NEWBERG, Ore. — The Newberg City Council accepted a letter of intent from a buyer for the Butler property at 411 E. 1st Street in downtown Newberg during its meeting on March 17, 2025. The $350,000 cash deal now enters negotiations, with the sale potentially closing as soon as May, according to City Manager Will Worthey.
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The listed purchaser, Keystone, LLC, is owned by Andrey “Andre” Koshuba from Lake Oswego. Koshuba also operates Exceptional Homes by Andre, a Lake Oswego-based company specializing in new home construction and is an award-winning Street of Dreams builder who has been constructing homes in the Portland metro area for 29 years, according to The Oregonian.
Koshuba and his realtor, Chandler Willcuts of Willcuts Company Realtors, did not respond to requests for comment.
The Butler property, located at the corner of North Howard and East First streets, was declared surplus by the city council in May 2024 and listed for sale at no less than its appraised value of $257,500 on June 17, 2024. City officials said the property initially attracted a local buyer, but the deal was not finalized.
After local realtors, including Matt and Marc Willcuts from Willcuts Company Realtors, questioned the city’s marketing strategy during the August 5, 2024 city council meeting—notably its absence from the Regional Multiple Listing Service (RMLS)—the city enlisted Sean Heaton, managing principal at Cresa, to assist with marketing and expanding the listing’s reach.
Since the beginning of the selling process, city councilors have expressed a preference for a mixed-use development with retail shops on the ground floor and residences above. Worthey said that preference remains unchanged.
The letter of intent is non-binding, and the City of Newberg retains the right to cease negotiation with the purchaser at any time
What About the Butler Mouse?
The bronze mouse sculpture residing in the middle of the Butler Property, created by Whidbey Island, Washington-based artist Georgia Gerber, is part of a trio called “Boys’ Night Out” previously displayed at The Allison Inn & Spa’s resort grounds in Newberg. Gerber’s public sculptures are featured throughout the Pacific Northwest, including installations in McMinnville and Portland.
The mouse, who was never officially named, has served as a focal point for the Newberg Public Art Council’s (NPAC) public art sculpture initiative. It is frequently decorated for the seasons, most recently adorned with a slipper, gloves, a scarf, a hula-style skirt, and an umbrella.
NPAC board President Terry Emery said the organization is aware of the sale and is beginning to seek alternative downtown locations for the sculpture. They are prioritizing sites where children can continue to interact with it, she added.
The mouse is one of five public art sculptures displayed around town as part of the initiative. The others include a bronze fox recently placed outside Critter Cabana, a stainless steel and bronze nautilus called “Argonauta” outside Want CPA, a plexiglass and fiberglass Pegasus outside the library, and a portion of the Memorial Park redwood tree titled “In Memoriam.”
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