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Friday, January 6, 2012

History A Short North Williams Story

Posted by Sarah Mirk on Fri, Jan 6, 2012 at 1:00 PM

The big news yesterday: New Seasons is opening shop on North Williams! Woohoo! Cue excitement over a grocery store opening in the North Portland food desert and 150 new jobs right in inner Portland!

The New Seasons seems to me like a pinnacle of change in the neighborhood—over the past 15 years or so, many long-time residents of the neighborhood have moved to the outskirts of Portland, crime has decreased in the area, property values have increased, and tons of new businesses have opened. In some ways, the history of the site New Seasons will take over on North Williams and Fremont tells the story of change in the neighborhood.

For most of its lifetime, the lot was an industrial center. According to articles in the Oregonian archives, a bakery set up shop at 103 North Ivy Street in 1915. It became a Wonder Bread factory, employing 75 people in the middle of what became—during the first half of the 20th century—a busy street lined with black-owned businesses. Here's a photo of the factory in 1936:

wonder_bread.jpg
  • city archives

The Wonder Bread factory remained standing while the construction of I-5, Memorial Coliseum, and the failed Emanuel Hospital expansion tore down a total 1,550 homes and businesses in the Albina and Boise-Eliot neighborhoods. The factory that once baked bread the middle of a bustling neighborhood was now surrounded by an unfortunate number of vacant lots.

In 2000, Wonder Bread closed up shop, too, consolidating its operations and shutting down the whole factory. In 2007, according to the Oregonian, developer Ben Kaiser purchased the site at a bankruptcy auction and planned to turn the "bakery blocks" into BackBridge Station, a mixed-use development with 41 residential and commercial units. At the time, Boise neighborhood land use chair Chris Sahli told the O that the neighborhood could really use a market. "One thing we could all really agree on is a grocery to talk to," said Sahli.

The developers demolished the Wonder Bread factory but the big development plans fell through. Since then, the site has been sitting empty—a giant eyesore on the street. But while it's lain fallow, the neighborhood around it has continued to change. The market value for the site was $2.85 million, including the land and factory. In 2011, it's worth $5.52 million—nearly double.

 

Comments (20) RSS

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1
Like when New Seasons displaced low income housing in North Portland with one of it's stores and moved the residents into the food desert known as outter East Portland? Sure, it's good for people. Rich white people!
Posted by OregonTina on January 6, 2012 at 1:17 PM · Report
2
OregonTina - which New Seasons are you speaking of? The one on Interstate and Portland BLVD? I would point out that the building that was on that corner was just a warehouse where armored cars were stored overnight. It wasn't residential prior to New Seasons building there. That is the only New Seasons in North, so I'm confused about your statement.
Posted by dieselboi on January 6, 2012 at 1:26 PM · Report
3
Its another gentrification bomb on the neighborhood. That fact isn't lost on the people living there. However, what do you want to do? Not build the grocery store that folks have been asking for for the past 20+ years? The key to this will be the 'without displacement' part of the idea 'gentrification without displacement'. I feel like this idea is there but action is not
Posted by Allan on January 6, 2012 at 1:27 PM · Report
4
Cue the chorus of assholes who want to whine about gentrification in 3, 2, oh, shit, already started.

As a black man who earns enough to live in the neighborhood of choice, OregonTina and those like her should learn to shut the fuck up and notice that nothing stays the same forever. No one gets turned away from buying or leasing property in North Portland. Stop equating my skin color with poverty.
Posted by here we go again on January 6, 2012 at 1:29 PM · Report
5
Another note to the "gentrification" morons - the plan INCLUDES low income housing on the site.

Would you rather it stay a garbage filled field for another 20 years?
Posted by D on January 6, 2012 at 1:39 PM · Report
6
D, thank you so much for calling me a moron! So you're ok with New Seasons building grocery stores for rich white people and moving the low income minorities into food deserts? Further segregating the poor away from the city center? Ok then. If that's the passionate stance you want to take ha!
Dieselboy my bad, I meant NE Portland!
Posted by OregonTina on January 6, 2012 at 1:47 PM · Report
7
@D: I HAVEN'T SEEN IT REPORTED ANYWHERE THAT THERE ARE PLANS FOR LOW INCOME HOUSING ON THAT LOT. COULD YOU PLEASE CITE YOUR SOURCES?
Posted by Graham on January 6, 2012 at 1:55 PM · Report
8
There's a Whole Foods, New Seasons, Safeway, Fred Meyer, and Cherry Sprout produce all pretty close to that location. Also the farmer's market in Overlook Park in season. You can even take the Max to the Freddies and New Seasons. More jobs will benefit the neighborhood though.

The only question now is do I spend my $10 on two bottles of Kombucha at New Seasons or buy a baggie across the street?
Posted by Nopo on January 6, 2012 at 1:58 PM · Report
9
All you foolios will be shopping at NS later this week. This neighbor hood needs a grocery store would you rather a wal-mart moved in? At least NS treats their employees to a living wage and benefits.
Posted by mole harvey on January 6, 2012 at 2:27 PM · Report
10
I would prefer a cheaper store like Fred Meyers or something people can afford. Maybe New Seasons can lower their prices or offer cheaper alternatives, if they want to be such a great local, community based, blah blah etc. Show us you really do care about folks in the community and just aren't preying on them.
Posted by not Mel Gibson on January 6, 2012 at 3:00 PM · Report
11
OregonTina,

Why in the hell do you keep acting like YOUNG BLACK people can't have money? Rising property costs drive out those WHO CAN'T AFFORD the prices, not those of a certain age or skin color.

You're a racist honey, and it's only mildly cute that you don't seem to know that.
Posted by Tina, eat your FOOD! on January 6, 2012 at 3:01 PM · Report
12
This building started out as a "Log Cabin" bakery. They were in major cities on the west coast.
Posted by skinny on January 6, 2012 at 3:07 PM · Report
13
I knew this was somehow white peoples' fault.
Posted by Well-Intentioned Liberal Idiot on January 6, 2012 at 3:23 PM · Report
14
Western Family is a generic, cheaper alternative that also happens to be local and appears on almost every New Seasons shelf. When I moved to the Eliot neighborhood and away from a Fred Meyer, I was able to maintain the same food budget shopping at the Interstate New Seasons. There are some things that yes, are quite a bit more expensive, like the meat. But at least I know I won't get mad cow's disease. Or fill my body with unnecessary antibiotics. And I'm supporting a local farmer and a local economy. I just don't buy meat as often. It's lazy to cast the cost stereotype on New Seasons, when they are just offering an alternative to the large chain grocery store. It is also not fair to blame them for a systemic problem (concentrated poverty and displacement) that is the City's responsibility. New Seasons raises significant money and spends significant time supporting the communities where they locate. I wholeheartedly believe that we should be doing more about displacement in areas experiencing reinvestment. I also wholeheartedly support a New Seasons in my neighborhood. I don't want to live in a city that doesn't believe that good grocery stores (that offer healthy alternatives) should be available to everyone.
Posted by resident on January 6, 2012 at 3:30 PM · Report
15
Is this the class war I keep hearing about on the radio?
Posted by ($8239f8h248cerfehjf23@&*@ebdjhb23f237OCDBO#BD*(# on January 6, 2012 at 4:52 PM · Report
16
So, New Seasons good, bike lanes bad?
Posted by randyzpdx on January 6, 2012 at 4:56 PM · Report
17
Dieselboi'll be happy because there'll undoubtedly be a bunch of overpriced, mediocre carts nearby selling whatever'll be the latest trend, and make sure to tell 'em food carts portland sent you, m'kay!
Posted by jake on January 6, 2012 at 5:57 PM · Report
18
I don't care about any of that other than I want one of those jobs, and you "NoPo" dwelling hipster wankers better get out of my way. Oh, and have a nice day
Posted by The Showstopper on January 7, 2012 at 1:53 PM · Report
19
According to Google Maps there are 3 Safeway stores within 1.1 miles of the location of the new New Seasons, and a Fred Meyer's w/in 2 miles. I'm not sure how the "there's not a grocery store in the area" argument holds up. It's almost like campaigning to build another Starbucks because your latte gets cold before you walk passed another one.
Posted by ILivedNearThere on January 7, 2012 at 9:17 PM · Report
20
I grew up off Fremont 1982-1996. My verdict on gentrification? Don't blame the people moving in, just give the people staying there a chance to stay via rent and property tax controls, and treat everyone by the same standard.
Posted by Portlandian on January 8, 2012 at 1:39 PM · Report

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