Oregon’s Tallest Mass Timber Tower Opens in Downtown Portland

Residents have begun moving into Oregon’s tallest mass timber tower, a 12-story affordable apartment building in downtown Portland, Global Construction Review reported (10-21-25).

Built on a formerly underused 5,000-square-foot lot, the 144-foot-tall Julia West House includes 90 furnished units (60 studios and 30 one-bedroom apartments) reserved for individuals earning 30% or less of the area median income, set at $26,070 for a single-person household in 2025.

The project was developed by Community Development Partners (CDP), a firm specializing in affordable housing across the western US, after acquiring the site from the First Presbyterian Church of Portland in 2024.

Designed by Holst Architecture, engineered by KPFF, and built by Walsh Construction, the project broke ground in February 2024. It is among the first “Type IV-B” mass timber towers in Oregon since the state adopted specific tall-wood building codes in 2018, allowing up to 12 stories for that classification.

CDP CEO Eric Paine said the project marked the firm’s first use of cross-laminated timber in a multi-story building and was “the tallest building that CDP has ever developed.”

“This project is a great example of how to economically build high-performing, desirable housing for people who desperately need it,” KPFF associate engineer Christopher Pitt added.

Funding came from multiple public and private sources, including a 4% Low-Income Housing Tax Credit allocation, USDA Wood Innovations funding, and a Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund grant.