Portland’s first and only Latino public market opened officially on Saturday, April 11, 2015 with La Gran Apertura – a grand opening party that drew founders and supporters of the years-long project to celebrate its completion.
Five years in the making, the Portland Mercado, developed by Hacienda CDC on Prosper Portland-owned property at 7238 SE Foster Road, hosts more than 15 Latino-owned businesses and food trucks offering everything from fresh produce and flowers to Cuban-Argentine fusion food. Prosper Portland helped throughout the planning process with grant funding and developing the co ncept and the business plan.
A $201,959 Community Livability Grant during FY 2013-14 funded the construction of a 500-square-foot commissary Kitchen and cold and frozen storage units, a $432,000 project within the Mercado site and an essential part of the larger development. The kitchen serves as incubation space for Latino entrepreneurs and can be used for nutrition and enrichment classes as well.
The Portland Mercado received the City of Portland’s 2014 Spirit of Portland award, has increased job capacity at Hacienda CDC and for small businesses in the region, and created 76 new jobs in the first quarter of operations.
Prosper Portland’s total investment in the project was more than $1 million, and the agency has extended a long-term lease of the property to Hacienda for $1 per year. We’ve been proud to contribute to a project that creates such a strong sense of community and place for Latinos and honors diverse cultures in our city.
