Commercial Street in downtown Astoria with the former Hotel Astoria building

Astoria’s downtown historic district and the businesses that fill it

ByCorey Lindqvist

Photo: Steve Morgan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The tallest building in downtown Astoria is the former Hotel Astoria, a 1920s high-rise at 14th and Commercial streets that opened in 1924, two years after the fire that destroyed the old business district. It was the town’s grand hotel for decades. It later became the John Jacob Astor Apartments, a housing complex for seniors and people with low incomes, and its rooftop sign still dominates the skyline.

Around it, the downtown historic district is made up of brick and concrete buildings from the same rebuilding period. The area was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.

Who occupies the storefronts

Downtown Astoria is less dependent on chain businesses than many towns its size. The storefronts on Commercial, Duane and Marine streets are filled with independent bookstores, antique shops, coffee roasters, restaurants and galleries, along with businesses that serve residents, such as hardware and appliance stores. The Astoria Sunday Market, which closes 12th Street on summer Sundays, draws vendors from around the region.

The Astoria Downtown Historic District Association works with businesses on promotions, events and grants for facade improvements, and it organizes the Second Saturday Art Walk.

Upper floors

The biggest opportunity and challenge lies upstairs. Many downtown buildings have empty or underused upper floors because converting them to apartments or offices requires fire sprinklers, elevators and seismic upgrades that are expensive in old buildings. The city has looked at incentives for these projects, as housing for workers in Clatsop County is in short supply.

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