KOIN Center |
The KOIN Tower - as you usually hear it called, though it seems properly to be the KOIN Center - is not only one of Portland's most distinctive big-building landmarks, but among then Northwest's. At 35 stories, its very specific shape and brick coloration make it a standout, architecturally. But it is also a standout for another reason: Its name harkens to a very specific local institution, most specifically television station KOIN (Channel 6), which has operated from there since the building's opening 23 years ago.
KOIN has been going through some sad days, with cutback not just to but through the bone. Now, the relationship between the station and the building is undergoing some change. From Oregon Media Insiders:
"At a staff meeting this week, GM Chris Sehring announced that architects were coming to re-evaluate the station's space needs and that up to an entire floor might be vacated and sold back to the building for a one-time cash payment. The KOIN lease is something like $1 a year for 99 years currently; once that space is given up, it'd be hell to get it back. But hey! What's a little more strip-mining of an already-stripped out station?"