A vampiric restaurant and nightclub could be the first new business at Centennial Mills, a defunct former flour mill in Northwest Portland.

An early assistance application for Lestat Nightclub to operate at 1362 N.W. Naito Parkway was submitted to Portland Permitting & Development on Nov. 21.

The commercial concept is the latest twist for Centennial Mills, a 4.4-acre riverfront parcel that has long resisted redevelopment schemes.

The nightclub would reside in an existing building that was vacated by the Portland Police Bureau‘s Mounted Patrol in 2017, according to city documents.

That raises questions about the fate of a sweeping redevelopment plan for Centennial Mills that was approved by the Portland Design Commission in October. SERA Architects‘ design for the project, which was officially valued at $80 million, called for three new buildings encompassing 272 residential units and four retail spaces.

The two-story ex-Mounted Patrol building was not part of the plan presented to the Design Commission and would have to be demolished to make way for the new buildings.

Representatives of Lindquist Development, the site’s owner and developer, did not respond to messages seeking comment.

Ryan Wilson, a Vancouver architect who is designing the Lestat Nightclub, said the restaurant-nightclub idea is preliminary.

“At this point, it’s a very conceptual idea,” he said.

No lease has been signed for the nightclub, Wilson added.

Members of the Pearl District Neighborhood Association were unaware of the Lestat Nightclub proposal, said Stan Penkin, a former PDNA chairman and Pearl District resident.

“It’s news to us,” he said.

Penkin said it was concerning to see a different, much-scaled-down plan after the Design Commission approved a major redevelopment.

“It makes me wonder if the developer of the apartments is backing off, which would be extremely disappointing, as you might imagine,” he said.

The parcel is located across Northwest Naito Parkway from Fields Park in the North Pearl District.

The ex-Mounted Patrol building has approximately 38,000 square feet, divided between two floors. The change of use for the restaurant and nightclub would likely trigger a required seismic upgrade, Wilson wrote to Permitting & Development officials in a Nov. 11 letter.

The project would also require new shear walls, and roof and floor diaphragm upgrades, Wilson wrote.

Lestat is the name of Tom Cruise’s character in the film “Interview with the Vampire,” and the Anne Rice novels that inspired the film and TV series.

For more than 20 years, city officials sought to redevelop Centennial Mills. A series of private developers investigated building on the property before backing out of negotiations with the Portland Development Commission and its successor agency, Prosper Portland.

In September 2024, Prosper Portland sold the property to MLR Ventures, controlled by the Ralston family, for $1.25 million. The Ralstons then conveyed the property to an entity linked to Lindquist Development.

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HHPR, a Portland-based engineering firm, is recognized for its innovative solutions and commitment to improving the built environment. Specializing in civil and structural engineering, HHPR works across multiple sectors, including education, healthcare, commercial and residential development.

Founded in 1990, the firm has built a reputation for delivering high-quality engineering services that emphasize both functionality and sustainability. HHPR’s team of experienced engineers collaborates closely with clients to design cost-effective, durable and environmentally responsible solutions tailored to the unique needs of each project.

“At HHPR, we prioritize building strong, long-term relationships with our clients, understanding that a successful partnership is built on trust, transparency and communication,” said Nicole Gelow, marketing assistant at HHPR.

This emphasis on collaboration sets HHPR apart. By fostering strong relationships with clients, contractors and the community, the firm ensures projects are completed on time, within budget and with a focus on long-term performance.

From large-scale developments to smaller, community-based projects, HHPR’s portfolio reflects its dedication to creating spaces that are structurally sound while enhancing the quality of life for those who use them. With a proven track record and a forward-thinking approach, HHPR remains a leading force in shaping the built environment in the Pacific Northwest.

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David Leiken has some big ideas for the Roseland Theater half-block that he has owned for more than 20 years.

The property along Burnside Street is zoned for a maximum height of 460 feet, and he has considered joining with an adjacent property owner, David Gold, to build something big – a hotel, or apartments or condos – atop the historic music venue.

He’s also been approached about the property by major national firms, and at age 69, he’s ready to make a move. “In the next five to 10 years, something’s going to happen down here,” he said.

But planning is on hold for now as Leiken battles with the city of Portland, which is proposing to reduce the allowable height to 250 feet as part of the Central City 2035 plan.

Leiken is one of several property owners who are protesting height reductions in the Central City 2035 plan, a major zoning code rewrite that is wending its way toward approval this fall by the City Council.

They object that the proposed maximum height changes essentially pick winners and losers, block by block. The difference to a property owner could be millions of dollars.

Leiken said the area along Burnside has endured tough times and deserves greater consideration from city officials.

“There used to be at any one time of the day 10 to 15 crack dealers on the corner,” Leiken said. “And we’ve lived through that, and it’s over. And I feel like this area has been treated as a stepchild by the city for years and years and years.”

City officials are seeking to balance the desires of local residents, many of whom favor lower allowable heights to preserve their views, with developers, property owners and others who stand to financially benefit from taller buildings with more revenue-producing square footage.

Residents of the Goose Hollow and West End neighborhoods have been especially vocal about reduced views of Mount Hood and East Portland.

The Central City 2035 plan comes as booming demand for office and residential space has filled the development pipeline. At the same time, Portland is facing an influx of new residents and a growing push for greater density.

For Leiken, he’s galled by the looming change that would reduce the allowable height on his property by 46 percent. To make matters more absurd from his perspective, the Roseland Theater block is directly across Burnside from the U.S. Bancorp Tower, better known as Big Pink, the second-tallest skyscraper in Portland at 536 feet.

Leiken doesn’t understand why the Roseland Theater property and surrounding blocks north of Burnside were singled out for lower heights.

“Basically they drew a line and said, here’s 460 (feet maximum) and here’s 250,” he said. “And we had always been 460 before.”

Leiken said there’s no doubt that if the height changes go through as proposed, he will see the city in court. “Nobody wants to get in litigation with the city of Portland, but at some point if they’re going to treat you differently than everybody else, that’s what ends up happening,” he said.

Leiken’s lawyer, Carrie Richter of Garvey Schubert Barer’s Portland office, has submitted a detailed letter to the Planning and Sustainability Commission.

Others are protesting as well. One property owner described in public testimony the height changes as a governmental “taking” of property value without compensation.

Leiken bought the Roseland in 1995 for about $1.4 million. He estimates he spent an additional $750,000 on a seismic retrofit and other renovations.

Gold owns the neighboring property at 19 N.W. Fifth Ave., as well as other buildings in the area. He said the proposed 250-foot height limit could limit the possibilities for the site amid a booming development economy.

“We’re closer to having a demand for that type of height than we’ve had for the last 30 years,” he said. “That proposal cuts it out before we know if it’s feasible or not.”

The proposed height limits came about after six years of discussion as part of the city’s quadrant plans, said Rachael Hoy, a senior planner and Central City team leader at the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. The process included meetings with stakeholder advisory groups.

Yet some property owners are hearing about the changes only now after drafts of the Central City 2035 plan were posted publicly and reached public hearings.

In Leiken’s case, he said he was aware of the planning process, but was repeatedly told he had nothing to worry about, until he did. The city’s plan also limits lucrative transfers of floor-to-area bonuses in certain blocks.

The Central City 2035 plan is now before the Planning and Sustainability Commission, which is holding a series of hearings on the wide-ranging document.

Maximum allowable heights could change through the public process, Hoy said. The commission “very well will make changes, I’m sure, to some of the staff proposals,” she said.

“This is the time to hear from the stakeholders to state their case.”

Allowable heights under the Central City 2035 plan vary from neighborhood to neighborhood and even block to block, according to a height map from the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. The city’s maximum allowable height of 460 feet is available in only a relatively small section of downtown.

In many cases, height reductions were driven by view corridors, Hoy said. But in Leiken’s case, his block was reduced to 250 feet because of development patterns and the neighboring historic district.

“That’s an area where there’s not a view corridor involved,” Hoy said. “There was discussion of that area’s proximity to the historic district. His property is not in a historic district, but it’s next to one.”

The area also hasn’t seen buildings built to maximum heights, Hoy said.

“The development pattern, we’ve not seen buildings built to 460 (feet),” she said. “What we have seen – and what we’re proposing – is 250.”

In that sense, the city seems to be taking a use-it-or-lose-it approach to height limits. Richter argued against that approach in her letter to the city opposing lower height limits on the property.

“Simply because no building has been built maximizing the 460-foot height limit does not mean that the existing height limits need to be reduced,” she wrote.

The area around the Roseland Theater has many low-profile buildings with historic character, Hoy said.

“There’s just kind of an older fabric of buildings,” Hoy said. “There are some older buildings that it would be great if they were preserved.”

In contrast, the block that contains the U.S. Bancorp Tower would have its height increased to 545 feet as proposed, from the current 460-foot limit. The tower’s owner, Unico Properties, has complained that the tower’s status as a nonconforming property could pose an obstacle to refinancing or sale in the future.

Leiken and Gold have discussed options to develop their properties. They’ve noted increased interest from national developers and proposals for taller buildings throughout downtown.

Leiken said he’s discussed with architects simply building on top of the existing Roseland Theater building, preserving its use as a music venue. The building could be topped by a hotel or residential units.

“We have some, I think, very cool ideas of what we could do,” he said.

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