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…