Phoenix Black Bird construction moving ahead; grand opening targeted for May

Published 6:00 am Wednesday, November 22, 2023

Construction work on a new Black Bird store in Phoenix will resume after Thanksgiving with the installation of walls for the 22,000-square-foot retail outlet. The concrete pad is in place, and steel girders are sitting at the site.

“If things stay on schedule, we should be able to do a soft opening in April, with a grand opening in May, but it depends on the weather and things like that,” said Jonathan Quitt, vice president of the family owned business. Black Bird officials had said earlier this year that they hoped to open the store during the first quarter in 2024, but Quitt said there have been a few supply chain disruptions during the work.

JB Steel Construction is erecting the metal building on the site at 4403 S. Pacific Highway. The company also worked on construction of the first Black Bird on West Main Street in Medford, which is part metal and part block. The firm is located near the original store.

Land acquisition, construction costs and furnishings for the new store’s interior will represent an investment of over $6 million, said Quitt. The store is located next to Phoenix Self Storage, adjacent to the Bear Creek Greenway and near Blue Heron Park.

There will be about 30 employees at the store, and the company has usually focused on full-time workers, but there will be a mix, said Quitt. A big hiring event will be held in February or March.

Much of the retail store will be devoted to Ace Hardware offerings, but it will also carry the mix of automotive, clothing, sporting goods and other items found at the West Main branch.

One variation from the current store will be a 1,000-square-foot tap room space that will offer beer, cider and wine. The store won’t have its own food service but will have space for food trucks. Some taproom customers may come in from the greenway.

A do-it-yourself dog-washing station will also be incorporated, plus a room that will be set up for owners to come in and pamper their pets.

Rental of sporting goods for summer and snow sports and other items may be incorporated as they are at the Medford store, but no hard decisions have been made yet, Quitt said. Bike rentals — both e-bikes and traditional — may be offered.

“We are just going to see what the market needs down the road,” Quitt said. “It’s a little closer to Mt. Ashland, so that might do some snow sports gear there.”

After being without myna birds for a half-dozen years, the West Main store brought in two — Ace and Betty — earlier this year with the idea of moving one of them to the new location. The talking birds have been a tradition since the business opened in the 1960s, but the move is dependent upon finding someone who can take care of the bird.

If one of the birds ends up in Phoenix, it would likely be Betty, according to Quitt. She has developed a bond with Tanner Quitt, Jonathan’s nephew, who will manage the new location.

A portion of the property has been set aside for possible location of a sculpture that would be an homage to the 19-foot-tall Black Bird at the original store, but Quitt said no definite plans have been developed.

“It’s an extremely massive project for us. The goal is to bring this to the community,” said Quitt. The store will provide a variety of merchandise and services that is currently not in Phoenix or Talent, he said.

In other Phoenix commercial property development news:

• Construction is underway for the Golf Garage on Grove Road next to the new Garrison’s store. The 18,000-square-foot structure will include a putting area and driving simulators.
• A site plan has been approved for a Dollar General store on the location of the Umpqua Bank that burned in the Almeda Fire at 4000 S. Pacific Highway. Permits are expected to be issued in December once an appeal period ends.
• A site plan has been issued for a five-story building that will include a Starbucks and hotel/apartment facility at North Phoenix Road and South Pacific Highway where Garrison’s was located before the Almeda Fire. Building permit requests are expected in the near future.
• Some work has started at the Phoodery at 200 N. Main St. next to the Phoenix Civic Center. Permits are under review and should be issued soon to allow construction. The facility will be a taproom with space for food vendors and covered, heated outdoor seating.