The 11th Avenue Cafe slated to open in the Perry District could be ready for thirsty customers as early as this fall.
The cafe's operations manager told KREM's Amanda Roley that the renovations could be done as early as fall 2019. The operations manager also said Roast House coffee will be the vendor at the cafe.
The latest designs for the proposed 11th Avenue Cafe includes plans for outdoor seating, paved steps and new store fronts. The developers said they want to keep the building true to its historical structure.
Before these plans can move forward, the Seattle-based company, InterUrban Development, had to get approval for the building to return to commercial use.
Documents from 1925 show the original use of the building was for a store. Then, over the years it turned into a residence.
The decision to open the cafe at its currently location sparked controvert in 2018 as residents didn't approve of the business opening at the location.
Residents who went to the conditional use hearing said they do not want the cafe and want to keep the area residential. Some people are concerned with traffic, others do not want alcohol served at the location and some are concerned about added noise.
Developers addressed the concerns saying parking is out of their control since the property has no space for parking. They also said, there are no plans for outdoor music or to serve alcohol at the cafe. Not all the neighbors are opposed to the project. Steve DeWalt with InterUrban Developement said several people in the area are excited about the cafe.
"This whole dialogue that everybody hates businesses in the neighborhood is false," DeWalt said.
KREM 2 spoke to a handful of residents living near the building who said they are excited to see the cafe come in, including Aaron Perkins, who lives a block away.
"Adding a cafe or hardware store or anything within the confines of the neighborhood would add more character and charm," Perkins said.
Perkins said he is not too concerned about the traffic or parking issues the cafe may bring.
"People around her already park on the streets and they have parties and block up the roads. We just find another place to park," Perkins said.
The cafe was approved in its current location despite the controversy.