Portland Urban

The New York Times - Bicycle Development in PDX

The New York Times featured a great article about Portland urban development and the retailers that recognize the bike-friendly culture in Portland.  Both Jean-Pierre Veillet (Siteworks & EcoFlats) and Christian Ettinger (Hopworks Urban Brewery) were highlighted and featured in the Business Day section of the paper.  

Nice job gentlemen, you make our city a better place to live!

Don't Miss the Mississippi Avenue Street Fair!

Urban Works Real Estate is a proud sponsor of the Mississippi Avenue Street Fair, Saturday, July 10th! Complete with entertainment (including 5 live music/entertainment stages, and a parade at "high noon"), libations (local beer garden), food and 150 vendors. We hope you'll join us in supporting all of the local businesses that Urban Works Real Estate is proud to represent on Mississippi Avenue!

Uwajimaya Signs Letter of Intent for Old Town Site

It’s official! Uwajimaya has inked a letter of intent with Sockeye Development, LLC to locate their second Oregon store in the heart of Old Town at Block 33, bordered by NW 4th, 5th, Couch and Davis. To be sure, this is a significant milestone which demonstrates Uwajimaya’s enthusiasm for the project, but there’s still a long way to go; the sizeable public investment required for the project has to be solidified, a process which is allowed 6 months per the terms of the LOI.

 We checked in with PDC Manager for Downtown Waterfront Urban Renewal Area, Peter Englander, to find out if he is as thrilled about this as we are.  The affable but cautious Englander had this to say: “The Letter of Intent between Uwajimaya and Sockeye Development is a significant step in clarifying the intentions of the major regional Asian grocer to open a second Portland store in Old Town/Chinatown.  All parties, however, still have far to go to make this project a reality.  We look forward to working with everyone to see if we can make this truly transformational project happen.”

 Douglas Obletz, Manager of Sockeye Development, was a little more animated. He reports that Sockeye is "very excited to have the Letter of Intent in hand after many months of working closely with Uwajimaya and PDC.  PDC, in particular, has been instrumental in helping to lay out the 'welcome mat' for Uwajimaya. We look forward to the next steps in the process, which include working with PDC on the needed public investment for the project, further advancement of the project design, securing of additional tenants for the project, and discussions with potential lenders."

This news, combined with PDC’s recent decision to stay in their current location at NW 5th & Everett, as well as the strong likelihood that Beam Development will break ground on the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine relocation at NW 1st & Couch in September, bodes incredibly well for this vibrant district.

More Great Co-Tenancy for the Central Eastside!

Native Portland brewery Hair of the Dog will be opening a new brewery, restaurant and tasting facility in the Central Eastside early this summer on the corner of SE Water Ave & Taylor Street in a formerly dilapidated warehouse facility. This is more exciting news for the Central Eastside, on the heels of the opening of highly acclaimed Olympic Provisions and what-will-eventually-be Bunk Bar, which will be conveniently located (along with Clarklewis) just one block from the new home of  Hair of the Dog. Cheers!

The End of an Era: Crowsenberg's Half & Half Closes

Crowsenberg's Half & Half, the teeny weeny coffee & sandwich shoppe at 923 SW Oak,  is causing a huge stir with news that it will open its doors for the last time tomorrow. This adorable hole-in-the-wall on Indie Rock Block across from Powell's has made quite an impression on us all, and brought artisan sandwiches to Portland way back when.

Co-owners Robin Rosenberg and Jeff Heisler are moving on, and are hosting an all day blowout Friday, April 30th, to thank their decade-worth of loyal customers and fans. "Closing time will be determined by the depletion of sandwiches, deviled eggs and Miller High Lifes," says the affable Rosenberg.

Locally roasted and bicycle-delivered Courier Coffee Roasters will inherit the Half & Half space.

 

Coming Soon: Bunk Bar!

 
The ink is dry (it was, in fact, signed at The Acropolis!), an outpost of Bunk Sandwiches, Bunk Bar, will be opening on the corner of SE Water & Taylor soon! Urban Works represented both Beam Development and Tommy. Now you'll be able to enjoy your pork belly sandwich with some tunes and a shot of whiskey! Eater PDX just interviewed Tommy Habetz, of Bunk Sandwich and soon-to-be Bunk Bar fame, one unusual snippet from the interview: 

How did you first come up with the idea?

I stole it from the person who came up with the idea of public drinking establishments. I think his name was Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo...

Interesting.

2010 Restaurant Shuffle?!

Three interesting blogs about some rumored restaurant shuffling:

Is Ringside moving into Fox Tower in the former Harrison's space? We previously heard rumblings that it's Ruth's Chris... This from Food Dude.

Next up, the former Nutshell then Anju space on N. Williams, is John Goram next?

Last but not least, will the former Chow space on the corner of NW 14th & Glisan become a burger joint by the owner of DOC? The latest from Eater PDX.

Former D.O.C. Chef To Debut New Restaurant

As Willamette Week reported last August, Chef Greg Perrault left D.O.C. for greener pastures. He has just landed a location for his own restaurant venture with friend & business partner Matthew Peterson. They have inked a lease at 2215 E. Burnside (pictured above), next door to Heart Coffee & Roasting. They plan to open in June!

Olympic Provisions Is Smoking!

Olympic Provisions has now been open for close to a month in the beautifully restored Olympic Mills Commerce Center.  Not only is the restaurant food close to perfect but this "American Charcuterie" has begun selling their handmade chorizos and smoked meats from the deli case.  Do yourself a favor and go for lunch or dinner before the word is out...too late!

Olympic Provisions

 

Jason Barwikowski & Nate Tilden

Urban Works is proud to have represented both Olympic Provisions and Beam Development in Portland's first full-service salumeria (look it up). Mike Thelin (ex-Urban broker & Food Editor at Portland Monthly) and Kathleen Healy negotiated the lease transaction for both real estate parties.

The eclectic, charcuterie restaurant will not only cure their own cuts of meat on premises with hard to obtain USDA-certification but will also prepare fresh chorizos such as Basque, Madrid and Catalonion variations and dry salamis. The restaurant menu items also promise to be as interesting with pork rillettes hand pies, steamed mussels with hot sopressata, grilled octopus with chile relish, etc. This place is gonna smoke it!

107 S.E. Washington Street - Lunch only for now with dinner service planned for December