have to be narrowed but would still include some trees. Commissioners Zari Santner voiced concern about reducing the size of the landscaping strip and Chair Brian McCarter said widening the pathway is not necessary.

For the water tower, the plan is to create a steel replica of the structure holding up the water tank on the roof of parcel 2. The existing water tank is intended to be salvaged and relocated to the prepared armature. If salvage of the original tank is not possible, a replica tank will be built out of metal with the same details and proportions as the original.

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Construction to create a two-level, 66,156-square-foot music venue is progressing at Lloyd Center, in Northeast Portland.

Demolition of the former Nordstrom building was completed in September. Crews are now working on the foundation at the site, at 901 N.E. Multnomah St. The new building, slated to open in early 2027, will be able to accommodate up to 4,250 guests.

A master plan was created for redevelopment of the area. The next project to be completed is the music venue, according to the project’s website.

The total project cost is estimated to be between $80 million and $90 million. An $18.8 million facility permit is under review for the project. Plans call for renovating the below-grade area and then constructing a two-story multipurpose event structure.

The ex-Nordstrom building’s full basement will be updated to hold storage space, catering space, production offices and dressing rooms.

Portland-based independent concert promoter Monqui Presents and global concert promoter AEG Presents are the project owners. WORKS Architecture is the architect, interior designer and landscape architect. Lease Crutcher Lewis is the general contractor. The project team also includes civil engineer 7 Oaks Engineering of Silverton and structural engineer DCI Engineers.

The building will have a movable stage, stadium seating and a mezzanine with a porch to accommodate smoking, Monqui Presents co-owner Mike Quinn said. A large plaza in front of the former Nordstrom building will remain. Parking structures to the north will also remain, he said.

In addition to being served by ample parking nearby, the venue will offer access to light rail and streetcar lines, and the Blumenauer Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge, according to WORKS Architecture’s website.

With CX (central commercial) zoning, Quinn said development does not require special use permits or zoning changes.

“It’s not just anywhere that you can put a building like this that has potential impact on neighbors and the whole area, dumping 4,000 people out on the street,” Quinn said, adding that good sidewalks and lighting are in the vicinity.

The venue will have first-class lighting and sound, Quinn said. It’s expected to host 125 shows in the first year, and be operated by 15 full-time employees and 80-100 hourly staffers per show.

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