More Workers, More Activity: New Signs of Momentum in Portland’s Central City

The Mayor's Central City Roundtable convened Friday for its second meeting amid signals pointing to increased workplace activity and renewed investment across Portland's Central City.

In recent weeks, several major employers and institutions have taken steps to expand or reestablish their presence in the Central City:

• Last week, OnPoint Community Credit Union held an open house to celebrate its new 17,000-square-feet branch in downtown Portland at SW Broadway and Washington.
• Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon signed a long-term lease for its headquarters at 200 SW Market St, and expanded from approximately 60,000 to 100,000 square feet.
• Accounting firm Geffen Mesher & Co. signed a long term lease in the same building for 30,000 square feet.

These announcements add to the momentum created by other recent moves, including:

• UpStart Collective's decision to consolidate its coworking locations by taking over the 5th floor of the "Big Pink" U.S. Bank building.
• Portland State University's decision in the fall of 2025 to increase its in-person presence, bringing more students, faculty, and staff into the Central City.

"OnPoint is proud to expand service to consumer members while providing resources dedicated to over 50,000 area businesses," said OnPoint CEO, and Central City Roundtable member Rob Stuart. "This decision underscores our continued investment in the vitality and future of Portland's Central City."

These developments come alongside a broader wave of Central City activity highlighted in the Mayor's State of the City speech on April 17, such as:

• The return of Nike's flagship store. With a presence in downtown since 1990, the newly renovated Nike Portland store opened as an elevated sport, community and culture hub.
• Uniqlo's decision to open a new Central City retail location across from Pioneer Courthouse Square.
• New ownership and reinvestment in major Central City office buildings, including Big Pink and the Black Box building.
• The relocation of National University of Natural Medicine to South Downtown.

Together, these actions point to early momentum across the Roundtable's key indicators, including increased office activity, more active storefronts, and more people out and about in the Central City at all times of day.

"We are seeing more workers returning, more investment, and more activity," said Mayor Keith Wilson. "Activation leads to more activation. That's why my budget proposes adding $800,000 to existing Prosper Portland resources for retail, grocery stores, and restaurants to make storefront investments citywide with a focus on the Central City."

The Mayor convened the second meeting of the Central City Roundtable on May 1, in which the members agreed on shared key performance indicators of progress and a plan for working groups around core areas of focus. The Roundtable brings together leaders from business, education, real estate, and the nonprofit sector to stay aligned around near-term actions and track visible progress over time.

"We are focused on what people can see and feel," Wilson added. "More activity, more workers, and more reasons to be in the Central City. We're creating results through hard work and determination."

The Roundtable will continue to meet regularly and share updates on the website as progress continues.