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Charles K. Greene, the principal designer in the firm of A.E. Doyle and Associates of Portland, OR, conceived of the Public Service Building's design; the roof's unusual shape bore influences of rustic Italian architecture Greene had viewed several years earlier. Greene, a gay man, was forced to leave Portland in 1927, resettling in Los Angeles, CA, where he died. Pietro Belluschi, a rising star in the Doyle Office, took over supervision of the building after Greene's departure.The Public Service Building opened in 12/1927.

The Public Service Building and Garage was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

A 1957 alteration added 12 floors to each of the building's wings. Skidmore, Owings and Merrill's Portland Office remodeled the lobby of the Public Service Building in 1962. Signage on the roof--the words "POWER", "HEAT", "GAS", and "LIGHT" on each of the central tower's four planes ("POWER" appearing on the front entry's facade) --was taken down and the original roof facing material was changed from tile to metal. New energy-conserving HVAC systems were installed in 1999.