On the agenda: City announces 2 developers for former UGM site in downtown Salem

Whitney Woodworth, Salem Statesman Journal
Updated ·6 min read
A conceptual image of plans for Block 50 show mixed-use housing, dining and retail.
A conceptual image of plans for Block 50 show mixed-use housing, dining and retail.

This story was updated at 2:05 p.m. Friday

The city of Salem named the two developers it selected to redevelop and revitalize Block 50, the vacant patch of land in north downtown Salem that was once home to the Union Gospel Mission shelter.

Edlen & Co. and deChase Miksis were selected to jointly redevelop the property, which comprises nearly a city block north of Chemeketa Street between Commercial and Front Streets, according to agenda for the the Urban Renewal Agency Board meeting on Monday.

“Developing BLOCK 50 is a milestone for our downtown revitalization," Salem Mayor Chris Hoy said. "It’s an exciting project that I hope sparks even more development in the future. We are working tirelessly to support housing and economic development in this city, it’s great to see it pay off."

The concept for the site is a mixed-use development that includes two phases of blended market rate and affordable multi-family housing with retail and public space. City officials said the development team brings decades of urban mixed-use development and operating experience and a long track record of successfully completing public-private partnerships. The city bought the properties on the block to revitalize the site. UGM relocated its shelter to a new, bigger location a couple of blocks north, Saffron Supply moved north, Runaway Art and Craft Studio moved and ABC Music Company closed.

The UGM properties were purchased by the city for $1.57 million. The Saffron properties cost $2.09 million. The ABC Music property cost $410,530.

Demolition of the structures once housing the Union Gospel Mission of Salem, ABC Music and Saffron Supply Co. began in late 2022.
Demolition of the structures once housing the Union Gospel Mission of Salem, ABC Music and Saffron Supply Co. began in late 2022.

Some of the buildings were fire-damaged and in poor condition from years of deferred maintenance, and demolition and abatement had to be undertaken before the city could open the land to developers. Crews razed the buildings in late 2022.

City leaders dubbed the project Block 50 and opened the site up for offers from developers.

Late last year, Kristin Retherford, Salem's director of Community Planning and Development, told the Statesman Journal the development would change the profile of the city's center and add vitality and energy to the northwest corner of downtown.

The city outlined several goals for the site, including a mix of affordable housing, public open space, retail and commercial uses.

Retherford said this could include a grocery or other business that would address a needed service to the growing downtown residential population.

“This is a key site within the Riverfront-Downtown Urban Renewal Area and the acquisition, site preparation, and redevelopment of the property has been a goal of the Downtown Advisory Board for nearly a decade," Retherford said Friday. "It’s both exciting and rewarding to see their vision move from concept to reality, and for our urban renewal program to bring new life and opportunity to this area."

Edlen & Co. is based in Portland and has a portfolio of projects across Oregon, Idaho, and Washington. They were involved in the Pearl District's Brewery Blocks, a five-block, mixed-use historical preservation project that includes apartments, offices, a theater, restaurants and a Whole Foods store.

The developer also has been involved in affordable housing projects like the Nick Fish building in Portland.

DeChase Miksis is a northwest developer with offices in Eugene, Bend and Boise. Their projects include working with the city of Eugene on the adaptive reuse of the historic EWEB Steam Plant and renovation of the 1940s-era warehouse on 1203 Willamette into retail and commercial development.

Salem's evaluation process to select a developer for Block 50

The city of Salem opened up applications for developers for Block 50 in July.

According to city documents, an evaluation committee comprised of Downtown Advisory Board Members and city staff reviewed seven proposals. Based on the development team responses, the top three highest-scoring teams moved on through the selection process.

"Edlen & Co. and deChase Miksis, along with two other development teams, were invited to participate in an in-person interview opportunity and were asked to share more details on their project vision and answer six additional questions," city staff said in a report to the Urban Renewal Agency Board.

The evaluation committee for the in-person interviews included two councilors, the executive director of Salem Housing Authority and city staff.

"The results of the second evaluation committee scoring concluded that the project concept/vision, and development experience provided by Edlen & Co. best aligned with the redevelopment goals for the site," city staff said.

At the Monday meeting, the agency board is set to vote on whether to execute a memorandum of understanding to formally memorialize the results of the evaluation process to select Edlen & Co. and deChase Miksis as this development team for Block 50.

The terms of an agreement will be presented to the Urban Renewal Agency Board for consideration at an unnamed future date.

Other items on the Salem City Council agenda

Other agenda items for the Salem City Council meeting on Monday include:

  • A vote on whether to authorize the city manager to apply for and accept a Federal Aviation Administration Airport Improvement Program and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grant funds for security and infrastructure improvements at the Salem Municipal Airport.

  • An information report on commercial air service at the Salem Municipal Airport.

  • A vote on whether to authorize the city manager to apply for grant funding to develop a transportation corridor plan for Front Street NE, from the Front Street NE Bypass to South Street NE, through the U.S. Department of Transportation's RAISE program. The transportation corridor plan, which is expected to cost $2.5 million to $5 million, could be key for the revitalization of the Truitt Bros. Cannery project into the mixed-use Cannery development. A plan for transportation improvements is needed due to safety issues resulting from the railroad alignment in the middle of Front Street NE.

  • An update on the Revenue Task Force, which is set to meet seven times, to consider feedback from eight focus groups, three town halls and a statistically valid poll, and deliberate revenue options for the city before presenting a recommendation to Salem City Council in July.

How to participate in the Salem City Council meeting

The meeting is at 6 p.m. It will be held in person in the City Council Chambers at the Salem Civic Center, 555 Liberty St. SE, and also can be watched on Comcast Cable CCTV Channel 21 or on the Salem YouTube channel in English/American Sign Language and Spanish.

Those wishing to comment in person can sign up on the rosters at the chamber entrance before the start of the meeting.

Written public comments on agenda items can be emailed by 5 p.m. Monday to cityrecorder@cityofsalem.net. Or preregister between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday at cityofsalem.net/Pages/Public-Comment-at-Salem-City-Council-Meeting.aspx to speak during the meeting via Zoom.

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter at @wmwoodworth

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Salem announces 2 developers for former UGM site in downtown