Editor’s note: Building Salem is a twice-monthly feature from Salem Reporter intended to highlight planned building projects around the city. Is there a building going up that you’re curious about? Let us know by emailing [email protected].
Name: Edgewater Landing
Project type: New construction, retail and commercial
Location: 1690 Edgewater St. N.W. (West Salem)
Cost: Developer would spend about $5 million to finish the project based on current plans
Size: 22,000 square feet
Estimated completion: Not clear, no construction start date planned
Description: Plans to build a retail hub on the south end of Edgewater Street are on hold after site work was completed to get the location ready for building.
Developers recently finished work on the site and parking lot to make it building-ready.
The property, called Edgewater Landing, is being leased by First Commercial Real Estate, but broker Jennifer Martin said it doesn’t make financial sense for the owners to begin construction until about half the space is pre-leased to businesses.
Construction costs now are high enough that finding tenants who can pay rents needed to justify construction is difficult, she said.
“There are a number of tenants I think would like to be there that just flat out can’t afford it,” she said.
The property is owned by Edgewater Landing LLC, a company controlled by Salem brothers Paul, Tom and Jim Hammer. Martin said they went ahead with the site work so building permits wouldn’t expire, but don’t have plans to begin construction until more businesses sign on.
The location is visible on a major retail street in West Salem, near Safeway and next door to the retail complex that houses Urban Grange and Westside Taphouse.
April 2024 building statistics from the city of Salem
Multifamily building permits issued: 1 permit for 12 units
Total multifamily building permits issued since July 2023: 17 permits for 215 units
New dwelling permits issued: 34
Total new dwelling permits issued since July 2023: 297
New commercial and industrial permits issued: 11
Total new commercial and industrial permits permits issued since July 2023: 46
Correction: Due to an error in the city’s monthly permit report, this article incorrectly stated the total number of new dwelling permits in April and for the year to date. The figures have been updated. Salem Reporter apologizes for the error.
Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.
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Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers city news, education, nonprofits and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade. Outside of work, she’s a skater and board member with Salem’s Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be found with her nose buried in a book.
