[2oh1]

the plot thickens:

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/01/greek_cusina_owner_sued_for_un.html

A quote from the article: "And no, Commissioner Randy Leonard says he’s not interested in buying the octopus, even if proceeds go to charity, which, for the record, he doesn’t even believe will happen."

That's comedy!

[JoshYent]

A quote from the article: "And no, Commissioner Randy Leonard says he’s not interested in buying the octopus, even if proceeds go to charity, which, for the record, he doesn’t even believe will happen."

That's comedy!


haha yeah I just laughed at that. Im in the Library, getting weird looks hah

[JordanL]

OK, JordanL, that's great about externalities and so on, but it sounds like I'd have to wait until my kid got sick from tainted chicken to go hire a lawyer, if I can afford one, and then go through some months- or years- long lawsuit. And it sounds like you're assuming people aren't corrupt and I'll actually be able to recoup the 'externality' of having my kid die of food poisoning. AND, getting to the heart of things, what business would want to operate in such an uncertain environment? If there are regulations that are known ahead of time, doesn't that help mitigate risk better than a system where there are no regulations but you can be hit with lawsuits at every turn?

And I still don't understand how this kind of system would supply me with a park to hang out in.

What would be wrong with having parks? Libertarianism has to do with NOT restricting individual rights. That doesn't mean that it also means the absence of *all* collectivism.

[urbanlife]

What would be wrong with having parks? Libertarianism has to do with NOT restricting individual rights. That doesn't mean that it also means the absence of *all* collectivism.

Well I think that is meant by the fact that it would require government money to pay and upkeep a park, unless you are willing to find a group of people willing to pay for such costs on their own...I guess they could put a toll to enter their park to help cover the upkeep costs and thus they would only be charging the ones that actually use it and not everyone else...there is just too many "its all about the individual" loopholes in the idea of Libertarian.

[tworivers]

Hate to break into the discussion here, but... here's some background from the always-reliable (*cough*) Tribune.

Cusina’s repair cost: $500,000
Communication breakdown fueled dispute with city, architect says

By Jim Redden

The Portland Tribune, Jan 14, 2010

Ted Papas, owner of the Greek Cusina, closed his downtown restaurant after years of controversy and skirmishes with city bureaus and fire inspectors. Portland firefighters went through the building last week to plan how to fight a fire there.

It could cost more than half a million dollars to rehabilitate the downtown building that housed the Greek Cusina restaurant and nightclub.

Before former owner Ted Papas turned the building over to his bank earlier this month, city officials approved a $500,000 remodeling plan he had submitted. Among other things, it would have reversed unauthorized modifications Papas had done to the building that violated city fire and building codes.

The plan also called for the construction of a new internal stairway in the six-story building to improve escape routes.

Stephen Winstead, the architect who prepared the plan, says the final costs would probably be even higher.

“Once you start a project like this, you almost always run into unexpected problems that increase costs,” Winstead says.

Some work had actually started before Papas shut his restaurant down and gave keys to the building to Capital Pacific Bank on Monday, Jan. 4. The bank initiated foreclosure proceedings against Papas last fall, saying he was failing to make payments on a $1.4 million loan on the building. In late December, bank officials convinced Papas to transfer the title to them. The terms of the settlement have not been disclosed.

Now bank representatives have begun meeting with city officials to determine how much work needs to be done before the building can be put on the market. It is valued at a little more than $2 million. At a minimum, fire officials want the alarm and sprinkler systems reconfigured to better cover two shafts Papas created inside the building without permits – a three-story atrium and adjacent five-story dumbwaiter.

“The alarm and sprinkler systems were approved for the building before those changes were made,” says Portland Fire & Rescue spokesman Lt. Allen Oswalt. “They would not be able to handle a fire in those air shafts.”

Firefighters from the bureau’s downtown stations spent three days walking through the building last week. According to Oswalt, the inspections were intended to familiarize the firefighters with the hazards in the building so they can develop a strategy for fighting a fire in it.

“Firefighters inspect buildings all the time and see code violations, but not so many in the same place,” Oswalt says.
Communication breakdown

Sixty-four restaurant workers lost their jobs when Papas closed the business – 50 at the Portland restaurant and 14 at a Tualatin Nyberg Woods location served by the downtown one. Since the closure, he and city Commissioner Randy Leonard have blamed each other for it. Papas says Leonard used a multi-agency inspection team to unfairly target his building for code enforcement actions. Leonard says Papas was too slow to fix problems he created.

Winstead thinks both sides share some blame. He admits Papas did work in his building without obtaining permits, and that even when he took out permits, he did not always request the required final inspections. Winstead also says that the fire bureau was slow to detail the minimum amount of work Papas needed to lift a Fire Watch requirement. Papas was paying around $500 a day for someone to continuously walk through his building looking for fire.

Winstead also says the personal animosity between Papas and Leonard made negotiations difficult. Winstead remembers that at one meeting he arranged between the two men to work out a compromise last year, Leonard spent most of the time complaining that Papas could not be trusted. Papas later told the Portland Tribune that Leonard was trying to drive him out of business because his restaurant attracted a racially diverse clientele, an accusation Leonard heatedly denies.

“There was a real breakdown in communications,” Winstead says, adding that after the meeting, it took Papas and fire officials months to reach an understanding that allowed work to finally commence in December – too late for the bank.
A hit squad?

Although Papas blames Leonard for his problems, several city agencies first called Leonard’s attention to the building. According to Ty Kovatch, his chief of staff, Leonard organized a multi-agency inspection team in 2008 to deal with buildings with multiple and persistent code violations. Called the Code Compliance Interdiction Team, the core members of the team include representatives of the fire bureau, the Bureau of Development Services and the Portland Police Bureau.

“The idea is to make sure that all of the agencies that are having difficulties with a given building are working together,” Kovatch says.

According to a 10-page chronology prepared by the fire bureau, the city has been sparring with Papas about the condition of his building for more than 14 years. In November 1995, Papas signed a stipulated agreement promising to correct numerous code violations. He signed another one in May 2000. Then eight years later, another inspection turned up even more problems, including the unauthorized atrium, flammable materials stored on various floors and numerous electrical, plumbing, mechanical and structural code violations.

The May 2008 inspection was conducted by the team Leonard assembled. After obtaining a search warrant, team members walked Leonard and Kovatch through the building, showing them code violations on every floor, including the basement. The violations included the unauthorized atrium and apartments constructed on the top floor for Papas and his son that never received final inspections.

“That’s when we first realized how dangerous the building is,” Kovatch says.

As a result of the inspection, the city ordered Papas to have employees continuously walk through the building to watch out for fires. When the police discovered during a subsequent visit that no employee was patrolling the building, the city contracted with a private firm for the Fire Watch and began billing Papas. He later arranged to hire a firm on his own and complains that the total cost of the patrols exceeded $200,000 by the time he closed the restaurant.

Papas denounces the inspection team as a “hit team” that unfairly targeted him for enforcement. Despite the criticism, Kovatch credits the team with upgrading a warehouse and five low-income apartment buildings.

Two businesses have been torn down as a result of their inspections and enforcement efforts – Cindy’s Adult Book Store, at Northwest Fourth Avenue and Broadway, and the Triple-X Mansion at Southeast Ninth Avenue and Division Street.

Kovatch denies some published reports that the team has also targeted a number of concert halls and nightclubs.

After tearing down their building, the owners of Cindy’s sued the city in Multnomah County Circuit Court for violating their constitutional rights. The city recently had the case moved to federal court.

[downtownpdx]

Just a few downtown retail notes ... Sushi Sakura soon opening at 6th and Washington ... a tea and spice shop opening in former Portland Cutlery space on Broadway ... Spella espresso, arguably the best espresso in town, opened a little storefront on 5th in former Bikini barista space (currently have a cart at 9th & Alder) ... and the redeveloped Pacific Center corner retail space on Broadway and Salmon, originally intended for Zell Jewelers, has signed an undisclosed tenant. Just wanted to highlight a few positive developments since there are quite a few empty storefronts these days :)

[downtownpdx]

Oh yeah, and Christopher Israel's new Gruner restaurant @ 12th and Alder. Just a few things I've noticed lately.

[Okstate]

And the new skinny dip on Morrison north of Pioneer Square along with the new Schmizza Pub at 4th & Montgomery along with the new Mcmenamins hotel/restaurant & Violetta at Director Park. Lets keep the list going.

Oh yeah, and there's a schnazzy new club at 4th & Couch called Couture & Park Ave. & Flanders has a new eco-friendly pizza place opening soon.

[philopdx]

No, I'm afraid you all are mistaken - that sounds suspiciously like the "green shoots" myth perpetuated by kombucha-swilling pantywaists!

Haven't you people heard, the world's ending! It sounds like you're trying to foment hope, and hope was so 2008!

Get with the program already!

[nobody]

I think the pizza place is called American Flatbread. From the street it I thought it was just "Flatbread" which is an amazing Neapolitan style pizza place from Boise (also has a location in Bend), but unfortunately I don't think it's the same place. Fingers crossed that it's still good since it's 3 blocks from my office.

[pdxman]

That new Schmizza Pub is proving to be fairly popular. I haven't been there yet but every time I've passed on the streetcar its been packed at night.

[Okstate]

nobody- You're right, it's American Flatbread...I couldn't recall the name. Here is a link. http://www.americanflatbread.com/restaurants/portland-or/

pdxman- Yeah, the Schmizza place is doing well every time I go by in the afternoons. They have pretty good lunch specials around $5 too.

Someone mentioned this elsewhere but Beauty Bar is opening soon at 1st & Ash. http://www.beautybar.com/new/index.html

[2oh1]

The Blind Onion became a Schmizza pub? Wow - where have I been?! I guess it's been a while since I went there.

OH - and there's supposedly a new Theatre/Pub going where the Guild Theatre used to be, across from Director Park, if I'm not mistaken. I'm excited about that one!

[downtownpdx]

& Violetta at Director Park. .

Is that the food cart I saw a couple days ago in the square, or the little restaurant about to open on the corner?

Hope the Guild Theatre news is right -- that would be great. The more nightlife in the city's core, the better. Sounds like that's what's happenin...

[downtownpdx]

^^^ Nevermind -- I just checked and I guess they are in a temporary food cart until the permanent space opens.

[Okstate]

^ Did not know that.

[MarkDaMan]

There's also something like "River City Cafe" opening up in the long vacant building on SW 2nd and Morrison.

A new PCC campus is coming online at SW 2nd and Yamhill, as well as the Rip City Sports Bar in the old Jax space.

[2oh1]

River City Cafe? Any relation to the old River City Saloon that used to be at the corner of SW 12th and Jefferson? They moved out of the Jefferson West apartment building when it shut down. I wondered if they reopened somewhere else.

[downtownpdx]

Saw a sign in window that they're a catering service also -- and are moving from another location somewhere around 2nd and Columbia.

[WestCoast]

I drove by the CYAN building today and it looks like something might be moving in to the ground floor retail?

I just caught it out of the corner of my eye.

That, with a couple businesses opening at the PSU rec center, the Schmizza Pub....

--
Maybe we'll see this area finally get going again with pedestrians and retail?
Feels like we're getting close, hope those stores keep opening and survive the next few years!!

[dkealoha]

I drove by the CYAN building today and it looks like something might be moving in to the ground floor retail?

A friend of mine that lives in the Cyan said it's going to be some kind of "organic & sustainable" convenience store. Kind of like the one in China Town and the one in the Pearl (Gregory Building).

[WestCoast]

looks like you're right. Cool.
Living one block away means I guess I should shop there.

[MarkDaMan]

River City Cafe? Any relation to the old River City Saloon that used to be at the corner of SW 12th and Jefferson? They moved out of the Jefferson West apartment building when it shut down. I wondered if they reopened somewhere else.

My bad, I took a look today and it's River's Edge Cafe. They do have one on Market and 2nd, this will be their second location.

[downtownpdx]

Lucier, the high-end restaurant that lasted 7 months at the south end of Riverplace, is re-opening in early summer with, of course, a more affordable menu and revamped interior. It's a beautiful location -- hopefully this version will stick around a while.

[PacificNW]

I understand that the Purple Octopus has been removed....

[downtownpdx]

The Ringside steakhouse is likely opening a new location in the space once occupied by Harrison and Tondero (?) restaurants in the Fox Tower. Either a temporary location while they fix-up the old building on West Burnside, or may be permanent.

http://www.portlandfoodanddrink.com/2010/02/09/ringside-in-fox-tower/

[nobody]

Has anyone heard anything else about the whole H&M opening this month thing? Doesn't seem likely since nothing has really been said since the furor a while back.

[pdxtraveler]

I heard that H&M was opening early June.

[tworivers]

Well, here we go. Too bad it's in such a butt-ugly building. I hope they have prominent street-front signage because I really like their logo.

H&M won't confirm it's coming to Portland, but it's filed for construction permits at 340 S.W. Morrison St.
By Laura Gunderson, The Oregonian
March 26, 2010, 5:23PM
Swedish apparel retailer Hennes & Mauritz, more widely known as H&M, won't confirm it's planning a store at Pioneer Place. The city has been tight-lipped, too.

But fashion lovers might have found a reason to love the City of Portland's Development Services permit database, which may provide one of the more definitive statements yet out of the city.

There, just after a permit filed last year for work on the heat pump at the mall's Ann Taylor store, are two permits listed under H&M's name.

Both permits, filed Feb. 19, seek to do alterations on the 340 S.W. Morrison St. property and both remain open.

The Oregonian reported back in December that H&M , a retailer famous for being coy about its new stores, aimed to open a store at Pioneer Place this year. Retail experts have said that H&M planned to take over the space that's currently home to the Saks men's store.

Saks Fifth Avenue announced earlier this week that it's leaving the mall entirely, closing its men's store by the end of April and the main store by the end of July.
-- Laura Gunderson, The Oregonian; 503-221-8378

[downtownpdx]

'Coming Soon' sign up in Galleria's NW corner - Collier, a men's fine clothing store.

[designpdx]

http://djcoregon.com/news/2010/04/05/invitation-to-bid-released-for-hm-in-portland/

Invitation to bid released for H&M in Portland
POSTED: Monday, April 5, 2010 at 02:34 PM PT
BY: Nathalie Weinstein

An invitation to bid has been released to build out a former Saks Fifth Avenue men’s store space in Pioneer Place to an H&M retail clothing store.

H&M spokeswoman Nicole Christie said her company has nothing to confirm or announce regarding the thrifty retail chain’s decision to build new stores in Portland. However, the invitation to bid said there will be a pre-bid walk through of the space at 234 S.W. Morrison St., Suite 2380 on Wednesday, April 7 at 11 a.m. for interested contractors.

“There has been a lot of speculation,” Christie said. “We’re always happy to announce when we’re coming to a new location.”

[Okstate]

What does the term "build out" mean?

[PacificNW]

Probably "gut the store and remodel"....

[65MAX]

What does the term "build out" mean?

Usually, it's to take an unfinished space and finish it for occupancy. Here, they're gutting the space first, then refinishing it.

[Okstate]

Thanks ^ & ^^

[downtownpdx]

Public Domain Coffee opens April 30 in the former home of Portland Coffee House @ SW Broadway and Alder.

http://www.publicdomaincoffee.com/

[Okstate]

Mr. Jollys coffee opened recently in the Pearl at Everett & 9th.

http://mrjollys.com/Gallery.html

[PacificNW]

Clothier H&M grabs former Saks spot


"H&M, the popular Swedish clothier, confirmed plans to open a 25,000-square-foot store in a former Saks Fifth Avenue spot at Pioneer Place.
The company said Wednesday it will open in the fall, representing the expansion of H&M, formally Hennes & Mauritz, into the Pacific Northwest.
The new H&M location, which will carry apparel for women and men, will fill 25,000 square feet.
H&M has expanded steadily in the United States since debuting in New York 10 years ago. H&M operates 193 H&M stores in the United States and close to 2,000 stores in 35 countries around the world."


http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2010/05/24/daily22.html

Surely they don't mean the main store??? I think they are talking about the former Men's Store... Right? The main store is over 60,000 sq. feet of floor space. I would think a major retailer such as Bloomingdale's, Macy's Home Store, Target, Dillard's, etc. might be interested in the larger space...

[bvpcvm]

it looks pretty clear to me that they mean the store inside pioneer place - meaning inside the shopping mall. besides, didn't someone post some sort of RFI to contractors to tour the future store? i seem to recall something like that and that whatever was posted had an address inside the mall.

[downtownpdx]

^^ Yeah the men's store on the NE corner of 4th and Yamhill has been closed for a while now, so I'm assuming that's the new spot. It will be nice that it's on the street, and not buried inside the mall :)

[downtownpdx]

A long-vacant spot on SW 6th between Oak and Pine will soon be home to "Little Bird," a new restaurant from Gabriel Rucker (who owns Le Pigeon on E. Burnside).

http://www.oregonlive.com/dining/index.ssf/2010/06/acclaimed_chef_gabriel_rucker.html

[Downtown_Gal]

If anyone is interested...

Last year NYC started Fashion's Night Out and it was a huge hit. This year Portland is participating too.

Portland Fashion's Night Out (http://www.downtownportland.org/promos/fashion_night_out.html)

Should be fun!

[2oh1]

So THAT'S what was going on in the park yesterday! I walked by around 5 and the park was rocking. I've never seen that spot so festive!

[tworivers]

Ha. Here you go:

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/09/target_has_a_bullseye_on_downt.html

[65MAX]

Great news! A Target at the Galleria would be a huge boost to Downtown.

[2oh1]

WOW!!! That would be a dramatic change if they put it in the Galleria. Target and Brooks Brothers seems like an odd mix in that building. And that's putting it mildly. Come to think of it, I wonder how they're doing since they opened in there...

I wouldn't mind seeing Target in the Saks space either though. It sure wouldn't hurt to have Target connected to Pioneer Place mall by those.... what do you call those things? Skyways? Pedestrian bridges? I'm drawing a blank this morning. In Minneapolis, they're called skyways. The extra foot traffic would be great for the mall. Then again, a Target in the Galleria would be great for spreading growth of retail along Morrison (and Yamhill too)

When Adams attended the Mayors' Institute on City Design seminar in Los Angeles in August, he found himself seated next to Scott Jordan-Denny, a Target real estate executive. The two got to talking and next thing you know, Target was sending representatives to the city.

Way to go Sam!

[PacificNW]

I have feeling Brooks Bros., etc., will be compensated in some way to relocate...especially if long leases are involved.

[65MAX]

Brooks Bros doesn't need to leave. There's 87,000sf available as-is, including the whole 2nd and 3rd floors. Target only needs a minimum of 60,000sf for their urban stores.

[PacificNW]

Isn't the square footage of the former Saks store something like 65,000 sq. Ft.?

[65MAX]

The article says Saks vacated a total of 83,000sf and that H&M is taking 25,000sf of that (the mens store on the rotunda), so the larger (original) Saks space must be 58,000sf. It'd be tight, but it could probably fit there if Target's willing to pay the higher rent at Pioneer Place.

[2oh1]

The article says Saks vacated a total of 83,000sf and that H&M is taking 25,000sf of that (the mens store on the rotunda), so the larger (original) Saks space must be 58,000sf. It'd be tight, but it could probably fit there if Target's willing to pay the higher rent at Pioneer Place.

Not necessarily. Saks had space on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors in the rotunda section of Pioneer Place, but it looks like H&M is going to occupy those three sections plus a section on the below-ground floor. I was surprised to see an H&M construction storefront down there too. That's a 4 floor H&M! I think it'll be great for that half of the mall which has always had less foot traffic than the older 'square' part of the mall.

[65MAX]

So they're taking additional space on the rotunda besides just the Saks mens store? In that case, it probably IS over 60,000sf in the original Saks. Maybe Target will cough up the higher rent for better visibility at Pioneer Place, but I'm pretty sure Naito is going to bend over backwards to get them in the Galleria.

[2oh1]

So they're taking additional space on the rotunda besides just the Saks mens store?

It sure looks like it. I was surprised to see H&M under-construction storefront on the lowest level of the rotunda since I assumed they were just filling the old Saks rotunda space. I think H&M is going to be great for the mall. They'll have a four floor store that connects to the sidewalk outside and four levels of the rotunda including the base at the bottom of the escalators.

Even with the movie theatre, the rotunda has never had the kind of foot traffic the older square part of the mall has. H&M should help a lot. Personally, I think the rotunda half of the mall was really poorly designed. The square block has such obvious entrances that pull people in off the street. The rotunda doesn't. I have no clue what they were thinking when the decided NOT to have street entrances on all four corners of the rotunda.


Maybe Target will cough up the higher rent for better visibility at Pioneer Place, but I'm pretty sure Naito is going to bend over backwards to get them in the Galleria.

The more I think about it, the more I hope Target opens a store in the Galleria. That's such a gorgeous building, with so much potential, and it's been under-utilized for too long... but the real reason I hope Target moves in there is that I'm dying to see more foot traffic on Morrison and Yamhill.

[bvpcvm]

anyone have any idea when h&m opens?

[65MAX]

^^^^
Website says "Fall 2010", so any day now. They have started running ads on TV here, so it should be pretty soon.

[SpongeG]

so Saks is gone? :O :O

i went there a couple times it wasnice but never seemed to be busy so pricey

[65MAX]

Saw a Saks at Bridgeport Village yesterday. I didn't even know we had one there.

[pdxtraveler]

Saw a Saks at Bridgeport Village yesterday. I didn't even know we had one there.

That is Off 5th. The Saks version of the Rack for Nordstrom.

[Okstate]

http://djcoregon.com/news/2010/09/24/psu-students-tackle-northwest-portland-site/

Other talks of a possible good location for a target ^

PSU students tackle Northwest Portland site
POSTED: Friday, September 24, 2010 at 02:53 PM PT
BY: Nick Bjork
Tags: Northwest Portland, Portland State University, universities

"The students suggest anchoring the Con-way development with a Target store, a New Seasons grocery store and a 12-screen cinema. The team would then add 400,000 square feet of leasable office space, 100,000 square feet of retail space and 75,000 square feet of restaurant space. Con-way’s existing 408,000 square feet of space would be renovated. The concept also calls for 2,250 rental units, 200 condominiums and 250 hotel rooms."

http://djcoregon.com/files/2010/09/0923_conway_site_project_03.jpg
http://djcoregon.com/files/2010/09/raleigh-st.jpg

[edirp]

Not sure this has been mentioned: H & M is opening their second Portland location in Washington Square.

[2oh1]

PSU students tackle Northwest Portland site

"The students suggest anchoring the Con-way development with a Target store, a New Seasons grocery store and a 12-screen cinema. The team would then add 400,000 square feet of leasable office space, 100,000 square feet of retail space and 75,000 square feet of restaurant space. Con-way’s existing 408,000 square feet of space would be renovated. The concept also calls for 2,250 rental units, 200 condominiums and 250 hotel rooms."

Gee, that idea didn't just get whipped up in a day or two, did it? "Hey, we have a bunch of land! Let's put a Target there. Genius!"

No.

I would fight that tooth and nail unless Target had already vetoed downtown entirely. The opportunity to get an urban Target in the heart of the city is simply too good to pass up because of what it would do for the rest of downtown. The Galleria has been under utilized for decades. SW Morrison has so much potential to be lined with local shops and even more restaurants. Target would generate foot traffic. All of that foot traffic could easily flow along SW Yamhill, Morrison and down to Pioneer Place and the blocks of shopping around it. And let's not forget about the blocks between the Galleria and Burnside. There's so much opportunity there, and creating more foot traffic will be an excellent catalyst. The opportunity is just too good to pass up.

I'd fear turning Conway into a concept like this would draw people away from NW 21st/23rd and The Pearl rather than pulling more shoppers into those districts.

Housing on the Conway land? Absolutely!!! The rest of this concept? I'd fight it.

[65MAX]

^^^^
I wouldn't worry about that "concept" being developed further than a 3rd year arch studio. Not much substance and basically, it's just a list of building types and colorful low to mid-rise blocks set on a grid. Conway already has much grander ideas for their property, including high-rises and a canal feature along the length of Raleigh.

[downtownpdx]

Not sure this has been mentioned: H & M is opening their second Portland location in Washington Square.

Really? Not surprised, but how soon? I kinda hope they wait a while so the downtown store doesn't immediately get competition from the free-parking suburbs :(

[Okstate]

^ Dave and Busters is opening their first Oregon location @ Washington Square in February as well.

[Shilo Rune 96]

I got a brief peak inside H&M today:


http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/3788/photolm.jpg (http://img801.imageshack.us/i/photolm.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

[Okstate]

H&M opens November 11th at noon.

[SpongeG]

Really? Not surprised, but how soon? I kinda hope they wait a while so the downtown store doesn't immediately get competition from the free-parking suburbs :(

the way H&M works it doesn't put as much in its suburban stores - they usually only carry a few of the H&M Lines - they don't usually put the designer collabs into suburban stores for example and the divided line is not in all stores either but always in the downtown ones

[Okstate]

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2010/10/27/borders-downtown-store-to-close-jan-7.html

Borders is closing its downtown store early next year.

[bvpcvm]

that's too bad. it's hard to compete with powell's. now what'll i do while my wife is shopping at the nordstrom rack??

[scleeb]

Don't despair. I know for a fact there are a multiple national retailers currently eying the CBD retail core. The retail leasing community has known about the Borders situation for quite some time and the space is being actively marketed. Don't be surprised if you see multiple existing CBD retailers upgrade their locations in the next 18 months. The newly vacated spaces will be back-filled by new retailers shortly thereafter.

[Okstate]

Shortly thereafter 18 months? ^

[scleeb]

lots of moving parts, but they are moving.... slowly

[Downtown_Gal]

From PDXPipeline:

Mayor Launches The Shopping Season With Help From Local Retailers And a Special Guest

On Tuesday, November 9, 2010 Mayor Sam Adams will join Downtown Retail Council Chair William Palmer and a special ‘seasonal’ guest, to officially announce the numerous public projects helping downtown sparkle a little brighter this holiday season. Downtown Portland is open for business!

The mayor will unwrap the campaign at one of five new holiday pop-up shops featuring local, independent retailers offering one-of-a-kind gifts. Other holiday announcements include new storefront window graphics, annual holiday lighting kick-off, Portland Storefronts – a pilot program designed to activate vacant storefronts with local art installations – and “Holidate,” an events campaign where various stores in downtown will have special events on Thursday evenings in December, with free parking at SmartPark garages (enter between 4-6 p.m.).

When: 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Where: Flurry Pop-Up Shop
750 SW Yamhill St.

http://pdxpipeline.com/monthly-event-list/november-9-mayor-sam-adams-launches-portland-holiday-shopping-season-flurry-pop-up-shops/

http://pdxneatsheet.com/neat-event/flurry-pop-up-shop-portland-fashion-designers-opening-2010/

[bvpcvm]

Ha, we walked by H&M today and the line to get in stretched all the way around the block - I mean around and back to the entrance. Pioneer Place was also packed with people. Things hardly looked recession-like, at least today.

[2oh1]

I saw that too. Around 3:30, I passed a few women holding H&M bags and I asked how long they waited in line to get in. They waited a half hour. In the rain. I passed by again at 7 and there was no line at all, but the store sure was mobbed. I thought they were going to occupy 4 floors, but they just took three.

Wasn't the old Saks men's store on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd floor? I thought H&M was taking all of that space, but they're on the underground floor plus the 1st and 2nd, but not the 3rd.

It was great to see all of that activity over there.

[SpongeG]

H&M shoppers stack up for Portland opening

Published: Thursday, November 11, 2010, 10:37 AM Updated: Thursday, November 11, 2010, 10:39 PM

Laura Gunderson, The Oregonian

http://media.oregonlive.com/oregonian/photo/9041632-large.jpg

PORTLAND, OR--11/11/10--Liz Patail tries on one of her pile of selections at the new H&M store in Pioneer Place. Hundreds of shoppers waited hours, some all night, for the opening of H&M's first store in Portland. Michael Lloyd/The Oregonian H&M shoppers stack up for Portland opening gallery (5 photos)
Wrapped in blankets and sleeping bags, a fleet of young shoppers are awaiting the noon opening of the new Hennes & Mauritz store at Pioneer Place.

"I'm excited about the new store. Portland doesn't really have an urban clothing store," said Rashay Burns, 18, of Portland who joined the line around 9 p.m. last night

She and others were excited to see the store, which has such a following that many local shoppers have e-mailed the Swedish company for years begging for an H&M. They're also hoping to snag one of 300 gift cards, some loaded with as much as $300.

The downtown store will soon be followed by another outlet at Washington Square set to open next year. Local retail experts say others will soon following, possibly at Lloyd Center and Clackamas Town Center.

Automn Whitehurst, a 16-year-old from Milwaukie, joined the line around 10 a.m. today.

"I went to the store in New York, and I loved it," she said. "I always wondered when they would open a store here."

...

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/11/hm_shoppers_stack_up_for_portl.html

video: http://tribeca.vidavee.com/advance/doc/57CA559A4A1726A4CC48DA394D59C393?AF_deliveryChannel=play

[SpongeG]

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[SpongeG]

this report it breaks down H&M for those who don't understand their lines...

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[zilfondel]

I just looked up HM's store locations. Can't believe they had 2 in the Seattle area and 1 in freaking Tacoma before they opened one up in Portland!

So retail environment:

Tacoma > Portland?

Am I missing something here?

[SpongeG]

they really like to wait for locations

they just announced on facebook store openings for fall 2011! they take their time to secure prime spots

[bvpcvm]

also, i understand that they open a lot of locations in a given area before expanding to new areas.

stopped by last night and it was still pretty packed.

[SpongeG]

sounds like the full store too - should get the Lanvin line on saturday? they are open special hours according to the website 8am-8pm for the madness that will be

usually select stores - and usually the downtown ones - get the designer collaborations, the suburban mall stores don't usually get the full lines so they also keep the draw for their flagship stores

and i saw in a video it has 3 levels? -1 1 & 2 commonly see that in europe for floor numbering - is -1 the street level? or a basement level? and 1 the street level?

[65MAX]

....and i saw in a video it has 3 levels? -1 1 & 2 commonly see that in europe for floor numbering - is -1 the street level? or a basement level? and 1 the street level?

No, in Europe, "0" is the ground floor, or street level. "1" is the first floor ABOVE the ground floor, or what we call the second floor, "2" the third floor, etc.

You're correct about "-1", it's the basement level in European buildings, "-2" would be the sub-basement, etc.

[smendesPDX]

So going through the threads and recapping various articles, here is what is on the horizon / potential hortizon, or already arrived for new retail:

[1] Target - potential urban location at the Galleria


[2] Niketown will relocate, location still pending


********************************************

Already arrived

Core77 Flagship store (http://www.handeyesupply.com/pages/about-us)

H&M

New Dr. Martens in the Pearl

[edirp]

I'd like to see CB2 open in Portland. The Pearl District is the perfect place.

And "Room & Board".

And food-wise:
Pei Wei (from the PF Changs people)
Chuys (Austin, Texas based Tex Mex restaurants)

[SpongeG]

No, in Europe, "0" is the ground floor, or street level. "1" is the first floor ABOVE the ground floor, or what we call the second floor, "2" the third floor, etc.

You're correct about "-1", it's the basement level in European buildings, "-2" would be the sub-basement, etc.

yah we just call the basement the basement haha no number

[zilfondel]

I had no idea Core77 had a store - I've just been reading their blog. And its in Portland, go figure. :P

[Okstate]

I'd like to see CB2 open in Portland. The Pearl District is the perfect place.

And "Room & Board".

And food-wise:
Pei Wei (from the PF Changs people)
Chuys (Austin, Texas based Tex Mex restaurants)

I'll second CB2 and Pei Wei. Pei Wei is basically an asian version of Chipotle...which Chipotle is coming out with an "asian" version themselves soon.

[designpdx]

Another vote for CB2

I'll second CB2 and Pei Wei. Pei Wei is basically an asian version of Chipotle...which Chipotle is coming out with an "asian" version themselves soon.

[2oh1]

Another vote for CB2

CB2 seems like such a natural fit for The Pearl. Or even downtown, for that matter. How much space would they need? How big is the vacant Saks space? Well... I suppose the vacant Saks space is priced out of their league.

[MarkDaMan]

I saw a CB2 in a nice location in Hollywood (the real one) when visiting last week. I think they could afford the old Saks location.

[PacificNW]

Good idea...

[zilfondel]

Lol, I get so many CB2 mags. Is there stuff any good? I'm too poor to buy good furniture. :)

[dkealoha]

Everett Street Bistro closed! Not permanently... yet...

http://pdx.eater.com/archives/2010/12/14/everett-street-bistro-closed-during-apparant-landlord-dispute.php

[bvpcvm]

Wal-Mart study considers 17 more stores in Portland area

Published: Tuesday, May 03, 2011, 7:24 PM Updated: Tuesday, May 03, 2011, 8:15 PM

By Laura Gunderson, The Oregonian

What if there were roughly the same number of Walmarts in the region as Fred Meyer stores?

That's exactly what the world's largest retailer wanted to know.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which operates four Portland-area stores, commissioned an economic analysis that looked at building 17 more. The analysis considers a range of stores, from its traditional full-service behemoths to smaller grocery-store type concepts, in the tri-county area -- including eight in Portland proper.

While the sheer number of stores is mind-boggling to some, the fact Wal-Mart is eyeing the region with such intensity is not. Federal, state and local agencies have started offering incentives to grocers to build in under-served communities. And it comes as competition has amped up nationwide between Wal-Mart and Target Corp., which are both looking to dive into an area they've only dabbled in: Fresh food.

The grocery push for Wal-Mart offers the mega-retailer more room to grow, especially in the Portland area, one of the West Coast's most un-Walmarted frontiers.

Nationwide, Wal-Mart averages one store for every 85,000 residents. In the metro area, that number is closer to one for every 415,000. In many ways, that's the way Portlanders have liked it.

"I don't know how the Wal-Mart model will mix with the 'Keep-Portland-weird' model -- only time will tell," said Joe Gilliam, president of the Northwest Grocery Association, noting that Wal-Mart isn't a member of his group or others in Washington or Idaho. "This could test the Portland ethos of local buying and local support against the 'I'll just go in there for a lower price.'"

And while Wal-Mart has famously clashed over potential locations with Portland leaders and shoppers in the past, its economic study was, in part, an answer to a call from the Portland Development Commission. The agency had sought retailers' ideas on how to provide certain neighborhoods with more healthful and affordable food.

"It's one of those cases where you have to let the consumer decide and it's going to be a food fight," said Tom Gillpatrick, retail marketing professor at Portland State and executive director of its Food Industry Leadership Center. "This will probably put some downward pressure on price at a time when food prices overall are going up."

Gillpatrick added that such pressure could hurt sales at larger retailers, such as Fred Meyer, Safeway and Albertsons. Still, he said, Fred Meyer and Albertsons are both owned by larger corporations -- The Kroger Co. and Supervalu Inc. respectively -- that are familiar with the competition on a national level.

Gilliam, of the association, is more concerned about the smaller grocers, such as independents with one or two locations. Ultimately, he said, he doesn't believe enough open land or empty buildings exist for such an expansion.

Wal-Mart's economic analysis, prepared by a Vancouver-based firm that's done work for other large grocers, envisions adding four neighborhood markets and four discount and full-service stores in Portland.

At about 42,000 square feet, Wal-Mart's neighborhood markets are around the same size and makeup of a traditional grocer, such as Safeway or Albertsons. Its discount stores don't stock fresh grocery sections, but offer apparel, home goods and hardware within 108,000 square feet, around the size of a WinCo or Costco. Wal-Mart's full-service locations -- the 185,000-square-foot supercenters its best known for -- increasingly feature grocery sections.

In the surrounding tri-county area, the retailer is looking to plant four neighborhood markets and five discount and full-service stores. It didn't mention specific sites, referring only to areas with "little current coverage," including Gresham, the City of Portland -- minus the Lents and Hayden Meadows areas -- and Washington and Clackamas counties, not counting areas near its Happy Valley or Cornelius stores.

Such an explosion of Walmarts could bring 2,120 construction jobs, the analysis predicted, along with 4,300 new full- and part-time retail positions.

If Wal-Mart added 1.2 million square feet of retail space across the region, the analysis calculated, it would pick up about 35 percent of the market share, leaving "substantial opportunity for other retailers to also better serve specific community needs."

A 2009 study of grocery market share in Oregon put Safeway at 25 percent, Fred Meyer at 23 percent, Walmart at 11 percent, Albertsons at 10 percent and WinCo Foods at 16 percent, according to market researcher The Shelby Report.

Wal-Mart confirmed last week that it had purchased the former Haggen store in Beaverton's Murray Hill community. It's also designing a new 90,000 square foot store with a grocery department in North Portland's Hayden Meadows neighborhood.

Last week, Wal-Mart rolled out final plans for a 21,000-square-foot expansion to add a grocery department to its East Portland store. The retailer also plans to add grocery departments this year to stores in Dallas, Newport and Cottage Grove.

http://blog.oregonlive.com/business_impact/print.html?entry=/2011/05/wal-mart_study_considers_17_mo.html (http://blog.oregonlive.com/business_impact/print.html?entry=/2011/05/wal-mart_study_considers_17_mo.html)

[Shilo Rune 96]

2/3 Walmart's in Vancouver already have grocery. The Oregonian isn't counting these as our metro area?

[dkealoha]

The new Starbucks serving beer & wine opened this morning in the old Adidas space on NW 10th & Couch. It looks really nice inside. Planning to at least walk in and check it out today on my lunch break.

http://www.kgw.com/news/local/Starbucks-Brewing-Somthing-New-123585279.html

[maccoinnich]

I was very surprised to walk past there a few months ago, and notice that they were applying for a liquor license.

I think I want to get drunk in Starbucks.

[downtownpdx]

^^^ That would be a hilarious scene ... actually getting cut-off there :haha:

[Shilo Rune 96]

^^^ That would be a hilarious scene ... actually getting cut-off there :haha:

I bet they close at 7:00 PM. ;p