One of downtown Salem’s last vacant blocks could become affordable housing, a food hall and event space, or a mixed-use building combining apartments with ground-level stores. Six developers submitted plans to the city of Salem to develop “Block 45,” the block next to Pringle Creek that’s bounded by Southeast Commercial, Front and Trade streets. Sheri Wahrgren, the city’s downtown revitalization manager, previously described the block as “the last amazing site next to Pringle Creek.” Applications were due in early November. The city of Salem released a list of firms that applied and a general description of projects in response to a public records request from Salem Reporter. Here’s who applied: Capstone Developers, a Portland and Seattle-based development firm, proposed a mixed-used building with 90 apartments and business space. The company is behind the logistics center at Salem’s Mill Creek Corporate Center that’s currently occupied by Amazon and touts its fast progress obtaining building permits, designing the space and closing on a land purchase in three and a half months. Portland-based Community Development Partners and the Salem Housing Authority proposed a 125-unit affordable apartment building with business space. Community Development Partners is behind the development of Salem’s largest affordable housing development, Mahonia Crossing, a 313-unit community in south Salem that opened this fall. OREEO LLC proposed a mixed-use building with business and event space and 40 apartments, which would all be designated affordable housing. Salem developer Richard Berger’s proposal includes an incubator — a space to help start-up businesses get off the ground — as well as market space, event space and a food hall. It did not list any residential units. Berger has been involved in multiple major construction projects in Salem through jobs at Mountain West Investment Corp. and Neighborly Ventures, which helped develop the Jory Apartments near Oregon State Hospital. Skyline Builders LLC, a Salem firm, proposed a mixed-use building with about 60 apartments, 20% of which would be affordable. The company has built apartment complexes across Oregon and Washington, including the recent Fisher Park Apartments in Salem. DIG Real Estate, a Lake Oswego developer, proposed a 119-unit apartment building with business space. The company is behind several large apartment projects in the Portland area, including a recent Tigard development called the Steward, which included solar credits for residents. Kristin Retherford, Salem’s director of community planning and development, said city officials will likely narrow the applicants down to three top teams and interview them in early 2025. She said those interviews have not been scheduled. A second city effort to develop a downtown block, Block 50, is also underway. City officials in February named firms Edlen & Co. and deChase Miksis as developers for the project and said the lot would mix apartments, businesses and public space. The city is still in discussions with the developers about the future of the block, along with environmental and archaeological analysis, city spokeswoman Nicole Miller said. Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241. A MOMENT MORE, PLEASE– If you found this story useful, consider subscribing to Salem Reporter if you don’t already. Work such as this, done by local professionals, depends on community support from subscribers. Please take a moment and sign up now – easy and secure: SUBSCRIBE. The post Six developers submit plans to transform downtown Salem’s Block 45 appeared first on Salem Reporter.