| Owner | Melvin Mark Companies Historic Portland Public Market Foundation |
| Location | Portland, Oregon |
| Size | 17-Story, Class A office tower 55,000 SF public market |
| Developer | Melvin Mark Development Company |
| Architect | SERA Architects |
| Engineers | Kpff Consulting Engineers |
| Landscape | Mayer/Reed |
The Morrison Bridgehead project is a four-parcel land acquisition from Multnomah County at the foot of the Morrison Bridge in downtown Portland. Melvin Mark Development Company proposes to build a 17-story iconic commercial tower and the James Beard Public Market. The two elements of the design link seamlessly and will be a catalyst for business development within the adjacent districts and a model for sustainability.
The James Beard Public Market will be a daily, year-round,indoor-outdoor marketplace showcasing the region's bounty while promoting community health, rural and urban economic development, neighborhood revitalization and tourism. The market will have the capacity to house 110 permanent vendors, 40 day tables, one full service restaurant, a teaching kitchen and a flexible space that can be used as a lecture hall, meeting space or banquet room. Potential retailers include local food and beverage producers (dairy, fish, meat,flowers, pastries, wine, beer and spirits). According to the economic consulting firm ECONorthwest,the James Beard Public Market will create 247 jobs within the market itself and an additional 101 jobs through indirect impact on local agriculture.
The signature tower will announce the gateway to the city. It will transform the commercially-zoned Block 16 into a Class A office tower marketed to professional firms requiring large blocks of office space and raising property values in the surrounding area. The tower will boast uninterrupted views of the river and Mt. Hood, and its building lobby level will celebrate the market beyond, providing a pedestrian connection between the downtown retail core and GovernorTom McCall Waterfront Park.
“Simply put, a year-round public market will augment not only our burgeoning local food industry, but add to our region’s employment base, tourist attractions, health, sustainability, and pride.”
Congressman Earl Blumenauer
View more letters of support from elected officials, organizations and individuals
View Multnomah County’s RFP and our response
Learn about Portland, Ore., America’s Food Eden