Historic Landmarks Commission Recognizes Street Roots as a Project of the Year

Each year the Portland’s Historic Landmarks Commission selects two projects to highlight in their annual report and presentation to the City Council. This year, the Commission identified Street Roots' investment in their new property in Old Town as one of its Projects of the Year.

Located on the corner of West Burnside and 3rd Avenue, the three-story Wax Building was originally built in 1926. The Landmarks Commission noted that having the organization’s home in the historic building will bring a greater level of visibility to Street Roots, benefitting both the organization and the district as a whole. Holst is doing a robust renovation of the building to help Street Roots expand and grow its program, increase its impact, and support more vendors.

Executive Director of Street Roots, Kaia Sand, appeared before Portland’s City Council on March 15th, 2023 to give testimony as a part of the Commission’s annual report. “I am so grateful to the Portland Historic Landmarks Commission for honoring the Street Roots Burnside building as one of the Projects of the Year,” Kaia Sand said. “In 2018, Dave Otte, Principal at Holst Architecture, pledged to me that when the time came, Holst would design a new space for Street Roots pro-bono. That was an incredible pledge and a significant seed of confidence, so when our services expanded beyond what we could really handle in our very tiny space, I called him, and this was during the pandemic, and he was ready.”

The project groundbreaking ceremony on March 16th, 2023 was a celebration of the organization and of this exciting design project. Street Roots vendors choreographed swing dancing and a procession with a rolling piano through the streets of Old Town, ending at the new tea shop Barnes and Morgan. “This groundbreaking is about cultivating joy as we move forward with hope,” said Cody Pika Tavita McGraw, director of the Street Roots capital campaign.

This project is made possible by the support of many partners, with donations from the community and pro-bono services provided by local companies. You can support this project by donating to the Capital Campaign HERE. Learn more about the project’s design features HERE.