511 Federal Building
Encyclopedia
The 511 Federal Building is a former federal post office
that currently houses Department of Homeland Security offices for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
in Portland, Oregon
, United States
. It also housed various other government entities in the past such as the Department of Agriculture.
The building was constructed in 1916–1918 and opened in 1919 after being commissioned by the Secretary of the Treasury, one of the last post offices built under the 1893 Tarsney Act, and cost $1 million. It was designed by architect Lewis P. Hobart
. It is located between Portland's Old Town Chinatown
and the Pearl District
. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1979, as the U.S. Post Office. The building is six stories tall and has a footprint of approximately 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²).
The Department of Homeland Security is expected to vacate the building in the next few years. New sites have been selected in the nearby Pearl District, and in Southwest Portland. In autumn 2005, the General Services Administration
began working on the disposal of the building. The leading candidates to take over the space included the Pacific Northwest College of Art
(PNCA) and Portland Public Market
. In March, 2008, the PNCA announced the U.S. Department of Education and the General Services Administration had approved their application to make the building a permanent part of the school's campus.
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
that currently houses Department of Homeland Security offices for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security , responsible for identifying, investigating, and dismantling vulnerabilities regarding the nation's border, economic, transportation, and infrastructure security...
in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It also housed various other government entities in the past such as the Department of Agriculture.
The building was constructed in 1916–1918 and opened in 1919 after being commissioned by the Secretary of the Treasury, one of the last post offices built under the 1893 Tarsney Act, and cost $1 million. It was designed by architect Lewis P. Hobart
Lewis P. Hobart
Lewis Parsons Hobart was an American architect whose designs included San Francisco's Grace Cathedral, several California Academy of Sciences buildings, and the 511 Federal Building in Portland, Oregon....
. It is located between Portland's Old Town Chinatown
Old Town Chinatown, Portland, Oregon
Old Town Chinatown is a neighborhood in the Northwest section of Portland, Oregon. The Willamette River forms its eastern boundary, separating it from the Lloyd District and the Kerns and Buckman neighborhoods...
and the Pearl District
Pearl District, Portland, Oregon
The Pearl District is an area of Portland, Oregon, formerly occupied by warehouses, light industry and railroad classification yards and now noted for its art galleries, upscale businesses and residences. The area has been undergoing significant urban renewal since the late 1990s, including the...
. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1979, as the U.S. Post Office. The building is six stories tall and has a footprint of approximately 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²).
The Department of Homeland Security is expected to vacate the building in the next few years. New sites have been selected in the nearby Pearl District, and in Southwest Portland. In autumn 2005, the General Services Administration
General Services Administration
The General Services Administration is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA supplies products and communications for U.S...
began working on the disposal of the building. The leading candidates to take over the space included the Pacific Northwest College of Art
Pacific Northwest College of Art
The Pacific Northwest College of Art is a private fine art and design college in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. Established in 1910, the art school grants bachelor of fine arts degrees and master of fine arts degrees and has an enrollment of about 550 students...
(PNCA) and Portland Public Market
Portland Public Market
The Portland Public Market was a public market in Portland, Oregon, United States, built in 1933 at a widely-advertised cost of $1 million. Controversial and ambitious, it was never as successful as the Central Public Market, centered at southwest Fifth and Yamhill Streets, which it was intended to...
. In March, 2008, the PNCA announced the U.S. Department of Education and the General Services Administration had approved their application to make the building a permanent part of the school's campus.