Old Town/Chinatown News

[DMH]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

...continues at Eater Portland.

This is something quite encouraging. Could it be that the revitalization of Old Town / Chinatown will come significantly from the welcome entrepreneurship of young African Americans, such as these folks and the other example above, bringing life to the Horizon Enterprise Building?

[maccoinnich]

The fight over Portland’s Yamaguchi Hotel, and the future of Japantown



Demolition of the historic Yamaguchi Hotel, the last building in Portland’s New Chinatown/Japantown district with Japanese-American owners, has already begun. The front windows are gone, and the building is surrounded by a chain-link fence.

The unreinforced brick structure has stood at Northwest 4th Avenue and Glisan Street for about 130 years.

The street level has housed shops and bars. From 1921 to 1941, the Yamaguchi family ran the top two floors of a hotel. Masae Yamaguchi served as a midwife in the area, an important role for a community that had difficulty accessing health care.

“It really is a symbol for a history that has often been forgotten,” said Chisao Hata, with the Japanese American Museum of Oregon, which stands kitty-corner to the old building.

“That is the history of over 300 businesses of Japanese Americans living in this area, of schools and churches and business and markets and stores and watchmakers and barbers – all kinds of community people that really had to live in this area. They didn’t have much choice.”

Racism and redlining made the area one of the only places immigrants could settle in 20th Century Portland.

In February 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which authorized the removal of all people of Japanese ancestry — regardless of citizenship — from the West Coast. That effectively gutted Portland’s Japantown.

“This is a population that was forcibly displaced from this area,” said Mark Takiguchi, with the Japanese American Museum of Oregon. “About 50% never came back and some that did come back were not welcome.”

That history explains why a conglomeration of architects, historians and Japanese American civic leaders have been fighting the demolition of the Yamaguchi Hotel for years.

...continues at OPB.

[maccoinnich]

Notice Of A Type I Decision on the Old Town Lanterns Pilot Project

[maccoinnich]

I'm really happy to see new businesses opening in Old Town. With Meet Fresh now open across the street, this intersection has the potential to be more active than it was pre-pandemic.

This New Dumpling Restaurant Will Serve Handmade Savory and Sweet Xiao Long Bao
Xin Ding Dumpling House is opening in Old Town-Chinatown this week



Portlanders have long frequented Chinese restaurants, sitting down to bowls of noodle soups or piling stir-fries onto beds of steamed rice. But in recent years, the city has been having a dumpling renaissance of sorts. The international chain Din Tai Fung first landed in Oregon with its lauded xiao long bao, or soup dumplings, in 2018; the Taiwanese-born restaurant is preparing to open its first Portland proper location in Pioneer Place this summer. In 2022, Seattle-based Dough Zone landed on the South Waterfront and has plans to expand to Beaverton and Happy Valley. And beyond the chains, restaurants like XLB, Bao Bao, Duck House, and Master Kong have all opened with strong dumpling and bun options.

This week, a new local dumpling-focused restaurant will enter the fray, specializing in hand-made xiao long bao. Xin Ding Dumpling House will open Friday, May 12, in Old Town-Chinatown, within the former Thirsty Lion space.

...continues at Eater Portland.

[downtownpdx]

Delete

[downtownpdx]

Great to see this, especially that it's not just another bar. If these businesses add outdoor seating, that area will be pretty lively on a sunny Saturday with the market also across the street. Fingers crossed for a domino effect and a positive trajectory for this part of town.

[maccoinnich]

Ankeny Alley businesses band together for new street festival



PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - An exciting new chapter begins for a group of Downtown Portland businesses.

Over two dozen businesses in and around Ankeny Alley between 2nd Ave. and 3rd Ave. have come together to launch the Ankeny Alley Festival which starts Friday, June 16, and will run throughout the summer months.

Some businesses in the area go back over a century like Dan and Louis Oyster Bar.

Owners Michelle and Keoni Wachsmuth say the festival weekends planned throughout the summer will be exactly what the area needs to get back to better days.

...continues at KPTV.

[DMH]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

...continues at KPTV.

This is great news! Does anyone know if there are plans to revive the Paris Theatre on SW 3rd next to Voodoo Donuts? While many probably will recall that the former burlesque theater has had a spotty history as a porn theater, it also has had a proud history as a home for award-winning productions. Starting in 1979 it was the home of Storefront Theatre, a drama group known for legitimate, sometimes-edgy theater productions. It would be a real asset to the entertainment district if the Paris Theatre were reopened as a music or performance venue again.

[maccoinnich]

Originally Posted by DMH

This is great news! Does anyone know if there are plans to revive the Paris Theatre on SW 3rd next to Voodoo Donuts? While many probably will recall that the former burlesque theater has had a spotty history as a porn theater, it also has had a proud history as a home for award-winning productions. Starting in 1979 it was the home of Storefront Theatre, a drama group known for legitimate, sometimes-edgy theater productions. It would be a real asset to the entertainment district if the Paris Theatre were reopened as a music or performance venue again.

I have good news for you. It was purchased by Seattle's Can Can Culinary Cabaret last year. They recently applied for a liquor license, and when I went by today construction appeared to be underway.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

I have good news for you. It was purchased by Seattle's Can Can Culinary Cabaret last year. They recently applied for a liquor license, and when I went by today construction appeared to be underway.

That is great news, good to see that old theater getting new life. Now if the city would redesign 3rd and Ankeny into a pedestrian zone and extend the sidewalk out into a plaza to make it safer for people.

[Rob Nob]

https://imgur.com/a/HQJXCj3

[2oh1]

Being that it's no longer a porn theater, the light that's out on their sign is kind of... uhm... ironic.

[maccoinnich]

Creative Homies is such a great project and I'm so glad to hear that it's not just moving forward, but is set to open in the summer.

Backers of Old Town creative services center raise millions, aim for 2024 opening



The team behind efforts to build a BIPOC-aimed creative services center in Portland's Old Town said it has reached a critical funding goal.

Creative Homies, in an Instagram post, confirmed that it has raised the $5 million it needs for the Horizon Enterprise Building, at 433 N.W. Fourth Ave. The group, led by Adewale Agboola and Cyrus Coleman, had launched the campaign roughly a year ago, shortly after winning 2022's Pitch Black competition.

Agboola and Coleman had initially hoped to open the center last summer. The center is instead slated to open in summer 2024.

...continues at the Portland Business Journal ($).

[downtownpdx]

That’s great news!

Btw just seeing the previous posts from last summer.. the Paris Theater renovation still happening?

[maccoinnich]

Via Portland Maps, proposed office-to-residential conversion at the Mason Ehrman Building annex:

Conversion Of Existing Building (Contributing Resource In A Historic District) From Office To Residential Use. The Project Will Include Creation Of A Courtyard On The Interior Of The Building.

[DMH]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Via Portland Maps, proposed office-to-residential conversion at the Mason Ehrman Building annex:

Excellent news! I had to Google Streetview it. Several years ago, the 2-story building was rehabbed for office use, I believe. While its two floors with a carved-out inner patio will not provide that much new housing, this office to residential conversion of an older building is exactly what I hope will occur throughout the central city.

[FiveOverPun]

Originally Posted by DMH

Excellent news! I had to Google Streetview it. Several years ago, the 2-story building was rehabbed for office use, I believe. While its two floors with a carved-out inner patio will not provide that much new housing, this office to residential conversion of an older building is exactly what I hope will occur throughout the central city.

Yeah, when most people advocate for office-to-residential, I don't think they're anticipating it being on a two story building... but a couple dozen occupied homes is better than an empty office building!

Now if only we could do something about all the surface parking lots...

[maccoinnich]

A building permit has been submitted for the conversion of the Paris Theater into the Portland home for the Can Can Culinary Cabaret, first announced in February 2022:

SINGLE PDF - CHANGE OF OCCUPANCY FROM A-1 TO A-2, IMPROVEMENTS TO EXISTING THEATER INCLUDING NEW MEZZANINE, NEW RESTROOM, STAGE MODIFICATIONS, AND NEW BAR. REPAIRS TO EXISTING RESTROOM.

[pdxsg34]

EA app posted for the Mason Erhman Building (and/or Annex facing Everett?) at 208 NW 5th Ave...

Conversion Of Existing Building (Contributing Resource In A Historic District) From Office To Residential Use. The Project Will Include Creation Of A Courtyard On The Interior Of The Building.

[DMH]

Footwear and apparel hub proposed:

https://www.oregonlive.com/business/...d-a27bcd4c17bd.