Press Release: Renewing Our Commitment to Downtown Portland

By: Lewis Team
Lewis occupies three floors in downtown Portland's Culver Building, which resides in the heart of the thriving West End District. Credit: Downtown Development Group

PORTLAND, Ore. – Lease Crutcher Lewis (Lewis) has signed a long-term lease extension for over 10 years at the Culver Building on the corner of Southwest 12th and Alder, where the company currently occupies 15,500 square feet of office space across three floors. Additionally, Lewis will be expanding its footprint into the building’s remaining 2,000 square feet on the ground level to accommodate its recent growth.

Originally built in 1910 for industrial use in what is now the West End District, the Culver Building is owned by Downtown Development Group (DDG). Lewis renovated and performed a structural upgrade to the three-story building in 2012 before moving in. Work included adding a third-floor penthouse, roof deck, new glazing systems, an elevator, restrooms, and a new HVAC system. The Culver Building is LEED Silver certified.

“We’ve helped shape the urban fabric here for decades, and we remain committed to downtown Portland,” said Lewis CEO Bart Ricketts. “Like many downtowns, Portland’s faces significant challenges. But our company, our employees, and our clients are active in the turnaround efforts.”

Lewis plans to update its space to reflect the current and future needs of our team while retaining existing outdoor meeting spaces that promote wellbeing and connectivity.

“Lease Crutcher Lewis is a longtime fixture in the West End and we are thrilled with their continued commitment to our Culver Building and the City of Portland,” said Matt Goodman, vice president of Downtown Development Group. “They’re a best-in-class general contractor that we’ve had the good fortune to work with on numerous occasions over the years. The presence of great companies like Lease Crutcher Lewis are one of the reasons the West End neighborhood remains so vibrant.”

Nathan Sasaki, Executive Director of Apex Real Estate Partners, represented Lewis for lease negotiations.

Lewis was founded in 1886 and is one of a few locally-owned general contractors of its size in the Pacific Northwest. Lewis has maintained a continuous presence in Portland to serve Oregon and Southwest Washington since 1993 and also has a satellite office in Eugene.

Although the local building industry continues to face headwinds, Lewis is leveraging its longstanding client relationships and expertise to build its portfolio of work. The company is also expanding into newer market sectors, including data center work through its Data Center and Advanced Technology division, to ensure sustained growth and success. As a 100-percent employee-owned company, Lewis employs 836 people in Oregon and Washington state.

Recently completed Oregon projects include the Oregon Humane Society’s award-winning New Road Ahead buildings in Portland; various projects at the Oregon Zoo; Forest Grove City Hall; the Oregon Department of Administrative Services’ North Valley Complex in Wilsonville; and North Eugene High School.

Lewis’ ongoing work includes a renovation of Providence St. Vincent’s Emergency Department in downtown Portland; various higher-ed projects across the state including at Portland Community College, the University of Oregon, and Oregon State University; the NTT Hillsboro HI2 data center complex; and The Jackstraw mixed-use multifamily development in Bend.