James Beard Public Market

12/31/2025

2025 has been a big year for Portland’s future public market!

We purchased the Public Market building and completed demolition. We secured catalytic public and private investment. We planted the seeds for transformational partnerships, and strengthened our own governance and leadership. We identified our inaugural market vendors. We learned from the world’s great public markets and celebrated Oregon’s bounty together. In 2025, we felt the momentum: from donors and elected leaders to farmers, chefs, makers, and everyday Portlanders, we are grateful for the swell of support that reaffirms the deep hunger for a public market in Portland.

With the support of our community, our Public Market has emerged as one of the most anticipated projects in Oregon. Your partnership and belief in this vision are what make it possible for a public market to become real.

Thank you for a full and delicious year!

Snapshots:

Prosper Portland employees stand in front of Portland’s future Public Market. In 2025, we benchmarked what public-private partnerships can look like thanks to support from Prosper Portland.

Representative Shannon Jones Isadore was instrumental in securing $10 million in State of Oregon Lottery Bonds for the project.

Two historic buildings in downtown Portland will house nearly 40,000 square feet of market space

Our team visited and learned from public markets in Barcelona and Los Angeles (pictured), but also Boston, Grand Rapids, Milwaukee, and Tokyo—bringing global best practices home to Oregon while staying rooted in local values.

Executive Director Jessica Elkan and KOIN-TV anchor Ken Bodie on set for an Eye on Northwest Politics episode detailing progress on the project.

Guests at September’s Bounty of Umatilla County: Farm to Square in Pioneer Courthouse Square. Portland Mayor Keith Wilson’s Chief of Staff, Raihana Ansary, at Bounty of Umatilla County: Farm to Square

A new partnership with Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon (MESO) at our Taste of the Month series. Chefs celebrating Oregon’s state vegetable—the mighty potato!—during a Taste of the Month event

The market building during demolition, which exposed massive timber beams that will be reinforced during construction in early 2026!

12/10/2025

Researchers at the Institute for Health in the Built Environment at the University of Oregon College of Design installed a weather monitoring system on the roof of our building to study how to best integrate agriculture in our downtown urban landscape.

We are so excited to collaborate with an integrated team from the University of Oregon School of Architecture & Environment, Oregon State University, and Washington State University Department of Horticulture faculty to investigate urban food production on the rooftop of the forthcoming James Beard Public Market.

11/06/2025

Portland is one of Condé Nast Traveler's 2026 Best Places to Go in North America! "In 2026, a series of major art, architecture, and culinary projects conspire to tell a fresh story about the City of Roses."

"In a city with one of the continent’s most acclaimed food scenes, which has spawned stars such as Gregory Gourdet of Kann, summer 2026 will bring yet another reason to celebrate the Willamette Valley’s bounty: the James Beard Public Market, which finally comes to life after more than a decade of planning starts and stops. The indoor-outdoor venue, filled with small-scale growers and producers, will be one to rival Seattle’s Pike Place."

Read the full article:

For exhilarating biking trails, wild coastlines, and a neon-lit, all-American road trip.

10/28/2025

One year ago today, we announced the home of Portland’s James Beard Public Market, on the corner of SW Alder & 6th Avenue.

It’s been a year of breaking ground, both literally and figuratively. In the past year, we have:

- Purchased the market’s future home at 622 SW Alder Street, a historic building that will be given new life
- Completed demolition of 622 SW Alder and the adjoining ground floor of 610 SW Alder, in the historic Selling Building
- Prepared to begin construction before year’s end
- Selected 40+ vendors who will launch or expand their small businesses in the market, creating an estimated 200 jobs and generating $20 million in small business revenue
- Hired our inaugural Market Manager and expanded our growing team
- Formed a partnership with Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon (MESO) to empower emerging entrepreneurs and strengthen Oregon’s small business ecosystem
- Connected with farmers, foragers, fishmongers, makers, and community leaders across the state who share our belief in Portland’s comeback
- Raised $23.1 million toward our capital campaign from the public and private sectors, showing that public-private partnership is the key ingredient for catalytic and visionary projects

Thank you to everyone who has supported this project. We can’t wait to welcome you into the Market next year!

09/26/2025

Progress report from SW 6th and Alder Street: Demolition crews are making strides and Portland’s public market is taking shape.

Two historic buildings on this busy corner of downtown Portland are now joined at the ground level, which will house produce merchants, food vendors, a restaurant, a cookbook store and more, when the public market opens next year.

Upstairs, our construction partners have uncovered incredible old growth beams, which will be given new life with the James Beard Public Market.

The restoration of two historic buildings one block from Pioneer Courthouse Square is part of a larger urban renewal and placemaking effort that is reinvigorating our central city.

Stay tuned for more updates as construction begins later this fall!

08/27/2025

Behind the scenes at 622 SW Alder Street: demolition work continues as we prepare this historic space for its transformation into the James Beard Public Market.

Natural light floods through restored skylights, illuminating original timber columns and beams that will become signature features of the market. Our team from BCV Architecture, Grummel Engineering, and Precision — a subsidiary of Hoffman Construction works methodically to preserve these structural elements while preparing spaces for local vendors and food artisans.

Each exposed beam and cleared opening brings us closer to opening in 2026, when these historic floors will showcase Oregon’s agricultural bounty and celebrate James Beard’s culinary legacy. 🔨

08/26/2025

Big news for the James Beard Public Market: an anonymous donor's remarkable $1.25 million gift marks our largest individual donation. We are filled with gratitude for this community's unwavering support.

With 74% of our $25 million capital campaign raised to date, this generosity reflects Portland's commitment to celebrating our culinary heritage.
Interior demolition has begun at our Southwest Sixth and Alder home, where local producers will soon showcase our state’s bounty in honor of Oregon’s culinary son, James Beard.

Thanks to the support from individuals, and from public and private partners we're building a year-round testament to what makes Oregon's food culture extraordinary

Read the full article here: https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2025/08/25/james-beard-public-market-snares-largest-donation.html?utm_medium=pn&utm_source=pushly&utm_content=281146&utm_campaign=72291726

08/21/2025

Last chance to vote for our panel at SXSW!

“Rethink Public Markets: Zero-Emissions Delivery & Microhubs” presents a first-of-its-kind vision from the Portland Bureau of Transportation, B-Line Urban Delivery, James Beard Public Market, and Fastport Honda, to transform how goods move from farm to vendor.

Our panelists will bring fresh ideas on smart urban design and the transformation of communities. By centralizing deliveries and leveraging Fastport eQuads for last-mile transport, we’re envisioning a zero-emissions, human-centered future for public markets, transportation, and shared urban spaces.
Get your vote in before Sunday, August 24!

Follow this link to vote: https://participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sxsw26/community-voting-sxsw/page/community-voting/session/1753464809550001HJIS?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaewqB7mNx1ryPGsbWLuVX0AFDNwjF_QZ5kVmq_irEcuaui-OvZ82FZwdb1eTA_aem_SRkYeCuNCg-pPZfHMflFBA

SXSW Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT)

08/05/2025

Want to see the James Beard Public Market on the SXSW 2026 stage? Along with Fastport Honda, B-Line Urban Delivery, and the Portland Bureau of Transportation, we are in the running for a panel discussion about creating a zero-emissions hub in downtown Portland.

This session presents a first-of-its-kind vision from the Portland Bureau of Transportation, B-Line Urban Delivery, James Beard Public Market, and Fastport, to transform how goods move from farm to vendor. Our panelists will bring fresh ideas on smart urban design and the transformation of communities.
By centralizing deliveries and leveraging Fastport eQuads for last-mile transport, we’re envisioning a zero-emissions, human-centered future for public markets, transportation, and shared urban spaces.
Community voting is now open through August 24!

Vote for us here: https://participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sxsw26/community-voting-sxsw/page/community-voting/session/1753464809550001HJIS