PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland construction mogul Franklin Drake, whose name is behind some of the city's most iconic buildings and landmarks, died on Monday. He was 93.
Drake is the reason you can get from Portland to Beaverton on Highway 26 through the West Hills or ski on the southeastern face of Mt. Hood.
He went to Lincoln High School in Southwest Portland and graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in engineering in 1950.
From 1960-1995, he was president and CEO of the Donald M. Drake Company, one of the Pacific Northwest's largest construction firms. He's worked on projects in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Michigan.
Some of the Drake Company's notable projects include Rose Garden Arena — now the Moda Center — KOIN tower in downtown Portland, Lloyd Center mall and the Vista Ridge Tunnels that connect downtown Portland to Washington County.
The tunnels were created by blasting through Portland's West Hills in 1968, and they were completed in 1970.
Drake's company was also behind the construction of the Stadium Freeway, also known as I-405, that runs along the west side of the city. In August 1963, the state gave the contract for the freeway project to the Donald M. Drake Company for just over $4 million for the first milelong stretch.
Drake also won the next bid, connecting the freeway to the Vista Ridge Tunnels, and his company built the east and west approaches to the Fremont Bridge.
In 1966, Drake and his brothers Donald and Mitchell won a bid with the U.S. Forest Service for a 30-year contract to build what is now Mt. Hood Meadows ski resort. The resort opened in 1967.
In release sent to KGW from Mt. Hood Meadows, Drake's family said he preferred to keep a low profile, adding "Franklin enjoyed working with a team of highly experienced professionals and always attributed much of the company’s success to them. He viewed his team as an extension of his family."
Drake served on the board of directors for U.S. Bancorp and its predecessor U.S. National Bank, Portland General Electric and the Portland Chamber of Commerce. He was a United Fund Group leader and Urban Land Institute Council executive member. He also served as trustee of the Oregon State District Council of Laborers Pension Fund and was elected president of the Multnomah Athletic Club in 1963.
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The family asks that any donations in his remembrance be made to Trinity Episcopal Cathedral Building Maintenance Fund, the National Parkinson's Foundation at www.parkinson.org or to a charity of your choice.
A memorial will be held at a later date. His family is still making arrangements.