Not to be outdone by the nearby developments in Beaverton aka Breakside Brewery, Loyal Legion and Portland Cider (to name a few) the city of Hillsboro is set to welcome Ex Novo Brewing, Grand Central Bakery, Sizzle Pie, and The Sudra. The city is partnering with Henry Point Development & Redside Development (Stonefly Investors, LLC) they wil redevelop the 17,000-square-foot former US Bank Building at 210 East Main Street – located at the key intersection of 2nd and Main Street in Downtown Hillsboro. The city will also get the second location of SteepleJack Brewing in 2022.

More from a media announcement:

Construction on the $8.25 million project could begin as early as later this month. The company is working to close its purchase of the vacant property that will be the future home of four popular tenants that represent well-known brands in the Portland metro region:

• Ex Novo Brewing Company, serving craft beer and seasonal pub fare.

• Grand Central Bakery, offering artisan bread, pastries, sandwiches, and coffee.

• Sizzle Pie, offering East Coast-style pizza with west coast sensibility.

• The Sudra, a popular PDX plant-based Indian cuisine with an expanded cocktail program.

“We’re so excited to invest in Downtown Hillsboro with the opening of our newest bakery & café,” said Grand Central Bakery CEO Claire Randall. “We look forward to our customers gathering inside and out to enjoy our delicious bread, pastries, sandwiches, and coffee.”

"Ex Novo Brewing is excited to partner up with the tenants, developers, and the City of Hillsboro to expand dining options and job opportunities in this beautiful stretch of Main Street in Downtown Hillsboro,” said Brandon Sharp, Director of Operations of Ex Novo Brewing Company. “Ex Novo's focus on community drives our interest in pursuing projects where we can work with the local and surrounding communities as they also grow. This project will also allow us to continue to grow our core mission of giving back to local and global communities, while providing opportunities and equitable jobs within the service industry."

The project will also include a complete renovation of the building’s core & shell, including:

• a 3,000-square-foot, all-season roof top deck, served by an elevator providing Americans with Disabilities Act access.

• a large, European-style plaza space in the former drive-through lanes on the south side of the building.

“We are excited to partner with the City to breathe new life into this prominent building, and to contribute to the ongoing revitalization of Downtown Hillsboro,” said Travis Henry, Owner of Henry Point Development. “The extensive outdoor spaces that have been proposed, including a large roof deck and plaza space in the former drive-through lanes, would not be viable without the City’s support and are the main reason that we were able to attract such talented and popular tenants to the project.”

“The pandemic has showed us the importance of gathering together, and we are very grateful to see this coming in,” said Hillsboro Mayor Steve Callaway. “This project will create even more options for people to choose from in Downtown Hillsboro. It also creates one more draw, one more reason for new residents and people throughout the metro area to visit and enjoy walking, shopping, and dining on Hillsboro’s historic Main Street.”

The second phase of the project calls for a future mixed-use development on the adjacent parking lot, featuring approximately 60 apartment units.

Enhancing Downtown Hillsboro

Downtown Hillsboro already has a robust mix of established businesses. New and planned commercial developments – like the redevelopment of 210 East Main Street – are drawing more interest in and activity to Downtown Hillsboro as a destination for people who live in surrounding neighborhoods and communities.

The redevelopment of 210 East Main Street will complement the Hillsboro Arts & Culture District with murals and artwork that enhance the quality of life and pedestrian experience for everyone. It will also benefit the surrounding areas in the Health & Education District and the greater Downtown as a whole, as well as nearby projects, such as the Merrill Gardens mixed-use senior living development and the future Block 67 mixed-use development.

Other recent Downtown development projects include the restored Venetian restaurant and theatre, the expanded Collective Market, and a new wine bar and wine production space jointly owned by two local wineries.

“As our Downtown grows with the addition of Merrill Gardens senior-living apartments and the future development of Block 67, this exciting project goes hand-in-hand with our continuing support of the historic heart of our community,” added Mayor Callaway. “I am so excited to think of our community coming together for good food and good company on what will be the only roof top deck we know of between Portland and McMinnville.”

Public-Private Partnership

As a currently vacant property, 210 East Main Street is not contributing to the community's economic vitality. The City of Hillsboro has sought to support the developer's vision to reimagine the property, moving from a bank to an exciting and unique collective of quality food and beverage purveyors.

The Hillsboro Economic Development Council (HEDC) has previously supported the redevelopment of the site with a predevelopment matching grant of up to $50,000 to assist with site feasibility, design, and due diligence. The HEDC Council recently approved expanded support totaling $720,000 in Urban Renewal funds (including the prior $50,000) to assist in the rehabilitation and redevelopment of the building, including:

• tenant improvements for new retail spaces and restaurants

• storefront improvements

• the elevator-served roof top deck

• the outdoor plaza space

“This is a key public private partnership between Hillsboro, Stonefly Investors LLC, and the tenants to reimagine a large vacated and underutilized site on a key corner in Historic Downtown Hillsboro,” said Hillsboro Economic and Community Development Director Dan Dias. “This exciting project has the potential to deliver an exciting new amenity to our Downtown and provide benefits to our whole community, especially within the broader Downtown area.”