Portland's Central Eastside: Making Things Makes Culture

How Real Estate Shaped a Creative District 

For those of us who live and work in the Central Eastside, we know that it’s chock full of innovation, entertainment, and incredible food, in what was originally a riverside industrial district. Today, the area is layered, practical, creative, industrial, messy, and deeply Portland. It has machine shops and galleries, freight doors and coffee shops, old warehouses and new food cart hubs, long-time operators and new creative ventures all sharing the same grid. Perhaps most compelling is that the Central Eastside has grown into a stellar arts and literature hub. And it happened because of real estate.

As Portland’s urban core grew more dense, many traditional industrial users moved to newer industrial hubs with easier truck access, larger sites, and more modern facilities. What they left behind was older, more affordable warehouse space. For artists, makers, small manufacturers, publishers, designers, fabricators, and other creative businesses, that space was exactly what they needed.

We’ve seen this trajectory before (e.g. Pearl District), an exodus from an older urban industrial district which turns into a cheap haven for artists. But before long, instead of these artists and makers working happily ever after in the creative hub they worked so hard to build, their efforts eventually attract better-resourced, commercial investments and enterprise, and gentrification follows. Suddenly the set designer can’t renew her lease at a rent she can afford, and has to start over, building yet another creative community— only this time further from the city center.

"That’s how the Central Eastside became one of Portland’s most important arts, literature, and maker districts. Not despite its industrial roots, but because of them."

But that’s not exactly how things have played out on the Eastside. Due in large part to the advocacy of the Central Eastside Industrial Council (CEIC), and others who have worked to preserve the district’s employment and production character, a huge swath of the Central Eastside is still zoned for industrial use. Large portions of the area between I-84 and Powell, and between SE 12th Avenue and the Willamette River, remain in IG1 general industrial zoning. That zoning supports uses like manufacturing, warehousing, freight movement, wholesale sales, industrial services, and rail-related activity.

Because the City decided not to make wholesale zoning changes here, the Eastside’s creative community found a toehold inside that framework. Artists make things. Printers make things. Fabricators make things. Designers, publishers, and production studios may not look like traditional industrial users, but they are part of the same creative-production ecosystem. And for the twenty years I’ve been in this industry, business owners, architects and developers have been making the argument that if you make something, you can be classified as an industrial user, permitted to locate your business in an industrial zone.

That’s how the Central Eastside became one of Portland’s most important arts, literature, and maker districts. Not despite its industrial roots, but because of them.

Cultural Anchors and Community Success Stories

Today, the neighborhood is a quirkier, more workmanlike mirror image of downtown’s Cultural District. It’s home to long-standing creative non-profits, new cultural anchors, independent retailers, performing arts groups, publishing resources, muralists, makerspaces, and some of the city’s most beloved creative companies. 

One of the clearest examples is Literary Arts, which recently relocated from the west side to the historic building at 716 SE Grand Avenue. The organization’s $13 million historic preservation and energy-efficiency upgrade expanded its footprint to roughly 14,000 square feet, and transformed the building from an appointment-based location into a public-facing cultural hub open seven days a week. With expanded classroom space, gathering areas, and a state-of-the-art podcast and recording studio, Literary Arts is bringing students, readers, writers, and community members into the district every week.

Right across the street, Mother Foucault’s Bookshop has also expanded its presence. The beloved independent bookstore moved from its former Morrison Street location into the historic building at 711 SE Grand Avenue. Even more meaningful, the group behind Mother Foucault’s was able to purchase the building earlier this year, helping ensure that the bookstore and its broader literary community remain rooted in the district.

The upper floors now host two nonprofits: L’Ecole Buissonniere, which provides space for “writers, readers, artists, misfits, and dreamers,” and Fonograf Editions, a nonprofit press and literary record label.

NAI Elliott had the privilege of working on the sale of the building, and the transaction reflected exactly the kind of ownership transition that can help preserve the Central Eastside’s character.

“My partners and I were honored to purchase and renovate the historic Nathaniel West building, where we ran our business, Alta Planning + Design, for 15 years,” said Mia Birk, former building owner. “After many twists and turns, we were thrilled to transition the building to Mother Foucault's Bookstore, which we admire for their commitment to the district and vision for an arts and literature hub. We are grateful for NAI Elliott’s support through the complex transaction, and excited to see this area evolving and improving as part of Portland’s resurgence.”

The district’s cultural identity also includes long-standing performing arts venues. Teatro Milagro has operated at SE 6th and Stark since 1992 and remains one of the best examples of how arts and literature enterprises can thrive in an industrial neighborhood. Its 130-seat theater, classrooms, and incubator spaces support Spanish-language and bilingual theater, literature, education, and advocacy. Its annual Día de los Muertos celebration is one of the longest-running and most significant cultural events in the Pacific Northwest.

The Independent Publishing Resource Center is another critical piece of the Central Eastside’s creative infrastructure. IPRC has helped make Portland one of the country’s most accessible cities for independent writers, zinesters, printmakers, and small presses, offering over 100 classes per year in printmaking and self-publishing. Award-winning author and professor Justin Hocking served as IPRC’s Executive Director from 2006-2014, tripling its operating income during his tenure, solidifying IPRC’s role as an eastside arts and literature anchor. “For over thirty years now, the IPRC's mission has been to provide affordable access to space, tools, and resources for creating independently published media and artwork, and to build community and identity through the creation of written and visual art,” says Hocking. “The IPRC also houses one of the largest collections of independently-published zines and chapbooks on the entire west coast.”

The Portland Street Art Alliance may have the most visible impact of all. Through its work creating and curating the Central Eastside Mural District, PSAA has helped turn the neighborhood into an open-air gallery. The Electric Blocks are one of the best places to experience that work, with murals and installations from more than 100 artists. PSAA’s mission goes beyond beautification. Its work supports artists economically, preserves street art history, and helps shift the public conversation around graffiti, murals, and creative expression.

The Future of the District

Music continues to play a major part in the Eastside’s next chapter. Monqui Presents, the longtime Portland-based music promoter, is leading the highly anticipated return of the Doug Fir Lounge, which is relocating to the former Montage space at SE 3rd and Morrison. The new venue is expected to bring back the log cabin feel that made the original Doug Fir so recognizable, while placing it in the middle of one of Portland’s most active creative districts.

And that is not Monqui’s only major eastside project. The group is also behind the planned 4,250-capacity music venue connected to the Lloyd Center redevelopment. If successful, that project could become one of the most important live music additions Portland has seen in years.

The list continues: Shaking the Tree Theatre, New Expressive Works, JAJA PDX, ADX Portland, Past Lives, SCRAP PDX, Outlet, WildCraft Studio, East Creative Collective, the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, Nucleus Portland, Particle Studios, Thesis, Roundhouse Agency, House of V, and many others all contribute to the district’s creative-industrial identity.

For retail brokers, property owners, and tenants, the lesson is clear: the Central Eastside is not just a place where businesses lease space. It’s a place where identity, zoning, ownership, production, culture, and community overlap, and emerge as an essential contributor to Portland’s creative brand.

Why the Eastside Matters

The Central Eastside is still making things. Art, books, food, music, culture, community, not to mention city-wide branding, and lasting real estate value. There has been no shortage of disparaging sentiment towards Portland in recent years, but a look into the continuing evolution of our Eastside tells us otherwise. Just like our Central Eastside, we are scrappy, creative, and fun, qualities which will serve us well as we plot our course forward.

Sara Daley has spent 17 years in commercial real estate and specializes in retail leasing and public-sector deals. But what makes her uniquely qualified to tell this story is her deep commitment to community and equity—values that have shaped her entire career. At NAI Elliott, Sara understands not just the real estate transactions, but the people and culture behind them.