Officials connected to the eagerly anticipated opening of the James Beard Public Market here in Portland have announced a significant delay in its grand opening.
The reasons for these changes can be traced back to what was discovered during the demolish of the former Rite Aid location and adjacent space and the decision to preserve and highlight the site’s historic wood architectural features. In 2025, lofty ceilings comprised of Oregon wood were uncovered including massive century-old Douglas fir beams.
At venues that house a mix of food retail sellers, each one will wish to have their own supply of price lists and Business Cards.
The market will occupy two historic buildings in the city’s downtown area with one side dedicated to a market selling meat, fish, cheese, eggs, mushrooms and flowers seven days a week. Other features for this side will include a distillery tasting room and wine bar, a sky-lit atrium and even a “butter bar”. The space on the other side of the market will be taken up by restaurant vendors including a juice bar, patisserie, pasta spot, cider bar, dumpling window, Roman-style pizzeria and a restaurant.
The Beard market is conservatively anticipated to attract a million visitors in its first year.
According to a project spokesperson the market now expects to have a community preview sometime in 2026 with the opening scheduled in early 2027.
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