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Loyalty and Hamilton Buildings |
The recent auction of two historic Portland office buildings offers
further evidence of the economic trauma affecting a downtown now lacking the
employees and shoppers that used to dominate the central city.
Bargain hunters had chances to bid on the 12-story Loyalty Building
at 317 SW Alder St. and the adjacent Hamilton Building at 529 SW Third
Ave. Both are designated Portland landmarks and are listed
on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Loyalty Building was erected in 1928, under the
direction of Claussen & Claussen architects, a firm tht is now largely forgotten. The six-story Hamilton Building dates to 1893
and was designed by Whidden & Lewis, the city’s best-known firm at the turn of the century.
A California investor bought both buildings late in 2013 for
$12.45 million. Today they stand vacant. Results of the auction, which presumably
ended on May 15, are not yet known.
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A closer look at the stylish Hamilton |
Given frontages on both Alder and Third Avenue, one has to
wonder whether the Loyalty Building could be converted to apartments. Conventional wisdom says “no,” the work would
be far too expensive.
But wait! An article
in the May 6 New Yorker magazine, “Design for Living,” discusses in detail how a New York developer, Nathan Berman, has found
success transferring obsolete office towers “into warrens of one- and
two-bedroom apartments.” Since 1917,
Berman has converted eight former office towers into some 5,000 apartments. The tallest is 30 stories.
Berman targets his developments for young tenants who likely
are renting for the first time, and who likely will stay no more than a few
years. The apartments are small,
eccentrically shaped, and offer minimal kitchens, based on the premise that most
young tenants won’t be doing extensive cooking.
But Berman also knows his tenants want some shared spaces in
the building – places where they can meet with others for exercising or
socializing. He also doesn’t scrimp on
lobbies, recognizing that tenants and their guest will appreciate an
attractive, welcoming space.
Of course, Portland isn’t New York. Is downtown Portland a place where young
tenants hope to begin and advance their careers? One also wonders: Would the same formula –
small apartments, minimal kitchens, elevator access and social spaces – be an
attractive environment for seniors?
The Loyalty Building seems to offer an attraction lacking in
newer office towers. It has operable
windows on both frontages, which should be a bonus for residents liking fresh
air that isn’t blown in by machinery.
Coming months should tell us what the new owner (if there is
one) of these two buildings has in mind for their future. From the preservation perspective, three
buildings on the western side of Third Avenue – the Loyalty, Hamilton and Dekum
– offer one of downtown’s best examples of an interesting urban streetscape
dating to the late stagecoach and early automobile era.
One can hope that these charming structures can find useful
new lives.
---Fred Leeson
Join Building on History’s email list by writing “add me” to
fredleeson@hotmail.com
Fred,
ReplyDeleteYour articles on downtown buildings being reused for housing are so right on. They need to be spread to the wider audiences of the major news outlets, Oregon Live, WW, OPB, etc.
Barbara Kerr
I'm very interested in such possibilities, I heard that the 1909 building at 815 SW Second (corner of Yamhill) is being considered for residential development. Its U shape provides lots of windows.
ReplyDeleteI visited Racine Wisconsin last year and was impressed by all the former rust belt factories that had been converted to stylish industrial-chic apartments and condos. If they can do it there we should be able to do it here with our stylish office buildings.
ReplyDelete