By Ted Perkins

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On December 27, Rob Brewster’s Seattle-based InterUrban Development company purchased the former Gordon’s Fireplace Shop building at 3300 N.E. Broadway in the Sullivan’s Gulch and Grant Park neighborhoods for just north of $3 million from the Jo-Ne Family Limited Partnership, managed by the Arntson family of Albina Fuel. Rather than demolish the 100-year-old building, as many neighbors had speculated, Brewster plans to redevelop the property – with a complete seismic upgrade – as two floors of creative office space over 8000 square feet of ground-floor retail.

The former aircraft factory, which manufactured spruce airplane wings and pontoons during World War I, offers 18-foot ceilings, old-growth beams and turn-of-the-century brickwork that would be nearly impossible to reproduce in today’s market. InterUrban has a reputation for successful renovation of historic buildings in the city, including the Pine Street Market in Old Town, the Under Armour headquarters in South Portland and the General Automotive building in the Pearl District. Portland’s Emerick Architects will serve as designer for the Gordon’s building renovation.

Gordon Malafouris, who ran his furniture business in the neighborhood for more than 60 years, passed away on December 13.

“It’s a beautiful old building with so much potential,” said Anders Meyer, a development associate at InterUrban. “Natural lighting was the main method for lighting when the building was constructed, so both the light and the views offered on the upper floors are amazing. We’ll be looking to tenant the ground floor with a food or beverage company – hopefully one with a manufacturing component – and we’ve reached out to several co-working companies we think might be a good fit for the upper floors. The intersection of the four great neighborhoods is just a very desirable location, and we’re excited to deliver this project for the community.”

Interior demolition on the building is already underway and, as InterUrban works through the permitting process with the city, the hope is to finish construction sometime in the spring of 2019.

Plans for a rooftop penthouse have been shelved for now, as well as the possibility of repurposing an old freight elevator as a cafe or espresso bar. A rooftop deck is now being considered as an amenity, and original windows on the eastern side of the building which have been covered for years will likely be exposed to bring even more light into the space. In a separate deal, InterUrban was able to secure access to the narrow lot at 3324 N.E. Broadway just east of the building, and that property will likely serve as surface parking for the development.

For more information, visit www.interurbandevelopment.com.

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