Crews work on the finishing touches to the Phoodery in Phoenix on Friday.

There was no shortage of applicants to fill five kitchen spots at the Phoodery food truck court set to open July 1 in Phoenix. A total of 31 vendors, many of them food truck operators and caterers, applied.

Truffle Pig Craft Kitchen, Wok Star, The Flying Flatbread, Peruvian Point and Ma’s BBQ got the go-ahead nods to occupy the five separate food prep spaces at the site, in the 200 block of North Main Street, while Skout Taphouse & ProvisionsTap will dispense libations.

The Phoodery helps fulfill a vision of the city’s urban renewal agency to redevelop a downtown area of ramshackle buildings and an overgrown wetland between North Main Street and Bear Creek Drive. The Phoodery took architectural cues from the adjacent Phoenix Civic Center, which opened in 2018.

“This is an option for everyone from the (Rogue) Valley,” co-owner Eric Herron said. It’s just 7 miles from Ashland and a little over 2 from Lithia & Driveway Fields in south Medford, he noted.

Herron, a commercial real estate broker, and partner Kyle Taylor of Taylored Elements Construction, started talking to the urban renewal agency about the development five years ago after they saw food truck courts in Bend and Portland.

They reached an agreement with the agency three years ago that included a sale of the lot for $1.

Phoodery, LLC is handling the development costs. Investment so far is just shy of $2 million, including $200,000 for city permits, Herron said. The facility will pay taxes to the city, something that didn’t happen when the agency owned the land. Taylored Elements is the contractor.

“It will be the first big private-sector urban renewal project we have done in the downtown area,” Phoenix City Manager Eric Swanson said. “They were the first ones to make a healthy investment in the community. We know it has promoted more interest in more development as a downtown.”

He added: “We are referring to it as ‘The Heart of Phoenix Project.’”

Skout owners Lisa and Tom Beam will manage the entire space and handle tap service. Except for bagels, they won’t offer food items. There will be 52 taps with beer, cider, seltzers, kombucha and non-alcoholic beverages.

Food vendors have signed two-year leases for their 24-by-10-foot spaces, which are in separate buildings. Each will supply their own kitchen equipment. They will pay an assessment to maintain the common areas.

Freezer units for each business are located in a 2,500-square-foot building that also includes dish-washing facilities, restrooms and the taproom operation. Centralizing services means reduced costs for the project and vendors, Herron said.

The main building will have rooftop seating for 92 customers. Another 88 can be accommodated in an open air, 40-by-40-foot pavilion that will have fire pits and overhead heaters to keep patrons warm in the winter.

Additional seating will be available in a grassy area underneath a maple tree that is more than 200 years old. The urban renewal agency agreement called for preservation of the ancient tree.

“We encourage families and pets. We are fully fenced in,” Herron said. Each food vendor will offer a doggie treat.

A small stage for entertainers is located at the back of the grassy area. There will also be cornhole games. Ample bike parking will be available: “We think a lot of people will come from the (Bear Creek) Greenway,” Herron said, which is located only about two blocks away.

The business and Medford’s parks and recreation department are in talks about hosting awards events after tournaments at the Lithia fields. Vendors could also cater events at the civic center next door.

The Phoodery will be open every day: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays, and until 10 p.m. on weekends. The Flying Flatbread will provide coffee and breakfast items in the morning, and other vendors will open at 11 a.m. At least three vendors will be open during regular hours, Herron said.

All initial applicants were interviewed, then 17 were screened in a second round before the final selection was made.

“Everybody complements each other because they are so different,” said Amanda Folmar, co-owner of Ma’s BBQ. She was busy last week at the site setting up the kitchen.

The Flying Flatbread offers Lebanese cuisine, while Peruvian Point features dishes from the South American nation. Wok Star features Asian cuisine, and Truffle Pig offers global flavors with seasonal ingredients.

Ma’s BBQ makes all its own sauces and rubs. A staff of three to four, including the owners, will operate the kitchen, Folmar said. After operations settle in, they plan to have breakfast offerings available and will resume using their food truck.

Parking is available just south of the Phoodery in a lot that will also have a two-story, mixed-used building constructed by the co-owners. Work has already started on the building and should be completed by the end of the year, Herron said.

An opening celebration will be held in conjunction with the Phoenix Oregon Chamber of Commerce at a date to be determined. For more information visit phoodery.com.