Arlington Club Suing Neighboring Hotel Owners for Damages to Building

PORTLAND-Lawyers representing this city’s exclusive Arlington Club have filed a lawsuit in Multnomah County Circuit Court against 925 Park Avenue Associates LLC, the owner of the club’s new downtown neighbor, the Paramount Hotel. The Arlington Club, a century-old, members-only facility for Portland’s business elite, is seeking $150,000 in damages caused during demolition of the Aero Club building that the Paramount Hotel replaced.

The damage was allegedly caused as a result of the two buildings – the Arlington Club and Aero Club – being built without any separation between them, such that when the separation was attempted, some chunks of the Arlington Club came down along with the Aero Club. That occurred in November 1997, and after a three-month work stoppage, lawyers for both sides struck and agreement in February 1998 that allegedly included a provision for Paramount paying for repairs to the Arlington Club – and any attorney fees – shortly after the hotel was completed. The hotel has been substantially complete for about a year now, however, and the Arlington Club says no payment has been received, says Miller Nash attorney and Arlington Club member Dennis Rawlinson.

“We’d just like to have the 925 Park folks live up to their end of the bargain,” Rawlinson tells GlobeSt. “There have been no new developments (since the lawsuit was filed), but I remain optimistic.”