Union Bank Tower
| Company type | Commercial office building |
|---|---|
| Industry | Real estate, Banking (tenant) |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Headquarters | Portland, Oregon , United States |
| Products | Office space |
The Union Bank Tower (also presented as UnionBank Tower), initially known as the Bank of California building and later the Union Bank of California Tower, is a 15-story commercial office structure located in downtown Portland, Oregon. Finished in 1969, it briefly held the title of the tallest building in Portland upon its topped-out status in 1968, before being overtaken by the Georgia-Pacific Building, currently called the Standard Insurance Center.
History
Construction commenced in 1967 on a full city block that previously housed the Rosenblatt Building along with two theaters: the United Artists Theatre and Liberty Theatre. The project was initiated to support the expanding operations of the Bank of California in Portland.
The tower was completed toward the end of 1969, with the bank relocating to the new premises on December 8, leaving behind its former 1925 headquarters. Originally named the Bank of California building or Bank of California Tower, it remained under the bank's ownership at that time.
In 1972, developer Harry Mittleman acquired the property through a leaseback arrangement that permitted the bank to lease the building for up to 35 years. After Mittleman's passing in 1986, ownership transferred to his estate. Subsequently, in 1987, plans were made to assign the master lease to Melvin Mark Properties and Douglas Goodman. Throughout this period, the bank continued as the principal occupant, leasing a significant portion of the office area.
Following the April 1996 merger between Bank of California and Union Bank, the structure was renamed Union Bank of California Building. Later, in 2008, when The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ took full control of Union Bank of California (now operating as MUFG Union Bank), the tower adopted its current name, UnionBank Tower.
By 2012, ownership was divided between Melvin Mark Companies and Downtown Development Group. That same year, an additional underground parking level was created by converting a subbasement space, increasing capacity by 84 spots to reach a total of 339 parking spaces.
Description
The tower was designed by San Francisco-based architects Anshen and Allen in the International Style, presenting a commanding presence along Broadway. Its notable exposed service cores on both southern and western facades are covered with light gray slate featuring a greenish hue, reportedly sourced from quarry sites in Wales—the same region where stone for Stonehenge was obtained.
Interior design responsibilities were managed by Maria Bergson, who operated out of New York City.