PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Ground was broken Friday for what will become Portland’s first 5-star hotel — a Ritz Carlton at the site where the famous Alder Street food cart pod held forth for years.
The 35-story hotel will rise at SW 10th and Alder in downtown Portland. Developers say the mixed-use hotel will include retail and office space, a food hall plus both hotel and residential units.
When it’s done, the Ritz-Carlton building will be the 4th-tallest in Portland, right behind the KOIN Tower. It’s expected to open in 2023.
There will be 251 rooms in the Ritz Carlton Hotel with another 138 condominiums on the top 11 floors.
The food carts were forced to move out June 30. No new location for those carts has yet been finalized.
As the event began, the introductory speaker said, “We would be remiss to not note the fact that the loss of the food carts is lamented. This project will bring an incredible number of people to this city and will be incredibly exciting and a great way to replace what was here.”
Actual construction will begin July 29 and will dig down 85 feet.
By Spring 2020 construction will be at street level and by December 2022 will be at the top.