Credit: Daily Journal of Commerce

McMenamins is on the prowl to transform another interesting old abandoned building into a boutique hotel. This time, its eyes are on the Mount Hood Masonic Lodge, located on North Commercial Ave. adjacent to McMenamins’ own Chapel Pub. Ideally, the company would connect the two buildings with a parking lot and garden space.

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The lodge would be the third and largest McMenamins hotel to grace North Portland—boasting a estimated 46 rooms. The company also hopes to squeeze a couple pubs, a restaurant, an event venue and a spa into the three-story building. But getting there won’t be easy.

The old building (built in the 1920s) was set on fire by ruffians in the late 80s, leaving it in need of some serious refurbishing, as well as a seismic upgrade. “But you can see the remnants of the grandeur that was there and these big, enormous spaces that were used for ceremonies and meetings,” Tim Hills, McMenamins historian told the Daily Journal of Commerce. Hills hopes to return the building to its once classy state.

Plans for reconstruction and beyond remain in the preliminary stages. The company’s concept is currently open to public comment and plan review and awaits the first steps in the approval process.

Alex Zielinski is a former News Editor for the Portland Mercury. She's here to tell stories about economic inequities, cops, civil rights, and weird city politics that you should probably be paying attention...

18 replies on “Another McMenamins Hotel in NoPo?”

  2. DESPITE ALL THE SHIT WE GIVE THEM FOR MEDIOCRE FOOD, POOR BEER AND BAD SERVICE; THEY ARE DOING MORE THAN ANY OTHER GROUP OR BUSINESS IN THE NORTHWEST TO HELP PRESERVE THE ARCHITECTURAL HISTORICAL LEGACIES OF OUR CITIES. I RESPECT THEM FOR THAT.

  3. I AGREE WITH GRAHAM. I THINK WHAT THEY’RE DOING IS EXCELLENT. I WISH OTHER BUSINESSES COULD GET IN ON IT, TOO. TO HAVE SOME DIVERSITY IN THESE SPACES. BUT I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THEIR WORK.

    ALSO, I DON’T MIND THEIR BEER. I KNOW I MAY LOSE MY BEER APPRECIATORS CLUB CARD FOR SAYING SO, BUT I KIND OF LIKE IT ACTUALLY. IT’S CERTAINLY MORE PLEASANT THAN BUD LITE. AS FOR FOOD, IT’S HARD TO SCREW UP TATER TOTS. I DON’T HAVE HIGH EXPECATIONS OF FOOD AT ANY PUB.

  6. #2,3 AGREEEEED

    I JUST HOPE THEY HAVE MORE THAN TWO SERVERS WORKING ON OPENING NIGHT. THE NIGHTMARES I USED TO GET WHEN I WAITED TABLES LOOK TO BE WHAT WORKING AT A MCMENAMINS WOULD BE IN REALITY.

  8. I GREATLY RESPECT THEIR EFFORTS AT HISTORICAL PRESERVATION. THEIR FOOD IS FINE. I DON’T MIND THE BEER. I HAVE FOUND THE SERVICE NON-GREAT BUT ALSO LARGELY INOFFENSIVE.

    MY ONLY BEEF WITH MCMENAMINS IS THAT NO MATTER HOW NICE YOU ARE TO THE SERVERS OR HOW WELL YOU TIP, THEY ALWAYS CAREFULLY MEASURE OUT YOUR DRINK, NO MATTER WHAT. AS SOMEONE WHO GREATLY ENJOYS BOOZE, THAT IS SOMEWHAT CHAGRIN-INDUCING.

  9. Maybe they should next look at Kennedy School II, aka Washington High School. Next to a parks aquatic center. Sharing parking. Films in the auditorium and music booking by someone who knows what they are doing, like A. Rose.

  14. @ 12, As I recall, U is for Unsafe, and it’s to tell the Fire Department not to enter the building if it’s on fire as it may collapse more readily than other buildings on fire.

  15. This is an interesting choice for McMenamins. It may be an interesting building, full of grandeur, etc. etc., but it looks out onto some ugly tennis courts and, beyond that, a fairly uninteresting football field. It would also seem to be a fairly undesirable location to spend the night. It’s near PCC, I guess, so it’s convenient to that. Given the flux that Jefferson High is in, do they have an eye on that down the road?

  17. I dunno, I always figured service at most McMenamins was more reflective of the fact that 20 to 200 or so people all want their food and drink orders at the same time (when the show starts), rather than spread out over the course of an evening.

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