April 18, 2023 on The Story: When you think about a mall, its success is often measured in the number of stores open and operating. If the mall is doing poorly, they close — and the more closed storefronts, the worse the perception of the “health” and prosperity of the mall. The mall can function as something of an analogy for thinking about downtown Portland, even if the latter is at a much larger scale. Between the COVID-19 pandemic, homelessness, addiction and crime, the last few years have worn on downtown Portland. The latest blow came this week, when we learned that outdoor retailer REI has plans to vacate its longtime spot.
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19 Comments
It’s crazy they shut down the services center bc a rent-a-cop was doing blow on the job
The worst part is the not only are the businesses leaving but there is not a chance in Hell new business will be investing in Portland moving forward. The City is dying and I refuse to go downtown anymore out of concern for my personal safety.
When you step in human excrement a few times in downtown Portland you'll start smelling the perception.
I stopped going to downtown Portland since the BLM riots and protests. And then the homeless, drugs, and crime exploded and I’m definitely not going near downtown, unless I have to. Sad to see this city go down the gutters. I don’t blame the business for leaving..if I had a business, I would not want to set up in Portland.
Down town Portland is looking more like Kensington Ave in Philadelphia. Nightmarish zombies taking over Portland. Get out, get out while you can.
Portland is HELL
Thanks California.
Perhaps the homeless could tend honeybees to produce an artisanal urban honey varietal that could be sold nationwide.
Mayor does nothing!
How's the defund, progressive, blm, anti-police thingy working out tree huggers?
The last time I had to go to downtown Portland was in early 2021 and the building I had to go to was right smack in the middle of homeless encampments right on the sidewalks. So right off the bat I didn't feel safe leaving anything of value in my vehicle for fear of a break-in which is always a distinct possibility in Portland these days. To make it worse, I had no choice but to wade my way down a sidewalk where meth was being sold in broad daylight, complete with circles of people sitting on the sidewalk shooting up meth, also in broad daylight. Until the city of Portland goes after the mexican mafia which is responsible for meth manufacturing and trafficking in Portland crime will just continue to get worse and worse. The mexican mafia meth drug trade is the number one problem in Portland and is driving gang turf wars in "the numbers" neighborhoods where there are literally nightly shootings, driving theft and burglaries, as well as driving homelessness since a vast majority of Portland's homeless are meth addicts. Portland's political, law enforcement and judicial system are all guilty of malfeasance when it comes to ignoring the city's mexican mafia meth trade and for refusing to go after the actual king pins.
You want "the truth" from leaders who are causing these turbulent times😂😅….not gonna happen
When the middle classes moved out of downtown, who was going to buy stuff from the stores on a weekly basis?? How long has on-line shopping been available??
Just old businesses failing to adjust to the market!! Why blame the homeless alone??
BLM : Black Lies Matter, Burning Looting Murdering. This is the USA in 2023
Who wants to go to Portland anymore? It's expensive, unsafe and getting pretty dirty. You all got what you voted for. Policies, laws, politics are seeping out of the northern counties and infecting the rest of the state. Portland, San Francisco, Chicago, LA, NY…..destroyed
Sounds like you voted in officials that are there for the paycheck…..hold them accountable, dock their pay for job not done….or fire them and hire another.
As long as Oregonians continue to vote for Democrats who refuse to deal with crime things will continue to decline. We left Oregon 20 years age and I'm so glad we did!!
The decline can be traced to redistricting after the 2000 Census. The result was complete Democrat control and a downward sprial.
Antifa can open the shop there