Kerns Corner Triplex Poised To Swap Tenants For Tomes And Lattes

The old American Foursquare at the corner of NE Glisan and 30th in Kerns looks headed for a new chapter. Drawings filed with city planners propose turning the 1905 triplex at 2953 NE Glisan into a ground-floor bookshop and coffee spot called Massalia Books & Cafe. The plan would shift the building’s use from residential R-2 to business B, add an accessible platform lift at the front, and keep food preparation limited to cold assembly and reheating. Neighbors have already spotted work lights and a dumpster as contractors start interior work on the recently sold property.

Plans call for cafe, platform lift and limited cooking

City application materials describe a tenant-improvement project that keeps most of the house intact while reconfiguring the first floor for public dining and service and creating an office or administrative kitchenette upstairs. The project’s Portland BDS permit set shows the change in occupancy, the proposed accessible route via a platform lift, and a kitchen limited to cold assembly and reheating. It also details new plumbing work, including multiple floor sinks and a mop sink tied into a grease interceptor. The drawings list Peter Meijer Architect, PC as the architect of record and lay out floor plans for the basement, level 1 and level 2.

Who’s behind the conversion

The house sold in mid October 2025 for roughly $750,000, according to public records. Redfin lists the sale and the multi-unit property details, including the 1905 construction year and triplex layout. Project filings identify Laurelhurst Asset Management LLC as the owner, and neighborhood reporting says the street-level space is intended for Massalia Books & Cafe. Bridgetown Bites first reported the conversion and the county health-plan review referenced in the files.

Code appeals and basement work

An administrative appeal filed for the project and the city’s Portland BDS appeal record outline requested alternates for basement ceiling height, exterior stair separation and other items. That record shows the basement will be used for staff storage and building systems, including the grease interceptor, rather than public seating. Several alternates, including reduced basement ceiling height and certain stair exceptions, were granted with conditions. The appeal materials and drawings also address an attic opening and egress geometry and lay out mitigation steps the project team must satisfy.

Next steps and timeline

Before Massalia Books & Cafe can open, the operator must meet Multnomah County’s food-service conditions and the project needs final inspections and sign-offs. Bridgettown Bites reports that the Multnomah County Health Department sent a letter approving construction plans with conditions, and that related plumbing and mechanical work was recorded this spring. Once the remaining permit items and inspections are cleared, the conversion can move to final approvals and an occupancy date can be set.

A bookshop-cafe on that corner of Kerns would add a quieter daytime draw to this stretch of NE Glisan and give neighbors a low-key gathering spot. We will continue to watch public filings and local reports for permit milestones and any announced opening date.