What's that happening at the former Liberty Plaza in downtown Salem?
Location: 285 Liberty St. NE
Description: Liberty Plaza, a longtime staple in downtown, is undergoing a major transformation.
Now rebranded as the Forge, the three-story property at southwest Chemeketa and Liberty streets NE is set to get a new exterior facade and new tenants.
"A forge is where you create things, and we are trying to create things downtown," Clutch Industries Inc. founder and owner Chris Blackburn said.
He hopes it'll be a catalyst of change for the downtown block.
Doty Pruett Wilson PC Certified Public Accountants will occupy the entire third floor with their expanded headquarters.
The second floor is being turned into 23 suites with amenities for a salon collective, according to the Tradition Real Estate Partners listing. A cocktail and coffee bar is already a confirmed tenant for the floor, and developers are considering turning the adjoining skybridge into a waiting room for the salons.
Developers hope to open the first floor for "exciting food and entertainment, like wine tasting rooms, brunch spots, or sports bars with roll-up door access for indoor/outdoor seating."
Renderings posted on the listing show outdoor dining, new signage for the Forge replacing the red Liberty Plaza sign and a new facade with access to the adjoining skybridge, street parking and nearby Chemeketa Parkade.
The availability of parking was a big selling point for tenants.
The building is 80,724 square feet and was built in 1954 as a $3-million Lipman, Wolfe & Co. store.
When plans were announced in 1953, it was part of a decadelong department store boom in Salem. Meier & Frank had recently outlined plans for its downtown store. Sears went on to construct a store in the Capitol Shopping Center.
Once it was completed, the Lipman store was the largest department store in Oregon outside of Portland.
The store had four floors, including a tea room called the Cherry Room, a lunch counter called the Chocolate Bar, a beauty salon and a fourth-floor terrace. Lipman's is oft-remembered for its Cinnamon Bear radio story Christmas advertisement.
The Oregon Statesman reported that tea for nearly 200 guests would be served daily in Lipman’s elegant Cherry Room.
“Tea at Lipman’s will become as much a Salem tradition as picnics in Bush’s Pasture and concerts in Willson Park,” store officials told the Oregon Statesman.
The store opened with a pink ribbon cutting and an antique hand-carved sled once owned by a duchess in Queen Marie Antoinette's court filled with 30 dozen roses.
After 25 years on Liberty Street, the store changed hands when all six Oregon Lipman stores were bought by Marshall Fields in 1979.
The store closed for two days and reopened under the name Frederick & Nelson. The store suddenly closed in 1986, laying off 40 employees and boarding up its windows.
Over the next decade, the building became an eyesore. The city was in the process of condemning the building when it sold to a new developer in 1995.
The developer renovated the site and renamed it Liberty Plaza.
Tenants announced in 1995 and 1996 included Pastabilities Restaurant, Portland chain Coffee People, Bagel Sphere, Footwear Express, cellular phone store Communications Central and handcrafted gift market Northern Exposure.
Over the years, Liberty Plaza was home to Starbucks, Si Como No Cafe and Deli, Mindventures game and book store, teen dance club Razzles II, various spas, salons and art galleries, Roly Poly Sandwiches, Madison Avenue Urban Outlet, Project Space art and performance pop-ups, Tipton's Coins Cards Jewelry, Flipside Nightclub, Max Fitness and Thai Orchid.
The closure and relocation of several businesses left many storefronts vacant in recent years.
With the departure of JCPenney and the demolition of a bank leaving behind "the pit," a fenced hole in the ground, the intersection at Liberty and Chemeketa has struggled in recent years. But recent developments are hinting at a turnaround for north downtown.
A 98-unit apartment complex is planned for the site abutting the pit. To the north, Rivenwood Apartments is set to open later this year. Block 50 to the west is also slated for a massive redevelopment.
Earlier this year, an application was filed on behalf of owner Clutch Industries for an interior renovation of the Forge at 285 Liberty St. NE. The permit is currently in review.
Clutch Industries has been involved in a wide array of projects in Salem and Keizer, including renovating 217 State St. and 140 Front St. NE to bring businesses like breweries, restaurants and coffee shops to the corner of downtown near Riverfront Park.
Source: City of Salem/Tradition Real Estate Partners listing
Read more: What's that under construction in the Salem area?
Is there something under construction you'd like to tell us about or find out more about? Contact reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: What's happening at the former Liberty Plaza in Salem, Oregon?