Locals to Break Ground at King Store Site

Construction is under way at the corner of Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Fremont Street on a commercial/retail development. Planned by the Portland Development Commission, the project is at the site of the old King Market and is envisioned to be a "gateway" for inner Northeast Portland.

Although construction has already begun on the redevelopment of the old King Market site at the corner of Northeast Fremont Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, neighbors will conduct a ceremonial "ground breaking" next week.

The groundbreaking will be at noon on Friday, May 19. The developers, Fremont Partners, LLC, and contractors will be available to answer questions.

The project will provide a model for a mixed-use, high-quality project on a small, urban site. Phase One, expected to be completed next January, will include 3,500 square feet of retail space and 5,600 square feet of office space.

The proposed Phase Two will include seven units of for-sale housing on Grand Avenue.

Portland Development Commission expects the development to serve as a "gateway" into inner Northeast Portland and the ongoing revitalization of the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Corridor.

The project is expected to provide a showcase for innovative green building techniques. Minority- and women-owned businesses and emerging small businesses will participate in approximately 25 percent of the total commercial construction cost, and the project will create an estimated 14 permanent jobs from the businesses that locate on the site.
Fremont Partners, LLC is developing the project; the partnership is composed of First Oregon Development Co., LLC and Public Private Partnerships Inc. The development team includes LRS ArchitectsandR&H Construction. The Portland Development Commission, with input from a community advisory committee, selected the construction team.

The redevelopment of the King Food Market site has been a community and neighborhood goal for several years. It is included in the Albina Community Plan, the Oregon Convention Center Urban Renewal Plan and the draft Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Boulevard Action Plan.

For more information on the revitalization of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Boulevard, visit the Web site www.pdc.us/mlk-actionplan.