Downtown Portland has always been more than buildings. It’s where ideas collide, communities gather, and the city tells its story.
Last October, Pivot Property teamed up with City Cast Portland to ask our community: How would you reimagine these empty historic office spaces in downtown Portland? Whether it’s a long-term lease, a short-term pop-up, a community event, or an out-of-the-box idea, they wanted our vision. And our audience did not disappoint.
We received over 80 incredible ideas created to fill up these 5 Pivot buildings. There were dozens of thoughtful, creative, and community-centered visions our team went through. From there, we picked out our top five, and asked our audience for help once again. We asked you to help us pick a winner
Our Winner: Natalia O.
Submission:
"Dozens of nonprofits currently located at the Lloyd Center will need to vacate the premises in March. Let’s rehome these orgs at 620 Second Floor! They represent a wide diversity of communities, services and programs positively impacting Portland. Many organizations have outward facing programs that will draw participants to the location, helping to increase foot traffic downtown and create more dynamic offerings."
The Building:
The second floor of the 620 Building offers an impressive 19,897 square feet of open commercial space, spanning half a city block. Connected to the neighboring Newberry Building, this expansive floor provides flexibility for large-scale offices, fun retail, creative studios, collaborative workspaces, making it a rare opportunity in downtown Portland’s vibrant core.
Our Finalist's Submissions:
Rob H: "Indoor dog space: In the winter, one of the things I like to find is an indoor cozy place that I can bring my dog to. I might just be reading, or playing board games, but the point is, I want to get out of the house with the pup, but not make it a big thing or be a busy bar."
Brett S: "Fix-it Lab: I fix KitchenAid® mixers. They are design icons and built to last, but, like any machine, they need some maintenance. I would like to use the storefront as a pop-up fix-it lab where people can bring their mixers in to be serviced. I can fix 10 mixers per day and welcome people watching me work. This fix-it lab model could be used for other products to repair: clothing, cast-iron cookware, lamps, etc. We could coordinate with Repair PDX."
Lauren Z: "Jungle Gym: With all this square footage, it’s time to reimagine the gym. We all want to be healthier, but the gym is BORING! Forget climbing gyms, they have only scratched the surface. An indoor jungle gym for adults who want to get healthy while being silly and having fun. Think Discovery Zone but elevated. We could have limited food and drink spaces outside of an area with climbing surfaces, slides, and swings."
Rebecca H: "A Nap Palace. There are so many times when, as a resident or a tourist, you just need a little downtime in the middle of the day in downtown. This would be a place with chill lighting and a bunch of couches, sofas, beanbag chairs, Victorian fainting couches, etc. where for a nominal fee you can lay down, close your eyes and fully chill for an hour or two while a responsible adult supervises the room and watches your things. No talking, no funny stuff. Just naps."
Learn more about Pivot's properties here! They have available downtown spaces for lease and offer hands-on, personalized property management for building owners.
What’s Next: A New Chapter for Downtown
Portland Winter Light Festival is coming back to downtown Feb 6-14th, and Pivot Property will be there!
Pivot is proud to host a few artists from one of our favorite Portland events, the Portland Winter Light Festival. For a few magical nights, their spaces won’t just be offices or storefronts – they will be glowing canvases! Come downtown to see Portland reimagined. Pivot Property is thrilled that their buildings can play a part in bringing families, friends, creatives, and visitors together to explore the city.
This February, come downtown, walk the festival route, including Pivot’s buildings on SW 5th and Alder and SW 2nd and Washington. Try a new restaurant. Linger a little longer than you planned. And while you’re here, imagine Portland of the future. We have space and downtown is ready for you!
Happening Now!
That's not all we've had going on! We've released an episode between our host, Claudia Meza, and Councilor Steve Novick Councilor Olivia Clark. It can be heard HERE, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.