A cyclist crosses the train tracks near the Centennial Mills building on Aug. 10, 2026, in Portland, Ore. Demolition is set to start on the building on Aug. 14, after a fire made the structure unsafe.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
Trains will start running as early as Monday past a Portland warehouse that was recently consumed by fire, prompting city officials to once more express concerns that vibrations from rail operations could trigger a dangerous building collapse.
Portland City Administrator Raymond C. Lee III said trains scheduled to run past the Centennial Mills warehouse could put lives and property at risk. At a press conference Monday, he added that the city has “very limited authority to really stop the trains.”
City officials warned Union Pacific over the weekend about the risks of resuming train operations near the building, which burned in a massive fire Aug. 2. In a letter sent to the railroad on Friday, Lee said since the four-alarm fire, the building’s walls are moving and now lean west, toward Naito Parkway and the rail lines.
Demolition of the warehouse is slated to begin Aug. 14, although plans are still being finalized to ensure both ongoing investigations and the demolition itself are done safely.
Union Pacific told OPB on Monday that the uncertain timeline posed a regional problem, and they are working closely with the city to resume rail operations with safety precautions.
“Union Pacific recognizes the challenges presented by this incident, but with no end date on when this long-abandoned property will be demolished, we must consider the disruption the closure of this critical rail corridor has on regional industries, small businesses, ports and consumer goods,” Union Pacific spokesperson Robynn Tysver said in an email.
The remains of the Centennial Mills building.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
Freight traffic will continue on the farthest track from the structure, trains will not go faster than 10 mph in that area and Union Pacific flaggers will be present during train operations, Tysver said. The company will also place stationary “ballast cars” loaded with gravel on the eastern track to serve as a buffer for active trains.
Eric Kutch, director of the city’s permitting department, said this is not a standard demolition and requires additional planning due to the building’s instability and the risk it poses to the surrounding area.
He said demolition contractors must also make a plan for asbestos mitigation after traces were found in the fire debris.
Kutch urged people passing by the area to take any closures, perimeters or other safety precautions seriously while demolition work is underway.
The building is located on Northwest Naito Parkway in the Pearl District, a dense upscale residential neighborhood in northwest Portland near the city’s downtown.
Jason Anderson, senior fire investigator with Portland Fire & Rescue, responds to questions at a press conference following the Centennial Mills building fire on Aug. 10, 2026, in Portland, Ore. Demolition is set to start on the building on Aug. 14, after a fire made the structure unsafe.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
“I just want to say that as a neighbor, as a citizen, it’s really scary,” said Councilor Olivia Clark. “I know we’re all on edge over what’s going to happen, and I want to encourage all of my friends in the Pearl District and neighbors: If you’re curious, don’t go there. Don’t go near it, please, for your health and safety.”
Officials are still investigating the fire’s cause and the identity of what are likely human remains that were found in the ruins. There’s no evidence the fire started from criminal activity, said Portland Police Chief Bob Day. Portland City Councilor Eric Zimmerman said he expects the demolition and cleanup to happen quickly.
“Portland takes a long time to do things. It will not take a long time to make this a safer place,” Zimmerman said.
The owner of Centennial Mills, Stuart Lindquist, is expected to foot the bill for demolition and cleanup, Kutch said.
The city has also asked Lindquist to establish 24-hour security and a protective fence to keep unauthorized people off the site.
