A Commercial Conversion in NE Portland: House To Cafe

This spring I came across a project that I find, for whatever reason, fascinating: A commercial conversion in NE Portland, with the goal of transforming a house into a cafe—and possibly a bookstore. It’s a triplex that was built in 1905 and sits on the corner of NE Glisan and 30th Avenue in the Kerns neighborhood.

Now, will it actually happen? As the Magic 8 Ball often says, “Outlook Good.” Here’s what we know.

Who Owns the Property?

Laurelhurst Asset Management LLC owns the property. They purchased it from Steven and Dorothy Adam on October 14, 2025 for $750K. Over the years, the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, a Pentecostal Christian denomination, was recently involved as an owner, too. Looking at Google Street View, it doesn’t appear to have been an actual church, so it may have simply been an asset of the church—or, perhaps the parsonage.

Interesting that this house is an American Foursquare home that was owned by the Foursquare Church.

The Architect

The architect hired for this project is Peter Meijer Architect, PC (PMA). You may know their work with Grant High School, Portland Union Station, Milwaukie City Hall, Keller and Lovejoy Fountains, the Washington Park Reservoirs, and more. I do not think they would be hired for the job unless the property/business owner was confident this conversion had a high chance of success.

Peter Meijer is a name I see regularly in my Portland food news research travels. They write “Since our founding in 2003, PMA has focused on existing properties, believing that thoughtful design and preservation strengthen communities, protect cultural heritage, and support environmental sustainability.” They believe in adaptive re-use, engage in historic preservation, and implement modern design.

Scope of Work

Here’s what the commercial conversion plan of action included:

• Change of occupancy from R-2 (triplex) to B (coffee shop).
• Accessible route improvements via platform lift.
• Food preparation limited to cold assembly and reheating only; no frying, grilling, or grease-producing cooking permitted.
  • Cafe kitchen equipment would need to be approved by the Multnomah County Health Department

Additionally, there’s a permit filed that is under review, set up on February 4, 2026. A permit was issued on April 25, 2026 to remove a tub on first floor; repipe the half bath,;add a kitchen on first floor; add 4 floor sinks, a floor drain, and a mop sink into a grease interceptor; and add a sump pump in basement.

Three Floors: Basement, Level 1, Level 2

There are three levels—the basement, Floor 1 and Floor 2, which are referred to as Level 1 an Level 2 in the plans. When the house was purchased, each of these levels was configured into a one bedroom flat. A kitchen area will remain on the Level 1, the public space; a kitchenette will be created on Level 2 for what looks like an office/administrative floor. The basement will not have a kitchen and will be the domain of staff and storage.

The Attic

There seems to be a point of issue having to do with a singular west attic-level window opening, located within a hipped dormer. The hipped dormer is a defining characteristic of the American Foursquare.

Because of its location—not really in a wall but pretty much under the roof—the assertion is that it meets code as-is regarding sprinkler protection. The attic will not be accessible to or used by the public, and only entered for maintenance needs; the door to the attic would be permanently closed. In their words:

“The window is located at a level of the house which will be unoccupied and closed off from regular access. Therefore, leaving the window as an unprotected opening does not pose an increased fire and life safety risk to occupants.”

They are in a bit of a holding pattern waiting for the appropriate city official to look at their argument. Here’s a photo from the real estate listing of the interior of the attic:

An Interesting Bit of Permit History for This Property

This was listed in the permit history: One was issued in 1942 stating, “Change store into single-family living unit under War Code Article 13″ (multiple units are implied by ‘Stores & Flats’ use type, therefore R-2 occupancy).”

You can read about War Code Article 13 on Oregon.gov. I thought I’d include this part from this 2019 Master’s thesis by Kerrie Franey, because it’s relevant to this article and interesting in respect to the housing issues Portland is dealing with today in 2026.

“Portland’s War Code Housing Program of 1942-1956 created nearly immediate housing
for the influx of war industry workers by promoting internal conversions and accessory dwelling units such as garages, outbuildings, and trailers. Portland’s population increased by almost twenty-five percent, or about 100,000 people, during World War II through inmigration. Defense industries such as the Kaiser Shipyards and Portland Steel were integral to the war effort, with the shipyards launching a new ship every other day. The federal government needed Portland to keep producing war materials, and this meant Portland’s local government needed to recruit, house, and retain workers.

“The housing of war workers and their families was critical to successful production. Newspaper articles and letters between Mayor Earl Riley and Defense Housing officials in
Washington, DC demonstrate this emphasis on getting in-migrant workers off the street and out of the rain. Planned housing projects could not meet immediate demands as construction took time and used resources needed for war production.

“A legislative solution known as Article 13 of the War Code, enacted in July of 1942,
relaxed building code requirements to promote small internal conversions of the existing
building stock and the use of accessory dwelling units such as garages, outbuildings, and trailers. Citizens were asked to “do their part” for the war effort and open their homes and commercial space to newcomers flooding in to work in war-related industries. War Code Housing Program units were issued permits for residential use, thus creating a record of each project. War Code Housing succeeded because it created housing using minimal materials, minimal manpower, and minimum expense to owners. The newly-created units were usually located within a half mile of public transit and cost renters little as the federal government imposed rent control in war industry cities.”

The Shape the House Is in

I walked by the house this past weekend to see it for myself. There’s definitely work going on inside (there are bright work lights on the first floor visible from the street). There’s random pieces of wood on the porch and the place looks a little tired. And there’s a big dumpster outside in the back.

There seem to be three units, judging by the three mailboxes. One says, “North Pole” on it.

So Who Wants to Open a Cafe?

While Laurelhurst Asset Management LLC owns the property, the Multnomah County Health Department sent a letter to Massalia Books & Cafe saying their “food service facility” construction plans were approved—with some items and conditions that must be satisfied to get final approval. Fun fact: Massalia was an ancient Greek colony that is located in what we know today as the location of Marseilles, France.

If/when this project is completed, how great to have a space dedicated to books and a cafe, It makes me think a bit of an older, softer, and kinder Portland. Hopefully with comfy upholstered furniture that makes you want to stick around for a while. Rimsky Korsakoffee House comes to mind.

I’ll keep an eye on this project and update you with new information I receive over time.

Commercial Conversion to Cafe (for potentially Massalia Books & Cafe)
In process
2953 NE Glisan Street, Portland