By Ben Earle | Secretary, CNA LUTC
The Land Use & Transportation Committee last month welcomed some news on the Concordia development front.
Henry Point Development and Edge Development last month announced they are partnering to acquire and transform the languishing J’s Food Mart property at Killingsworth Street and 33rd Avenue into a 4,850-square-foot Mud Bay pet store.
Designed by Michael Flowers Architects and WDY Engineers, principle project lead Travis Henry said the goal for the development is to breathe life into this long under-utilized site.
They will expand the existing 2,700-square-foot convenience shop into a modern, attractive, one-story store.
It will be Mud Bay’s 44th store in Oregon and Washington, its 10th in the Portland area, and it will be the company’s first to introduce a new self-serve pet washing service.
According to its website, Seattle-based Mud Bay is the Pacific Northwest’s premier independent pet retail chain, with natural, solution-based and competitively-priced foods and supplies for dogs and cats.
Started as a family business in 1988, Mud Bay has garnered praise across the years, including Pet Business magazine’s 2015 Retailer of the Year.
Mud Bay also is known for providing a supportive and engaging work environment, and recently extended company ownership to its 400 employees.
In addition to the appealing new building profile, site improvements include:
- Reworked frontage with space for eight cars and a new parking area for bicycles
- Pedestrian- and wheelchair-friendly connection from Killingsworth to the store’s entrance
- Tasteful landscaping
Construction is anticipated to start by year’s end, with opening targeted for next spring. “Mud Bay Concordia will be a high-quality retail development located in the heart of one of Portland’s most popular residential neighborhoods,” reported developer Henry.
“We are excited to be developing a project compatible with the scale and needs of the surrounding area by bringing a strong local retailer to a new audience of pet owners.”
He is a Portland native, who returned to Oregon in 2008 after college and post-graduate studies to work in environmentally-friendly agriculture and watershed restoration. He then transitioned into urban planning, and more recently into commercial and retail development.
He said his firm is committed to community-oriented projects that respect and enhance the unique character of Portland’s distinctive neighborhoods.