If you’ve spent more than five minutes in downtown Portland, you’ve seen it. That shimmering, curved glass wall reflecting the clouds over Pioneer Courthouse Square. It’s the Fox Tower Portland OR, and honestly, it’s one of those buildings that managed to stay cool even as the city around it changed a million times.
Completed in 2000, it was the last "big" skyscraper to hit the skyline for a long time. It feels like it’s always been there, but the story of how it got built—and what it replaced—is actually kinda wild.
The Theater That Had to Die
Before the glass and steel, there was the Fox Theatre. It wasn’t just a movie house; it was a relic. Originally opened in 1911 as the Heilig Theatre, it was this massive, 1,500-seat beast of a building. It survived the Vaudeville era, the Great Depression, and the transition to "talkies."
But by the late 90s, the old Fox was tired. Real tired.
Tom Moyer, the developer behind TMT Development, saw something else for that block. He wanted a skyscraper. Naturally, people weren't thrilled about tearing down a historic theater, but Moyer won out. The Fox was demolished in 1997. If you look at the tower today, the name isn't just marketing—it's a literal nod to the ghost of the building that used to stand at 805 SW Broadway.
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Architecture with a Purpose (and a Huge Curve)
Ever notice how the Fox Tower looks totally different depending on where you're standing?
That wasn't an accident. TVA Architects designed the building with a very specific, almost annoying constraint: The Shadow. Pioneer Courthouse Square is "Portland’s Living Room." If you build a giant square box across the street, you turn the living room into a dark, cold cave. To fix this, the architects gave the east side of the building that famous sweeping curve. It peels away from the sun’s path, ensuring the square stays bright during the day.
On the west side? It’s a total 180. It’s boxy, sharp, and traditional. It’s basically two different buildings glued together.
Some Quick Specs You Might Like:
- Height: 372 feet (27 stories).
- Cost: Roughly $64 million back in 2000.
- Deepest Hole: When it was built, the 462-space underground garage was the deepest in the city.
- LEED Gold: In 2012, it nabbed Gold certification for sustainability. Not bad for a building from the "pre-green" era.
Who’s Actually Inside?
The Fox Tower is a "Class A" office space, which is fancy-talk for "the good stuff." For years, it’s been a magnet for law firms and investment groups.
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Big names like Buchalter and the investment firm Ferguson Wellman call it home. In fact, Ferguson Wellman just doubled down on the downtown core, signing a massive 11-year lease to move their headquarters into the tower in 2026.
It’s a huge vote of confidence. People like to talk about downtown Portland "struggling," but when firms like that sign decade-long deals in the Fox Tower Portland OR, it tells a different story.
It’s not just offices, though.
The ground floor has retail (the Patagonia store is a staple), and the second floor holds the Regal Fox Tower movie theater. It’s a bit of a full-circle moment—even though the old theater is gone, people are still watching movies on that same block.
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Why It Matters Right Now
The Fox Tower represents a specific moment in Portland's history when the city was transitioning from a gritty timber town into a modern, sleek metro.
It’s a survivor.
It stood through the 2008 crash, the 2020 protests, and the shift to remote work. While some older buildings are being converted into apartments, the Fox Tower remains a dedicated hub for business. Vanessa Sturgeon, the current President of TMT Development and Tom Moyer’s granddaughter, has kept the building relevant by focusing on high-end service and maintaining that LEED Gold status.
Actionable Insights for the Curious
If you're looking to interact with the building or the area, here’s how to do it right:
- Check the Shadow: Stand in Pioneer Courthouse Square at noon on a sunny day. Notice how the sun still hits the bricks? That’s the curve of the Fox Tower doing its job.
- The Cinema Hack: The Regal Fox Tower screen is one of the best places to catch "indie" or limited-release films that don't make it to the suburban megaplexes.
- Parking Secret: If you’re struggling to find a spot downtown, the underground garage at the Fox Tower (and its sister garage to the west) is one of the most reliable—though not cheapest—options in the city center.
- Office Hunting: If you're a business owner looking for space, the "flight to quality" is real. High-end buildings like this are often offering better incentives right now than they were five years ago.
The Fox Tower isn't just a pile of glass. It’s a reminder that cities have layers. Underneath those 27 stories of law offices and modern elevators is the memory of a 1911 theater, and on the surface, it's a reflection of where Portland is headed next.