Oregon Makers is an occasional series about creators, builders, and makers across Oregon who not only create but contribute to the built environment of Oregon’s cities in creative and impactful ways.

When the building, known as Perry’s Pharmacy Building that housed Main Street Collectors Mall & Soda Fountain in downtown Milwaukie was sold a couple years ago, the locals (myself included) were worried that the building would be demolished. 

The Loopnet ad at the time had this to say: 

“It could be restored, but the best use may be to redevelop it into apartments with retail below. The property would have a great view of the river for apartments/condos above the first floor.”

Eek. 

From the street level it didn’t look like a big footprint but it’s a huge space. 

Once home to a pharmacy, market, soda fountain, and, more recently, the antique mall, the block is now being carefully restored and reimagined for a new generation of small businesses.

The building was eventually sold and if you live nearby you’ve seen a lot of action taking place lately. No fence of doom here. It’s being retrofitted into numerous spaces for new businesses coming in. 

I got in touch with Nick Hess, a Milwaukie resident who serves on the city’s Planning Commission and on the board of the Downtown Alliance Milwaukie (D.A.M.). Working with the developer, Nick helped secure a state grant to restore the historic building.

Hess graciously answered my many questions I had about the space. Here’s the edited interview: 

Can you explain your role?

I live in Milwaukie and am a consultant focused on supporting local businesses. I am contracted to fill the owners rep role on this specific project. My role is quite broad ranging from project management, community and city liaison, to grant administration.

The building’s owner is a single-person developer that owns projects across Oregon, primarily focused in the Portland Metro region. He’s  been doing this for over 15 years and specializes in rehabilitating neglected commercial properties. In general he prefers to remain out of the spotlight.

What first drew you to this building, and what did you learn about its history as you began planning the project? 

When I saw the building list for sale I shared it with the developer. Living in Milwaukie and knowing the potential of the building and larger downtown area, I knew there was a big opportunity with this property. Not just from a financial perspective but also as part of community revitalization. After sharing my view with the developer, they engaged in discussion with the building owners and later closed on the project in Summer 2024. 

The building remained in the family of the original owners since it was constructed and was passed down through multiple generations. The most recent group of family members were getting to a point in their lives where they were not interested in maintaining and managing the building and decided to sell it. 

Were there any discoveries about the structure—or its time as an antique mall—that surprised you?

The southernmost building was originally used for cold storage and we discovered ~6″ of cork beneath the concrete floor slab and inside a small section of the original wall. This was used to insulate the cold storage for Ralph Cooper’s Market. This location was also used for cold storage lockers for folks to rent out before freezers became financially accessible in homes after WWII.

We also decommissioned an old smoke room in the back where sausage and other meats would hang to cure. There was a 4′ in ground pit below a steel grated floor where charcoal and wood would be lit.

We removed a small section of wall behind the soda fountain and revealed a portion of an old advertisement on the middle building that appears to read “Drink Coca Cola.” Since the buildings were built in stages from south to north, this was most likely an old advertisement painted on the side of the building before Perry’s Pharmacy was built on the corner of Main and Monroe. 

Any challenges? And were there any sort of incentives/grants? 

The main challenge we faced when reimagining the space was dealing with the depth and size of the tenant spaces facing Main Street. The two southernmost buildings are each about 3,700 square feet and 105′ deep. We first tried to lease the spaces as one large suite but most parties interested in leasing space were looking for something in the ~1,500 square foot range.

Because of this, we decided to divide the building by creating a common egress hallway and restrooms 1/3 of the way off the west wall. This resulted in the creation of a tenant space off of the alleyway that faces Monroe. To do this we had to cut a 23′ wide x 10′ tall opening in the 9″ thick concrete wall separating the south building with the middle building. This required a bit of engineering and steel reinforcement to make happen.

We partnered with the Downtown Alliance of Milwaukie to pursue and be awarded an Oregon Main Street Revitalization Grant from the State of Oregon. The Oregon Main Street Revitalization Grant program supports acquiring, building, or rehabilitating downtown properties in order to spur private investment, create or retain jobs, and support thriving local businesses. The grant specifically supported the addition of fire sprinklers and all new major building systems

We also received grant funding from the City of Milwaukie to support storefront and tenant improvements. These grants allowed us to make the tenant spaces more financially accessible to entrepreneurs and first time business owners looking to open their first brick and mortar location

How are you approaching the balance between preservation and modernization?

Besides the space the Collectors Mall was occupying, the rest of the buildings were largely gutted and altered from their original use when we took over. The most commonly known piece of history in the building is the soda fountain counter where JFK famously sat. It was really important to us to honor the history of the soda fountain and find an operator for this space that would carry on the legacy. Looking to modernization, we wanted to update all the building systems, provide fire safety via a sprinkler system to allow for additional uses, and bring the building up to current ADA standards. Adding these pieces reduces friction for the tenants operating in the building and guests that visit these businesses.  

What original elements or architectural details were most important to keep, and what challenges have come with retrofitting an older building? 

When inspecting the building for purchase we noticed the Collectors Mall space had some really interesting barrel trusses hidden above the suspended sheetrock ceiling. We exposed these to show the craftsmanship of the building and highlight this architectural detail. 

We removed the manufactured flagstone that was added to the corner building on Main and Monroe to bring back the original building facade. 

The southern and middle buildings have four skylights that help to bring in light to some of the deeper sections of the building. We made sure to keep these and update them with new seals without fully replacing them.

What kinds of uses or tenants do you hope will bring new life to the building? 

We currently have 7 of 8 leases signed for the building. The businesses that have announced thus far are Bridge City Improv (improv theater), Fizz n Sip (soda operator), and Sadies on Main (boutique retail). Yet to be announced businesses include a bakery, pizza shop, salon, and clothing retail. Expect to see those announced in May-June.

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How do you see this project contributing to the ongoing evolution of downtown Milwaukie?

We’re really excited to be part of connecting north and south downtown by activating and revitalizing a large section of the block between Monroe and Jefferson. This has largely been a dead space from a pedestrian experience perspective and there will now be six new businesses facing Main Street  where only one most recently existed. Two new business storefronts will also face Monroe Street, which the city envisions as the main entrance to Milwaukie Bay Park.

We saw a stepchange in activity downtown after the revitalization of the historic city hall and opening of Keeper Coffee and pFriem last year. We expect the new businesses opening in the building this year to contribute even further to the downtown renaissance Milwaukie has been experiencing.