A historic revival as pFriem brings new life to Milwaukie’s old city hall
pFriem Family Brewers Milwaukie taproom opens on April 7th, 2025
In the late 1930s, Milwaukie, Oregon, proudly opened the doors to its new city hall. A project built from a Public Works Administration (PWA) grant, the building housed city offices and the fire department for years. And up until 2023, before the city moved down the street to newer digs, the building’s exterior still stood in the middle of downtown Milwaukie, with great bones, full of history, and that unmistakable PWA late 1930s look. The interiors? Drab, vanilla, offices and cubicles. (If you’ve ever had to pay a parking ticket in the building you know.)
The building has seen many changes and tenants over the decades but none as big as the one that’s happening now. In March 2024, Hood River-based pFriem announced they were transforming the emptied city hall into a new location. But, they’re not just moving in. They’re completely retrofitting the building to keep its character, blend in history, while fully adapting it for a new use.
Once completed, the pFriem Milwaukie taproom will feature a spacious pergola covered outdoor patio, a private dining and event space upstairs for various brewery and community events, and a lounge area reminiscent of the popular Bear’s Den in Hood River. The taproom will offer more than 20 taps, including a variety of pFriem beers and craft cocktails, wine, food, and seating for over 100 guests.
Making a move on Milwaukie
“We had looked at a number of properties over the years, initially not seriously,” says Rudy Kellner, pFriem’s co-founder and CEO. “We're always looking for the right building, the right neighborhood, all the things, right? And when we saw this building, we were like, ‘whoa, it's right in the middle of the action. It's the bridge between the north side of downtown and the south side of downtown.’ It all made sense, immediately.”
Kellner says they decided on Milwaukie instead of other locations in Portland because they also wanted to be connected to a neighborhood that was lacking a central gathering place. “We want to be the place where people stop and have a meal with their kids after the baseball game or after the soccer game or on the weekends. That's the connection we want to make.”
pFriem Milwaukie’s Bear’s Den
A quick walkthrough
When visitors enter the former Milwaukie City Hall, they’ll step into a transformed space that honors its past while embracing its new identity. The north third of the building will house Keeper Coffee, while the main entrance leads to pFriem’s Bear’s Den, a lounge and retail space for merchandise and to-go beer.
The heart of the taproom is in the former fire bay of the fire station, where the original roll-up doors remain intact, framing the main dining and bar area. Upstairs, a second dining space and bar will occupy what was once city administration offices.
Meanwhile, a fire pole from the original firehouse will be repurposed into a one-of-a-kind beer tap system.
Kellner says they had an overwhelming response and request from the city and the community to salvage the fire pole and use it in some way in the building. So, they repositioned the original fire pole to land on the 1st and 2nd floor bar tops and adapted it to accommodate tap lines.
“So we're going to be pouring beer out of a fire pole. I think we're probably the first tap room in the world to have beer in a fire pole,” he says.
Bridging the past and present through art
In collaboration with the Milwaukie Arts Committee, pFriem formed a community board that selected an artist to install public art on the building’s archway entrance. Additional pieces will also grace the hallways connecting Keeper Coffee shop to the brewery. And a separate contest for an additional painting drew over 40 submissions to create an original pFriem inspired painting highlighting the Willamette River, Milwaukie, and Portland—echoing themes from the Hood River installation.
pFriem is also working with the Clackamas Fire District to display archival photos of the firefighters who once worked there, tying the building’s past into the present.
Behind the scenes…and new discoveries from the past
Older buildings, especially those part of a massive adaptive reuse project, can bring many challenges but also opportunities. The 87-year-old building provided both.
To accommodate two large restaurant spaces architects had to upgrade the building’s infrastructure including power, HVAC, and plumbing, then routing it all so as not to compromise the architecture or feel of the space. And of course they had to install the necessary equipment such as walk-in coolers, kitchen hoods, ducting and rooftop equipment.
They also had to create two new internal stairs to connect ground floor space and 2nd floor space for both tenants and utilized the existing basement to provide much needed cold storage, prep space, dish pit and dry good storage.
During the retrofit, one big surprise was the discovery of a time capsule snuggled in the corner of the building, installed by the city and local Masonic Lodge in 1938. And yes, pFriem will be opening it in July for a re-dedication celebration taking place 87 years to the day of the original building dedication. Plans include inviting the locals and placing a new time capsule in the building that incorporates elements from the new owners and development team, tenants, and the city.
The developers, Henry Point Development, also discovered a fireplace in the basement that was framed over by the city during some point in time. Above the mantel was a copper plaque featuring the bust of Abraham Lincoln and a quote that says: “I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.”
pFriem will display the plaque and items from the time capsule in the trophy case located in the first floor hallway.
Beer + food + cocktails
But back to the food and beer offerings.
Kellner says for now the new location will carry much of the same beers as Hood River which will also be brewed at Hood River. “Our goal for Milwaukie is to have outstanding food, a wide array of beer, just like we have in Hood River, more than 20 taps in our main and upstairs bar,” Kellner says.
Food-wise, they’re going to be offering a similar, but not same, menu as they currently have in Hood River. “Longer term, it will evolve to be more international in direction, but in general it will start with a pretty good overlap,” says Kellner.
And, still under wraps, pFriem will soon announce a handful of collaborations with local brewers including Von Ebert and Breakside, as well as a collab with neighbor Keeper Coffee.
One big difference from their Hood River location is that the Milwaukie location will serve cocktails through its draft cocktail program. “I think people are going to be blown away at the quality, the consistency and the overall innovation involved in being able to put a high quality cocktail on the table.”
Looking Ahead
Set to open in early April, pFriem’s new space is landing at the right place and the right time and is shaping up to be far more than just a brewery or taproom and more of a living room for the city, as well as a key player in the city’s next chapter.
For decades downtown Milwaukie has had the potential as a bustling Main Street (at least as a re-emerging Main Street like it had in the distant past). A new bookstore, an artisanal green grocer, an upcoming record and antique store—all new, recent businesses, as well as a bustling Farmer’s Market across the street from pFriem during the season.
“Everybody wins when more people come to downtown (Milwaukie) and there’s more reason to come downtown. It's going to lift all the businesses in town, create a buzz and create a magnetic attraction for people,” Kellner adds.
The pFriem Milwaukie taproom is opening to the public on April 7th, 2025 and will be open seven days a week from 11:00am-9pm at 10722 SE Main St, Milwaukie, OR 97222
Featuring three bars with 20+ taps pouring pFriem’s celebrated core beers, seasonal releases, and exclusive small-batch offerings.
Five handcrafted pFriem specialty craft cocktails and Son of Man cider on draft.
A spacious outdoor patio with a pergola-covered seating area.
An upstairs event space for future brewery events, tastings, and community gatherings.
A cozy retail and bar area inspired by pFriem’s beloved Bear’s Den in Hood River, complete with a piece of original art reflecting the surrounding area.
A thoughtfully curated food menu to complement pFriem’s beer lineup.
