The Retail Thread

[2oh1]

Is that the Indigo building? I'll never understand why they didn't name those apartments 12 West. I didn't realize that building was old enough to already have a former tenant. I guess the previous restaurant didn't last long.

[downtownpdx]

Yeah it's the Indigo... I don't think the former restaurant was there more than 6 months. It's a big, glassy space and it was sort of an awkward, empty looking restaurant most of the time it seemed. Sounds like Corazon will have 60-seat dining, 60-seat bar, and a private event space if I remember right. Chris Israel has a great track record so it'll hopefully do better.

[MarkDaMan]

I noticed yesterday that the Galleria was under construction!

Discounter Target officially bound for downtown Portland's Galleria
Published: Tuesday, February 07, 2012, 7:30 PM
By Laura Gunderson, The Oregonian

Shoppers in Southwest Portland soon will have a Target store within walking distance. The retailer, better known for its suburban locations skirted with massive parking lots, has signed a lease agreement with the Bill Naito Co., for space in the Galleria Building on Southwest 10th Avenue and Alder Street. Construction has begun on the store that's expected to open in March of next year.

"Target, Mayor Adams and the Naito family will share exciting plans for the Galleria site on Feb. 16," said Bill W. Barendrick, Jr., chief executive of the Bill Naito Company, which owns the five-story, 180,000-square-foot former department store.

Target Corp., has mulled the location for more than a year and its commitment is a coup for Adams, who met many times with the Minneapolis-based discounter in hopes of landing a retail coup for downtown Portland.

In 2010, Target announced it committed to creating smaller stores to better serve "dense urban markets." Those stores will be in the range of 60,000 square feet with "an edited merchandise assortment" as opposed to usual 120,000-square-foot big boxes it's focused on in the past.

-- Laura Gunderson

[tworivers]

3rd shop for Barista. Good news for downtown.

Barista Coffee to Add 3rd Portland Store
Posted on February 10, 2012 by Food Dude
portlandfoodanddrink.com



Barista fans rejoice! Owner Billy Wilson has announced that a 3rd coffeehouse will open in the ‘Jewelry District’ at 529 SW 3rd avenue in downtown Portland.

The 500 square foot store in the historic Hamilton Building, will focus on take-away, but window counter seating will also be available. Think white penny tile, dark cabinetry, and possibly a tin ceiling.

Billy says he “would love top open the second week of April in time for the US Barista Competition, but that’s only two months away, so it may not happen”.

(1) The Hamilton building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Completed in 1893, it is an anomaly among its contemporaries. While many buildings built during the late 19th century were often ornate, the Hamilton building has little decoration. It is said that architects Whidden & Lewis designed a ground-breaking building, built decades ahead of later (and similar) trends in commercial architecture. Decoration comes in the form of granite-clad cast iron entry columns and cable mouldings, set against a Japanese-brick facade.

The building is 6 stories tall, and is named after Hamilton Corbett, son of Henry Corbett, an American businessman and politician. It is also the first building in Portland designed in the Classical Revival style.

The other main retail tenant in the building is Malka Diamonds. This will join the other two locations at 1725 NE Alberta St, and 539 NW 13th Ave.

(1) Source: Wikipedia.org

[maccoinnich]

Nice to see high quality businesses opening in that part of downtown.

[Shilo Rune 96]

Li-Ning Closes Portland's Pearl District Store




Last week the Chinese athletic clothing and apparel Li-Ning closed its Pearl District location. The company released a press statement explaining how they are optimizing and refocusing the company structure. All United States operations are primarily being held out of Chicago, Illinois. Although they will remain operating a small team out of Portland.

The company plans to focus all its energy online with their full eCommerce online store. This is no surprise sense the partnership between Li-Ning and Acquity began in December. They have also decided to use a thrid-party distributor for all U.S. and Canadian badminton products.

The former store was always known as a showcase location for all of Li-Ning's premium sports equipment, like badminton and tennis stuff. The store was open just two years.

Via: PearlHelp

[Downtown_Gal]

It looks like Target coming to the Galleria is official - to open in spring 2013 according to this article:

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/i...city_comp.html

[downtownpdx]

Very cool -- surprised though that it takes over a year to move in?

[Shilo Rune 96]

Kinda sucks they're not getting the 1st floor. :/

[2oh1]

It'll be interesting to see how they handle the street entrance leading up to the store. Kitchen Kaboodle was hampered by their 2nd story location downtown, but the theaters at Fox Tower seem to do well despite a ground floor spot, though they do sell tickets at street level, so maybe that equates to having a 1st floor location.

"City Target" opening next spring? Good news indeed. I'm hoping this dumps a ton of foot traffic onto Alder, Morrison, etc.

[2oh1]

the downtown store will carry most of the same product array that Target "guests" expect – such as Graves-created housewares and sportswear from the hot-shot designer Wu, plus groceries and staples.

Uhm... what? Groceries?

[philopdx]

The carts are going to be thrilled at all that foot traffic.

[Shilo Rune 96]

Originally Posted by 2oh1

Uhm... what? Groceries?

I believe all Target stores have their version of groceries now. The market place brand is decent and I haven't bought any produce from them yet. It feels sorta like a mini grocery store (not nearly as massive as a super walmart).

This will compete with Whole Foods and Safeway directly.

[Okstate]

http://www.portlandonline.com/bds/in...42259&a=386569

This looks very much like a new Apple store bounded by 4th/5th -Yamhill/Taylor.

[zilfondel]

Originally Posted by Okstate

http://www.portlandonline.com/bds/in...42259&a=386569

This looks very much like a new Apple store bounded by 4th/5th -Yamhill/Taylor.

I would agree:

Proposal:
The proposal includes demolition of a portion of the existing 2-story retail store on this block to allow for a new single story building and outdoor plaza area. The new building and outdoor plaza area will comprise the northern 55’ of the block bound by SW Yamhill, Taylor, 4th and 5th. The new 17’-6” tall building is fully glazed with clear glass, with a 27’-6” tall stone wall adjacent to the existing building tower. The north elevation includes 3 sets of double entry doors.

[Derek]

Awesome.

[MOPIdaho]

There's been some lively discussion on the Kenton Neighborhood association's facebook page today around this post.

"My husband had a pop-up shop- Boys' Fort, downtown during the 2011 holiday season. It was the most successful shop in the history of the pop-up shop program. He & his business partner want to relocate to downtown Kenton, but the 3 spaces he is interested in have landlords that DO NOT wish to rent. They would rather hold on to vacant property than have tenant & make some $."

Long-term vacancy has plagued the main Kenton business strip for decades, but now that folks actually want to rent spaces in this neighborhood, a few building owners seem to be putting the brakes on further neighborhood development and keeping their buildings vacant.

[Shilo Rune 96]

Originally Posted by Okstate

http://www.portlandonline.com/bds/in...42259&a=386569

This looks very much like a new Apple store bounded by 4th/5th -Yamhill/Taylor.

Yes it is! WOW, so excited! I just verified the architects work for BCJ (Apple's favorite).

[pdxtraveler]

Originally Posted by MOPIdaho

There's been some lively discussion on the Kenton Neighborhood association's facebook page today around this post.



Long-term vacancy has plagued the main Kenton business strip for decades, but now that folks actually want to rent spaces in this neighborhood, a few building owners seem to be putting the brakes on further neighborhood development and keeping their buildings vacant.

Boy's Fort was amazing! How about St Johns? We have several good open store fronts.

[maccoinnich]

Awesome. I was wondering how Apple would go about adapting that awful building Saks was in; it hadn't even occured to me that they would be so aggressive as to demolish a large chunk of the existing building, including the skybridge.