After arriving in Portland in 1994 as a Habitat for Humanity volunteer, Eli’s first paid job was with Rose’s Ice Cream at their (prior) Fremont location. When that store closed a couple years later, he bought the old ice cream machine, flavorings, old-fashioned sundae goblets, milkshake and waffle cone machines, and other odds-and-ends. Over the ensuing years, Eli used this equipment to make big batches of ice cream and host increasingly large community ice cream socials. Needless to say, he was very excited to see Rose’s re-open on NE 42nd Ave.
Flash forward “a few” years… and now, Rose’s Ice Cream will be Orange Splot LLC’s foray into mixed-use, commercial development!
Property: 10,540 square feet
Building: 2,000 square feet
Orange Splot is also interested in opportunities to activate the remainder of the property/ parking lot that surrounds the building. The site currently co-hosts the Cully Farmer’s Market, something we are excited to continue. Other ideas may include a farm supply store, seed trading post, or something else desired by local businesses and community members.
The ten year plan is, generally, to redevelop the site into some sort of affordable, mixed-use project. NE 42nd Avenue has the potential to follow suit with some of Portland’s other commercial corridors, which are no longer affordable to local businesses or residents (and frequently no longer offer day-to-day services for residents, catering instead to visitors or wealthy shoppers). We are working closely with Our 42nd Ave, a local economic development initiative, to chart a different path for our small business district.
Project Status
Site was purchased in May, 2016. Gina Landtiser operated it as Gina’s Cafe through Feb. 2017. Next step… We’ll know soon!