BLOCK 4: M FINANCIAL

Engaging Storefronts and Pedestrian Amenities

To be socially and economically sustainable in the Brewery Blocks, we knew we needed a diverse mix of retail, services, art and education centers and housing. On Block Four, we created an active retail streetscape by building a podium with a number of flexible spaces in a range of sizes to accommodate a wide variety of potential retail tenants. To ensure that we added to the overall prosperity of the city, we focused on attracting not only emerging local merchants but also new retailers to the market. Key tenants include Anthropologie and PF Chang’s and the Art Institute of Portland. Above the retail base, we worked with M Financial, a financial services company, to create a two-tiered Class A office building. While the low-rise podium preserves the pedestrian scale along the street, the high-rise tower is intentionally set away from the tower across the street to improve daylighting and views. Block Four uses a number of innovative sustainable practices and achieved a LEED Gold Certification from the USGBC. South-facing solar panels on the M Financial building generate 4.5 percent of its electrical load, decreasing reliance on less eco-friendly sources of energy and contributing to neighborhood-wide sustainability. A large ecoroof on top of the lower podium moderates heating and cooling of the roof and mitigates sudden stormwater runoff. Block 4 won Portland General Electric’s Earth Advantage Award in 2002.