A rendering of the James Beard Public Market captured during a walkthrough of the space located at Southwest 6th and Alder in downtown Portland, Ore.
Crystal Ligori / OPB
It’s been six months since the James Beard Public Market secured a pair of buildings to house a public market in downtown Portland.
At that time, back in January, it was the first major step in an idea that had been decades in the making: a Portland food hall, similar to Seattle’s Pike Place Market, which could be a year-round hub for local food, culture and community.
On Tuesday, the James Beard Public Market took another step forward, with a massive influx of money courtesy of the Oregon Legislature. Lawmakers allocated $10 million in lottery bonds for the market via the so-called “Christmas tree” bill, to go toward the estimated $25 million construction cost for the market.
The market’s executive director, Jessica Elkan, said it’s been a milestone week for the organization.
“Getting $10 million from the Legislature right now is a really big deal,” she said. “This money was critical for the project.”
Elkan explained it couldn’t have happened without the support of freshman lawmaker Shannon Isadore.
“She sees what needs to happen with downtown revitalization, and having her as our champion in Salem has proven to be invaluable,” Elkan said.
In a statement, Rep. Isadore said, “This is a smart public investment that will pay dividends for local jobs, for the revitalization of our downtown, and for small businesses from across the state.”
The James Beard Public Market is expected to hold more than 40 businesses, including a bakery, butcher shop, fresh produce vendors and prepared foods.
A floor plan of the James Beard Public Market shows the layout which will include a restaurant, butcher, fresh produce and other market vendors.
Crystal Ligori / OPB
“There’s definitely a huge economic impact element to this,” Elkan said. “Pike Place Market sees roughly 20 million people a year walking through the market, and it generates an estimated $200 million in economic impact for the city of Seattle.”
The $10 million investment from the Oregon Legislature comes after a milestone month for the organization, which had already received $500,000 from Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon and Cambia Health Foundation and another $500,000 gift from an anonymous donor. The contributions add to the $1 million the Portland City Council approved in its budget for the market at the end of May.
