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The midcentury-modern 419 Building on Southwest 10th Avenue is iconic, colorful 鈥� and vacant. But not for long: The announced this week that it plans to occupy the building鈥檚 entire top floor, and building owner Richard Singer is planning a rehab of the whole structure, inside and out.

It鈥檚 a positive sign for the West End, which has long-vacant storefronts and office space. Developers and designers say they are optimistic because the area is attractive to creative tenants.

鈥淭here鈥檚 been a lot of big plans around the West End,鈥� said Patricia Gardner, 419 Building project manager and Pearl District Neighborhood Association planning chairwoman.

Renovations and new developments were proposed in the area in the early 2000s, but those plans were scaled back following the economic collapse, Gardner said.

鈥淒evelopers are working within existing buildings 鈥� not the big, new buildings everyone was thinking about in the last economy,鈥� she said.

But for Gardner, the symbol of a move forward in the West End is Skylab鈥檚 鈥淏lackbox.鈥� Once proposed in 2008 as a 27-story tower called the 鈥淲eave,鈥� the project was scaled down and became a 10,000-square-foot remodel of an existing building. Work wrapped up this year.

Gardner said it shows what sort of revitalization can happen even through just one, scaled-down project. She hopes for similar results at the 419 Building.

PICA announced that it will move into the 10,000-square-foot third floor of the 419 Building. As PICA prepares to perform its own tenant improvement, building owner Richard Singer is planning a building renovation that calls for rehabilitating the building鈥檚 facade and installing storefront-style windows on the ground floor. Singer said that he was waiting for the right tenant before proceeding with the project.

鈥淭he challenges were finding great tenants,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou have to be particularly careful right now.鈥�

Singer鈥檚 vision for the West End involves moving creative-type businesses into both the 419 Building and the 10W building next door. Singer had considered developing apartments on the upper floors of 10W, but that project didn鈥檛 pencil out. Instead, he is looking for office tenants; when one signs on, he plans to perform a renovation, including a voluntary seismic upgrade.

The process is still slow, but Singer said that interest is picking up 鈥� from retailers, at least. Competition is stiff, particularly from east-side neighborhoods, but the West End is holding its own, he said.

鈥淭he bright side for the West End is that it鈥檚 where people want to be 鈥� even more than downtown or the Pearl,鈥� Singer said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 got a grittiness to it, and it鈥檚 so close to the core, with Burnside and Powell鈥檚.鈥�

New retail and office tenants in the West End helped draw PICA, according to Communications Director Patrick Leonard.

鈥淭he West End has been booming recently,鈥� he said.

Leonard cited the Blackbox, the Ace Hotel and Literary Arts 鈥� a frequent partner of PICA that recently moved into the Pittock Building. In addition, existing tenants in the area such as the Oregon Symphony and Clyde Commons often partner with PICA.

PICA also chose the 419 Building space as part of a planned move from its small office in the Wieden and Kennedy Building because it was able to obtain subsidized rent from a partnership with Singer, PICA Executive Director Victoria Frey said.

鈥淢any designers have been itching to do something with (the 419 Building),鈥� said SERA Architects associate Eric Philps, who is helping PICA with its tenant improvement. 鈥淚t鈥檚 sat there kind of neglected, and this is a chance to really make a difference in the community.鈥�

Frey and Singer both hope that PICA鈥檚 move and the building renovation will bring in new tenants to both the 419 Building and 10W.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just one peg filling a hole at a time,鈥� Singer said. 鈥淛ust like on (Northwest) 23rd (Avenue), it starts with one or two blocks. We go building by building.鈥�