The long-awaited James Beard Public Market is finally opening in Portland

The long-awaited James Beard Public Market is finally coming to downtown Portland, Jessica Elkan, executive director of the James Beard Public Market, confirmed in a statement on Monday, October 28.

The new facility will include 40 small businesses, including a fish market, a butcher shop, a cheese shop, restaurants, a teaching kitchen and more, according to the release. The first phase of the market is scheduled to open in 2025 near Pioneer Courthouse Square. The entire project is scheduled to be completed in September 2026. The market is named after culinary icon and chef James Beard, who was born in Portland in 1903. Willamette Week reports that the market will accept the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) when it opens, making it more accessible to low-income Portlanders.

James Beard Public Market

The public market has been in development for well over a decade, with land around the Morrison Bridge acquired in 2012 for a “Pike Place-style market.” The first proposals for the project date back to 2008 or 2009. In 2014, the developers held a forum to solicit public opinion, and a first draft was presented in 2015. In 2019, the team behind the project began considering a new location nearby at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) or in the South Waterfront neighborhood after issues arose with the proposed downtown location.

Construction is being led by BCV Architects, the group behind the Ferry Building in San Francisco and the Oxbow Public Market in Napa. The sprawling market covers 38,140 square meters, including a rooftop terrace, and will be open seven days a week.

“We are proud to announce that a public market is coming to Oregon at the perfect time,” Elkan said in a statement shared with Eater Portland. “James Beard had a long and celebrated career deeply inspired by Oregon's natural bounty, and at his eponymous market we will celebrate Oregon as the culinary capital of the world, showcasing everything we grow, produce, craft and fish under one roof Oregon growing up.”

Currently, the public market is attempting to raise $3 million in capital to purchase the building at 622 SW Alder Street; It reached a budget of $1.5 million. According to a public market representative, the team is currently preparing the vendor selection process and will announce more details in early 2025.