The Metropolitan | Completed - Page 4

brandonpdx · #61 Posted **Oct 19, 2006, 9:35 PM**

I disagree. Having corporations does not define diversity. Corporations define shareholder greed where the bulk of the profits go out of state and all we get in return are minimum wage earners, a cookie cutter homogenized product and a store that you can find in Anywhere, USA.

You want real diversity? Well, that is the locally owned store that is a reflection of that individual’s creativity. These are stores you won’t find anywhere else except for where they’re located and the bulk of the profits remain right here.

MarkDaMan · #62 Posted **Oct 19, 2006, 10:51 PM**

I buy my fruits and veggies at the Farmer's Market, I also purchase them at Freddies. I love Hot Lips pizza, but I have ordered Dominos for delivery. I am a responsible consumer and I enjoy having the diverse choices of a home grown product, and I also understand the need to support them, but there are other times I like to get products I can get in anywhere USA. Such as Nike shoes, and we were all just gloating about how a new NikeTown will be such a boon to the city...even though it is also corporate, and drug Beaverton through the mud recently.

Diversity, just by definition, would include community, individual and corporate interests. Having major corporations decide a market is viable doesn't de-diversify the district unless they are pricing their products below the mom-and-pops so they can run them out of business. I don't think predatory pricing serves the community but I also don't see any of the corporations moving into the Pearl employing Wal-Mart style market grabs.

zilfondel · #63 Posted **Oct 20, 2006, 9:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkDaMan

I don't think predatory pricing serves the community but I also don't see any of the corporations moving into the Pearl employing Wal-Mart style market grabs.

The Pearl demographic is probably way outside of the target Wal-Mart demographic, plus there really isn't that large of a population. Interestingly, I just ran across startling news regarding Wal-Marts' jump into urban markets...

Wal-Mart just debuted its new 'urban' styled store in Atlanta:

http://www.ajc.com/business/content/...izwalmart.html

It's got organic clothing, no smiley's, a bakery, gourmet cheese, and still the low wages. This store is also underground. Who knows what the future will hold?

username: spam@spammer.com
pword: 12345

asher519 · #64 Posted **Oct 21, 2006, 8:20 PM**

I completely agree with Mark's assessment in post #70. Personally, I've never set foot in an Eddie Bauer, but I have a feeling that those throngs of residents and visitors in the Pearl will be very happy to have one close-at-hand and avoid that trip to the mall.

PacificNW · #65 Posted **Oct 21, 2006, 9:41 PM**

Beaverton screwed up, legally speaking, when it attempted to annex Nike the way it did.

PDX City-State · #66 Posted **Oct 21, 2006, 11:46 PM**

Quote:

Corporations define shareholder greed where the bulk of the profits go out of state and all we get in return are minimum wage earners, a cookie cutter homogenized product and a store that you can find in Anywhere, USA.

This certainly is true with many large companies such as Walmart, but there are many good corporate citizens that pay far more than minimum wage, give generous employee benefits, tuition reimbursements and good quality of life. Take Whole Foods for example. An employee is far better off working for Whole Foods than working for the local grocery co-op. And while it's true that much of Whole Food's profits go to out-of-state shareholders, the company buys and sells local goods and donates money to local charities. The same can be said of Starbucks. I don't go there because I am a Stumptown fan, but the average Starbucks employee is far, far better off working for the coffee giant than working for the average local coffee house. (excluding Stumptown of course which is a notable exception, an anomoly even, that offers fantastic wages and benefits) Starbucks employees are provided with health care, tuitition reimbursement, and a living wage. Safeway and Fred Meyers are also good examples. Both are union and employees have the opportunity to earn a living wage. The list is long.

Quote:

You want real diversity? Well, that is the locally owned store that is a reflection of that individual’s creativity. These are stores you won’t find anywhere else except for where they’re located and the bulk of the profits remain right here.

This is absolutely true. I support local products as much as I can. But I am college-educated with a professional salary--as are the majority of the forumers. Not everyone is so lucky. And I know for a fact that a lot of people are looking forward to Safeway's entrance into the Pearl.

pdxstreetcar · #67 Posted **Oct 22, 2006, 5:22 PM**

i'm glad to hear a store like eddie bauer is moving in the pearl, we knew a major national retailer was opening there but I personally didnt see EB as a potential tenant because it doesnt fit the typical pearl image but that's why i am happy with them opening here. i wonder if this would be a second central portland store or if they would move from pioneer place.

i have nothing against chains, so long as they dont overly dominate a place. i think the pearl can support a good balance of the two (although preferably favored towards the independents), but i certainly was happy with the officemax and riteaid opening (both of these stores are small anyway).

CouvScott · #68 Posted **Oct 27, 2006, 7:53 PM**

pdxtraveler · #69 Posted **Oct 27, 2006, 9:45 PM**

I have nothing against Eddie Bauer but I had been hoping for something like
H&M. I know looking back that would have been 'International Clothing Retailer' rather than 'National Clothing Retailer'. I was dreaming anyway they just now hit the west coast.

MarkDaMan · #70 Posted **Oct 27, 2006, 10:37 PM**

usually, clothiers like to cluster. Like at the mall. Just because Eddie Bauer moves in, doesn't mean a GAP wont go in next door. I've never heard of H&M but I'm sure they probably wouldn't be frightened away by a competitor in the area, or several for that matter.

Dougall5505 · #71 Posted **Oct 27, 2006, 10:42 PM**

couvscott could you see the encore from there? im interested to see how far along that is. and the waterfront pearl, how far along is that?

bvpcvm · #72 Posted **Oct 28, 2006, 6:01 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkDaMan

usually, clothiers like to cluster. Like at the mall. Just because Eddie Bauer moves in, doesn't mean a GAP wont go in next door. I've never heard of H&M but I'm sure they probably wouldn't be frightened away by a competitor in the area, or several for that matter.

correct me if i'm wrong: h&m is the ikea of clothes - right?

zilfondel · #73 Posted **Oct 28, 2006, 6:04 AM**

I've never heard of it.

You're telling us they have a 300,000 sq ft warehouse that serves swedish meatballs, and that you have to assemble the clothes yourself?

pdxtraveler · #74 Posted **Oct 28, 2006, 6:47 AM**

They are both from Sweden and they are both cheap. I have shopped at their locations in Vienna, Munich, and the new one in San Francisco. They are extremely cheap but fashionable. The clothes aren't the amazingly best quality, but not bad. You get what you pay for. They look great though.

pdx2m2 · #75 Posted **Oct 28, 2006, 6:48 PM**

The contractor had their topping out party yesterday for the metropolitan..just finished pouring concrete for the roof. There is still 1.5 story mechanical penthouse although that must be steel construction.

I heard the travertine stone will arrive in one month and they will start installing stone on the large wall in the 2nd floor roof garden...The wall is framed now and should look pretty great from tanner springs park.

Dougall5505 · #76 Posted **Oct 28, 2006, 10:13 PM**

shoot topped out already. i want it to be taller

zilfondel · #77 Posted **Oct 28, 2006, 11:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdxtraveler

They are both from Sweden and they are both cheap. I have shopped at their locations in Vienna, Munich, and the new one in San Francisco. They are extremely cheap but fashionable. The clothes aren't the amazingly best quality, but not bad. You get what you pay for. They look great though.

No kidding... that is pretty interesting. According to wiki, they are a 'low-end retailer'

tworivers · #78 Posted **Oct 29, 2006, 3:15 AM**

www.hm.com

A Swedish friend of mine swears by the H & M's in Sweden, so I went and checked out the store in DC when I was back there this summer. It's like cheap designer-style clothes in a slick shopping environment with awful Eurodisco pop music on the stereo. I bought two pairs of very well fitted jeans (made in Turkey) for 39.99 each. I wear one or the other pair pretty much every day and they're holding up well. And they have what looks like a decent "social responsibility" emphasis, better than the average corporation anyways.

I thought about writing to Sam Adams and asking if they were on his recruitment radar, seeing as they are obviously in the process of expanding to the west coast, but I haven't gotten around to it yet...

MOPIdaho · #79 Posted **Oct 29, 2006, 6:10 AM**

tworivers, you wouldn't happen to be an H&M shareholder? I don't know what it is exactly but we need one!

65MAX · #80 Posted **Oct 29, 2006, 7:18 AM**

Looks like H&M is in aggressive expansion mode, they already have 16 stores in California within just a couple of years. I'm guessing it won't be much more than a year before they open one in PDX.