The oldest surviving commercial property in Portland is nearing its completed restoration and is being marketed for a tenant.
OregonLive.com reports the Hallock-McMillan Building was built in 1857, before Oregon achieved statehood. During its lifetime, the property had a diverse number of tenants including a candy factory, a longshoreman’s hiring hall and an event management firm.
John Russell, whose company Russell Fellows Properties acquires historic buildings while promoting itself as offering “philanthropy with buildings,” purchased the Hallock-McMillan Building in 2010 and began to bring the 5,000-square-foot property up to code in 2019 while restoring its original ornamental elements.
“It looks exactly like it did in 1857,” said Russell, who pointed out the property occupies a highly visible corner facing the west bank of the Willamette River.
While Russell is open to having either an office, restaurant or housing tenant, he is not in a rush to have it leased.
“This is a labor of love,” he said of the restoration process.