Renovation Turns Old Macy's Into New Retail and Office Space

As retailers shutter thousands of stores around the country, property owners are left with the question of how to repurpose these vacant spaces. The historic Meier & Frank Building in downtown Portland, Ore., is one such property that was successfully transformed into a mixed-use configuration.

Constructed in 1909 and enlarged in 1915 and 1931, the building was originally the headquarters and flagship of Meier & Frank, a chain of department stores, says Clint Copulos, senior vice president at real estate investment firm KBS in Newport Beach, Calif. The building was later acquired by May Co. and then sold to Macy's. The top 11 of the building's 16 floors were spun off to create a luxury hotel, The Nines.

Completed in September 2018, the renovation transformed the first five floors and one of the building's four basement levels—a total of 202,184 square feet—into street-level retail units and four floors of office space.

The project is unique because it "captures its sense of place very accurately," says Sarah Weber, associate principal and interior designer at Bora Architects in Portland.

"The design respects the history and nostalgia for the building," says Weber. "A lot of people had touchstones of their life with this property and the amenities Meier & Frank and then Macy's offered. They had a Santa-land. Shoppers used the clock as a meeting place. We focused on making [the design] specific to the place. It couldn't be anywhere. It is specific to Portland."

The building has no parking garage, but passenger rail lines run along three of its four sides. Copulos says buildings without parking aren't uncommon in the city, where bicycles are a popular mode of transportation in addition to the public transit system.

Facade preserved: An important goal of the renovation was to retain the Meier & Frank Building's overall character and classic patterned terra cotta exterior. Two closed-off entrances were reopened, creating a total of six ways in at the street level. Non-historic awnings were removed from the building's front with the approval of the local historic preservation society.

Lobby love: A staircase and accessibility ramp smooth the transition from the building's street level to its marble-fronted bank of office elevators (pictured above). The gold screen to the right serves as a backdrop and helps to "scale the space," says Weber. Its abstract pattern was inspired by the building's exterior. The snake-like 45-foot blue sofa invites tenants to meet their guests for coffee or host a larger group in this comfy space.

Identity check: The opposite wall of the office elevator lobby displays a decorative ampersand as part of the building's rebranding, which repositioned the property from Macy's to its original name, Meier & Frank. The inset photo shows a detail of the ampersand artwork. The building's iconic clock was repurposed here as well.

Coffee stop: This lobby-level coffee bar is part of the 11,000-square-foot package of amenities the Meier & Frank Building provides for office tenants. "Coffee is a cultural touchstone for Portland and a major part of our everyday life here," says Weber. "Providing that within the building is [an important] amenity for many people."

Let's meet: This 1,275-square-foot multi-use space on the building's basement level gives office tenants an alternative to a conference room within their own suite. "It's meant to be a space they can reconfigure with modular furniture to host events for all staff," says Weber. Here, the gold screen to the left repeats the lobby-level design element and separates the lounge from the walkway.

Bike to work: This basement-level bike room features 200 bike parking spaces with lockers to match. There are also 12 ventilated "drying closets" (not pictured), where tenants can hang up their gear and clothing if they commute by bicycle on one of Portland's many rainy days. The department store's carpet and tile were removed to restore the original stone terrazzo floor to some degree.