Moyer Acquires Another Piece of 'Central Park Blocks'

PORTLAND-Developer Tom Moyer acquired another piece of the would-be central park blocks in Downtown Portland recently, picking up the Old Cornelius Hotel building at 801-809 SW Alder St. from The Baker Group LLC for $2.4 million.

Currently, five developed commercial blocks separate the city’s north and south park blocks. Moyer kick-started the effort to close the gap in 1999 by donating $5 million to purchase one of the blocks, a parking lot immediately west of his Fox Tower office development.

In late 2000, Moyer and former Gov. Neil Goldschmidt recruited other civic leaders into their effort–developer John Gray, arts patron Arlene Schnitzer, lawyers Jim Westwood and Brian Booth, and Well Fargo Bank president George Passadore–and began negotiating the acquisition of portions of more obstructing blocks.