Centennial Mills
| Centennial Mills | |
|---|---|
 Centennial Mills, 2014 | |
  Location within Portland, Oregon | |
| Former names | Crown Mills |
General information | |
| Location | Portland, Oregon, United States |
| Coordinates | 45°32′02″N 122°40′51″W / 45.5339°N 122.6808°W |
| Design and construction | |
| Known for | Mill complex |
The Centennial Mills, originally known as the Crown Mills was a flour mill that was originally a complex of twelve buildings along the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon's Pearl District,[1] in the United States. The mill operated from 1910 to 2000. Most buildings were demolished between 2015 and 2016. Six development plans of the defunct mill was proposed, but none materialized. In the 24 years owned by the City of Portland's economic development arm Prosper Portland, it had cost tax payers $19 million to sit vacant. The remaining building was demolished in 2026 after it was damaged in a fire.
History
The site previously housed a flour mill,[2] which operated from 1910 to 2000.[3]
Following the World War II, the mill was sold to Centennial Flouring Mills, of Tacoma, Washington and renamed from Crown Mills to Centennial Mills in 1949. The mill was modernized in 1962.[4]
In 1981, it was acquired by Archer Daniels Midland.[5][4]
The Portland Development Commission, later renamed Prosper Portland, acquired Centennial Mills in 2000. The buildings were slated for demolition, except for the flour and feed mill buildings.[6]
In 2013, Randy Gragg of Portland Monthly described the site as " one of the most tantalizing and problematic development sites in the region".[7] Between summer 2015 and fall 2016, most of the buildings on the property were demolished.[8][9][10][11][12] Multiple developers abandoned redevelopment efforts for the site.[13]
In 2024, Prosper Portland sold the property to private investors.[14] Since that time, there has been frequent reports to emergency dispatchers about squatters and small fires at the property.[5] In 24 years of ownership by Prosper Portland, there were six failed development plans at the expense of $19 million to taxpayers in Prosper Portland's ownership.[15]
One of the buildings, previously a warehouse suffered a major fire damage in August 2026 which compromised the integrity of the building's structure, posing a collapse risk to the surrounding area.[16] The mill was demolished the same month.[17][18][19]
References
- ↑ Schmidt, Brad (November 19, 2015). "Portland walks away from Centennial Mills deal - again". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2016-05-12. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
- ↑ "Vampire-themed nightclub in Portland raises redevelopment questions". Finance & Commerce. November 26, 2025. Archived from the original on 2025-12-07. Retrieved 2026-08-03.
- ↑ "City approves sale of Centennial Mills for $13M without requirement to preserve history of site". KGW. Archived from the original on 2023-10-01. Retrieved 2026-08-03.
- 1 2 "Crown/Centennial Mills". www.oregonencyclopedia.org. September 30, 2016. Retrieved 2026-08-29.
- 1 2 Bach, Jonathan (August 20, 2026). "RIP Centennial Mills: From international flour supplier to 'demolition by neglect'". oregonlive. Retrieved 2026-08-20.
- ↑ Pursinger, Geoff (April 12, 2015). "Tigard firm to demolish Centennial Mills". Portland Tribune. Archived from the original on 2016-03-22. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
- ↑ "The Future of Centennial Mills". Portland Monthly. Retrieved 2026-08-03.
- ↑ Norwood, Lisa (February 28, 2017). "Centennial Mills demolition wraps up". Prosper Portland. Archived from the original on 2020-06-07. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
- ↑ Jaquiss, Nigel (April 18, 2020). "The City of Portland's Hopes for Centennial Mills Development Fall Apart Again". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2019-04-18. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
- ↑ "What the Centennial Mills demo has in common with dismantling a nuclear power plant". Portland Business Journal. Archived from the original on 2023-04-20. Retrieved 2026-08-03.
- ↑ "Pearl District mill demolition begins before summer sale". KGW.
- ↑ "Despite what looks like a full-on demolition, some of Centennial Mills' timbers will be salvaged". Portland Business Journal. Archived from the original on 2022-09-28. Retrieved 2026-08-03.
- ↑ Njus, Elliot (April 18, 2019). "Another developer abandons Centennial Mills redevelopment". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2026-08-03.
- ↑ Bach, Jonathan (October 7, 2024). "Portland sold a derelict NW waterfront landmark after 24 years. It sold again within days". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
- ↑ Varma, Tanvi (August 20, 2026). "Six failed deals, 24 years and $19 million: Inside Portland's Centennial Mills saga". KATU. Retrieved 2026-08-29.
- ↑ Slaughter, Shelby (August 14, 2026). "Crews will begin demolition at Centennial Mills building with detonation of water tower". KATU. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
- ↑ "Fire Collapses All Eight Stories of Vacant Centennial Mills". Willamette Week. August 3, 2026. Retrieved 2026-08-03.
- ↑ Mooney, Mary; Todd, Tatum; Bach, Jonathan (August 2, 2026). "Vacant warehouse ablaze in Northwest Portland". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2026-08-03.
- ↑ Anthony, Tarek (August 19, 2026). "Centennial Mills demolition completed way ahead of schedule, train service restarts". oregonlive. Retrieved 2026-08-20.
External links
- Kramer, George. "Crown/Centennial Mills". The Oregon Encyclopedia.
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. OR-184, "Crown Mills, Portland, Multnomah County, OR", 22 photos, 63 data pages, 2 photo caption pages
