Sovereign Building

In 2017, the new owners of the Sovereign Building reached out to Jessica when they acquired the nine-story office and apartment building from the Oregon Historical Society.  While the owners were seasoned real estate developers, historic rehabilitation was not in their wheelhouse and they needed a pro to represent them through the needed renovations.  Jessica acted as owner’s rep during the $15M rehabilitation while also securing historic tax credits and a property tax reduction through the Special Assessment of Historic Property Program.

The Sovereign was originally constructed as a hotel in 1923 and decades later the rooms were converted to studio housing. These studios were long overdue for a major renovation by the time Jessica became involved. The project’s goal was to revitalize the building’s inherent historic charm, while making it comfortable again for modern living.

Emerick Architects executed the design and the work included kitchens and bathrooms renovated with subway and hex tiles evocative of the original historic character. Orange-peel-textured walls were skim-coated to bring back the character of the original plaster. Electrical and plumbing systems were fully updated—no small feat in a concrete building. The building lobby retained its original light fixtures, black-and-white tiled floor, and ornate plaster ceiling and columns, but extensive restoration work was needed to make them shine again. Even the original Otis elevator remained from 1923. While it could not be retained, this charming relic nonetheless inspired the design for the replacement cab.

On the exterior, the project involved both replacement and restoration of the original wood windows and balcony doors. The masonry was cleaned and repointed. Most notably, the existing concrete and wrought iron balconies were replaced, as they had become a hazard due to water intrusion and rust jacking.  Architectural Castings carefully replicated many damaged terra cotta pieces with new pieces cast in glass-fiber-reinforced concrete and hand-painted to match.

This project was a labor of love for Jessica and the whole team involved, bringing back one of Portland’s finest downtown buildings to the glory of its original design. These efforts were recognized with a DeMuro Award in 2017.