Hotel Alder
Encyclopedia
The Hotel Alder, is an historic four-story building in downtown
Portland
, Oregon
, United States
. Since 2004, it has been on the National Register of Historic Places
. It has also been known as the Hotel President, the Jack London Hotel, and Century Plaza. The ground floor is occupied by the popular Rialto Poolroom Bar and Cafe and an off-track betting parlor.
as a terminus hotel and was popular with traveling businessmen. Over the years, the hotel declined, eventually turning into low-priced single-room occupancy (SRO) hotel. In 1974, Art McFadden purchased the building. In 2004, McFadden sold the three residential floors to the Portland Development Commission
(PDC). The PDC then sold the space to the Central City Concern (CCC), a local non-profit agency devoted to assisting the homeless get back on their feet. CCC began rehabilitating the building to provide for 99 low-income housing units.
The renovation, carried out by SERA Architects, required the entire building to be closed, including the Rialto. It was fully renovated to historic standards. On September 7, 2005, a ceremony marked the grand re-opening of the Hotel Alder, the premier of a documentary filmed inside, and the building's inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.
Downtown Portland
Downtown Portland, the city center of Portland, Oregon, United States, is located on the west bank of the Willamette River. It is in the northeastern corner of the southwest section of the city and is where most of the city's high-rise buildings are found....
Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Since 2004, it has been on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. It has also been known as the Hotel President, the Jack London Hotel, and Century Plaza. The ground floor is occupied by the popular Rialto Poolroom Bar and Cafe and an off-track betting parlor.
History
The Hotel Alder was originally built by the Southern Pacific RailroadSouthern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
as a terminus hotel and was popular with traveling businessmen. Over the years, the hotel declined, eventually turning into low-priced single-room occupancy (SRO) hotel. In 1974, Art McFadden purchased the building. In 2004, McFadden sold the three residential floors to the Portland Development Commission
Portland Development Commission
The Portland Development Commission is the urban renewal agency created by the city of Portland, Oregon. It promotes development, housing projects and economic development within the city's eleven urban renewal districts....
(PDC). The PDC then sold the space to the Central City Concern (CCC), a local non-profit agency devoted to assisting the homeless get back on their feet. CCC began rehabilitating the building to provide for 99 low-income housing units.
The renovation, carried out by SERA Architects, required the entire building to be closed, including the Rialto. It was fully renovated to historic standards. On September 7, 2005, a ceremony marked the grand re-opening of the Hotel Alder, the premier of a documentary filmed inside, and the building's inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.
Documentary
Century Plaza is the name of a documentary film about life in the Hotel Alder during its time as an SRO. The film's name is taken from the Hotel's official name during the time it operated as an SRO Hotel. Filmmaker Eric Lahey lived in the Hotel Alder for seven months to get a feel for the lives of the occupants at the time.See also
- Architecture in Portland, Oregon
- List of Registered Historic Places in Multnomah County, Oregon