Milwaukie City Hall
Location: Milwaukie, Oregon
Year Constructed: 1937-1938
Work Completed: 2025
Project Budget: 5 million
DeMuro Award Recognizes: Economic Development, Adaptive Reuse, Tourism
History: The former Milwaukie City Hall is a landmark of profound historical and civic importance to the Milwaukie, Oregon, community. Constructed in 1938, it was the final project in Oregon funded by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The building stands as a lasting testament to New Deal-era infrastructure, designed to foster economic recovery, civic pride, and job creation.
The Historic City Hall is a Late Modern, two-story building with a partial basement and flat roof. Designed by architect Walter E. Kelly, the wood frame structure with brick veneer was built by contractor Joseph H. Anderson in 1938 for a cost of $32,000 - with the aid of a $13,200 grant from the WPA (the last WPA-funded project in Oregon). The building is prominently located along Main Street in the center of historic downtown Milwaukie, surrounded by parks, and one block from the Willamette River.
For nearly 90 years, it housed the City’s government offices, library, courtroom, and fire department, serving as the cultural and civic heart of Milwaukie. Its transformation into a community-oriented commercial space honors this legacy while opening the building to a new generation of civic engagement.
Overview: The adaptive reuse of Milwaukie City Hall transforms the building into a vibrant commercial and cultural hub in downtown Milwaukie, Oregon. The project repurposes the former civic space into a multi-tenant retail and restaurant destination featuring pFriem Family Brewers and Keeper Coffee as key tenants.
The project converted a B-occupancy civic building into two A-occupancy commercial spaces with additional B-occupancy office suites and a community conference room. Interior renovations included two new staircases, reconfigured restrooms, selective removal and addition of walls, new MEP systems, walk-in coolers, and full commercial kitchens. Exterior work included roof structural upgrades for mechanical units, an ADA-accessible ramp, stairs, and guardrails, a heated pergola seating area, and outdoor seating with a play space, creating inviting public spaces to foster community connection.
Working within the historic footprint posed challenges, including multiple floor heights and circulation across numerous levels, which were designed for a no-longer-relevant historic use. The design and development team addressed these issues by utilizing the existing elevator and adding interior staircases for each tenant, enabling smooth movement across the three levels. The project preserved the building’s structural integrity and historic character while delivering a modern, vibrant destination.
Congratulations to the entire project team:
GTO Development
Brett Schulz Architect, PC
City Hall Holdings LLC
Kurt Fischer Structural Engineering
Owen Gabbert, LLC
Design Department Archictecture
City of Milwaukie
Viking Heating & Sheetmetal
Bulldog Mechanical
Timberline Electric
Evolution Plumbing
Continuum Preservation Consulting
Bartel Contracting
Owen Gabbert, LLC
DMS Drywall
Don Rhyne Painting
Globus LLC
Jim Courson Carpet Service, Inc.
Contract Flooring Consultants
All Trades General Contractors
Tomcat Construction LLC
Bronze Construction
Washington Roofing
Vale Insulation Group
Point Monitoring
Liten Up Electric
Viking Fire Protection
Capitol Tile & Stone
Al's Concrete
Baxter & Flaming
Desantis Landscaping
A&G Contractors
Ancestry Masonry
Miracle Sign
JF Metalworks
Artic Heating & Cooling
NW Draft Technicians
Pitman Restaurant Equipment
Photos by Gregor Halenda