Hawthorne's Flying Fish and Kruger's Farm Stand Slated to Become Apartments

A four-story mixed-use apartment building is planned.

Remember back in the old days, when you could go to an open-air farmer's market-style stand on Hawthorne Boulevard and get fresh fruit from Kruger's Farm Market and fresh meat and fish from Flying Fish?

Oh wait—you can do that right now. Next year, you probably can't.

Flying Fish owner Lyf Gildersleeve says he and the Kruger's Farm stand were told by developer TMT Development that they planned to construct an apartment building where their businesses are currently located—and that Flying Fish would need to be out by the end of the year.

Neither Kruger's nor TMT Development have responded to requests for comment, but TMT filed an early assistance application with the city in July for a four-story mixed-use apartment complex on the site.

According to the application, the building would have 61 living units, above street-level retail and 23 parking spots.

Kruger's and Flying Fish have been in the location six and five years, respectively. Before that, it was a fruit stand called Uncle Paul's.

"Kruger's bought [Uncle Paul's] when I rolled into town in my truck," says Gildersleeve. "It's kinda funny. My truck was in the D-Street [food cart pod] across from Pok Pok, and that became apartments. And Kruger approached me about going to Hawthorne, which will be apartments."

Both Flying Fish and Kruger's still have other locations. Flying Fish has a fish shop and oyster counter inside Providore Fine Foods on Sandy Boulevard, and Kruger's has its farm stand on Sauvie Island and another city market in St. Johns.

Gildersleeve is upset to have to close on Hawthorne, but wonders whether consolidating to the single location might be a good in the long run.

"Most businesses with two locations, they're not six minutes from each other," he says. "I split my customers. It's a blessing in that I'll consolidate, and maybe be busy enough at Providore that I can expand the meat and fish."

Flying Fish on Hawthorne will close after Christmas of this year.

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