Hotel San Marco

1116 SW Washington S.W. corner of 11th and Washington

Years:

Hotel San Marco: 1910- possibly until 1975 or 1976

The New Ritz Hotel - possibly 1975 or 1976 to June 1999 when it was demolished

Per 1999 Portland Gay History Walking Tour (glapn.org) “One of the men arrested during the Portland vice scandal of 1912 was Harry Work, a desk clerk at this hotel.  He was arrested by police while at work and promised immunity from prosecution in return for evidence against prominent attorney Edward S. J. McAllister.  During the course of his testimony in front of a Multnomah County jury, he talked of first meeting “queers” in Chicago, where he had been engaged in hotel work, “where you couldn’t help but meet them, it being a common thing in the east.”  He also denied being “queer,” which he defined as “those that sucked cock,” as opposed to “trade,” who were “those they’d done.”  This is an important element of gay male identity in our past that has largely been forgotten over the decades.”

Per website: 30 STORY TOWER PLANNED AT SW 11TH & WASHINGTON Posted on August 25, 2016 by nextportland

A Pre-Application Conference has been scheduled by ZGF Architects and Gerding Edlen Development to discuss a 30 story mixed use building at SW 11th & Washington. The project would include 4 floors of office and 240 residential units. At the ground level retail spaces facing SW 11th Ave, Washington St and 12th Aves are shown. The building would include 4 floors of underground parking, accessed from SW 12th Ave

 The site for the proposed building is a half block at 1102-1116 SW Washington St, owned by the Goodman family controlled Downtown Development Group. The quarter block at SW 12th & Washington is currently used for surface parking. The quarter block at SW 11th & Washington is covered in grass. [see first floor drawing below]

There is no known photos of the exterior or interior of the building. What is known is the building housed Calvins Public House, Flight 181,The New Ritz Disco* and the Bear Hall Saloon. *See Bars/Taverns/Restaurants for each.