Recently, work has got moving on the construction site in Sandy, next to the zipper food court. This shows extensive work while the old Pepsi arch is still intact. Despite this, no one really knows what’s going on and at this point, it could literally be anything being built on the site.

So, here’s what you need to know. Firstly, this project will not be done anytime soon. However, this is because it’s also quite large and ambitious, and once it’s done it will be quite impressive. It’s also referred to as the ‘Pepsi blocks’ in a nod to the previous Pepsi plant that used to operate on the site. This is why the arch remains, and will serve as a focal point.

The image above shows an artist’s impression of what the Pepsi block will look like when finished. This includes 44 lower-income units and retail space which looks to be suited toward restaurants.

Overall, you can see the appeal, especially with the Zipper being next door. Here, residents could enjoy a nice meal and chill in the residential area, before retiring to their apartment. In short, it’s nice to see something positive in Portland as often the stories revolve around crime and homelessness. Nonetheless, this gives us hope for a brighter future.

As mentioned earlier, don’t get too excited, too soon. This is because the Pepsi block isn’t set to be completed for at least a decade. With this said, they better get digging!