Say goodbye to the Sunshine Dairy building

On one of my nighttime Covid-era walks last night, I noticed one of those signs that Portlanders dread. When you see one of these, you know that a part of Portland history is about to be trashed for something with a lot less character.

The sign is on the Sunshine Dairy building, just south of I-84 on 20th Avenue. The joint is going to be knocked down for... wait for it... a seven-story apartment building! Because Portland doesn't have enough apartments. Luxury apartments, at that.

One of my favorite dive bars, just south of there, got wiped out for similar schlock a year or two ago.

The dairy building is not an architectural treasure, by any means. But I will miss its signature feature, a giant milk carton on the roof. It used to rotate, in its heyday. One year, in a windstorm, it was spinning out of control, which was something to see.

And of course, this represents another Portland business that went under, even before the plague.

When tagging got to be too constant to cope with, the building's owners turned the exterior over to a group of graffiti-style muralists. Some of what they've done there is actually interesting. But get a good look, as soon it will be gone for another soulless bunker. Go by streetcar!