Shorenstein Properties' First & Main – downtown Portland’s newest office building – is officially complete and is expected to receive LEED Platinum certification.

The project, designed by GBD Architects and built by Hoffman, features a green roof and two art installations from Northwest artists.

At an opening party on Tuesday, Shorenstein leasing manager Eric Castle conceded that these are hard times to bring a new building to market. The prime space in First & Main, its top three floors, are still unleased and Shorenstein is looking for retail tenants in the ground floor. But Castle said Shorenstein's business approach is to build and hold, and he voiced optimism that the Portland office market will turn around. 

In an exclusive tour with Architectural Daily last week, Shorenstein officials said the project is groundbreaking in many aspects.

The 16-story, Class A office space is located on the west end of the Hawthorne Bridge, and features an expansive eco-terrace and a bike hub complete with shower facilities on the ground floor. The GSA will be the principal tenant, initially.

First & Main includes a distinctive exterior with state-of-the-art metal and glass curtain walls, 341,000 square feet of office space, 20,000 square feet of ground floor retail space, balconies on the 4th, 15th and 16th floors, views of Mount Hood and the Willamette River and three levels of below-grade parking.

The west side facade is meant to mimic aspects of the historic Hawthorne Bridge, and the curtain glass wall is the first of its kind in Portland.

“First & Main incorporates a whole-building approach to sustainability and we’re proud of every aspect of it,” said Todd Sklar, senior  vice president and head of the development group with Shorenstein Realty Services L.P. “The building will add to downtown Portland’s reputation as one of the preeminent office markets in the Pacific Northwest,” added Matt Cole, Senior Vice President and Leasing Manager, also with Shorenstein Realty Services.

Shorenstein broke ground on First & Main in September 2007 and has remained on schedule with project milestones throughout construction. Currently, approximately 78 percent of First & Main’s office space is leased, with tenants scheduled to move in before the end of the year.

Shorenstein owns and manages more than four million square feet of office space in the Portland metropolitan area. The portfolio consists of 48 properties and three development parcels located in four submarkets including Portland CBD, Kruse Way/Tigard, SW Portland/Beaverton and Johns Landing.