5 ways a 65-year-old mall has become Portland’s coolest hangout spot, for now

The Lloyd Center mall in Portland has evolved from a conventional shopping mall into a distinctive community area teeming with small companies, charitable organizations, and innovative endeavors. The Oregonian/OregonLive’s series of stories and films, which examine how this 65-year-old mall is undergoing an unexpected resurgence during its transition phase before to planned rebuilding, offers the following five key insights.

1. Local companies have taken the place of the mall’s shuttered anchor stores, and it is flourishing.

A varied ecology of over 60 independent merchants, organizations, and activity spaces has replaced the main department stores that have left Lloyd Center. Art galleries, a pinball museum, a magic show theater, a light saber store, and numerous other local companies providing unique experiences may be found in the former locations of chain stores.

2. The main force behind this change is affordable rent.

Entrepreneurs who couldn’t afford typical retail locations have been drawn to some places by the low monthly rent of less than $1,000. Instead of paying fixed rent, food sellers take a portion of sales, which opens doors for small restaurant operators.

3. The mall will undergo planned redevelopment in the future, though the exact date is not yet known.

The current mall will stay open until at least the 2025 holiday season, even though the owners intend to transform the 29.3-acre property into an outdoor concept with lodging and entertainment areas. The leases of all present tenants acknowledge the transient nature of the arrangement by include 60-day termination clauses.

4. Experience-based companies are giving the mall a fresh look.

In addition to conventional shops, Lloyd Center now features weekly mall walking groups like the Food Court 5000, pickleball courts, a Star Wars-themed Docking Bay 45 experience, and roller skating lessons. The mall is being transformed into what one tenant referred to as Portland’s theme park by these activity-focused enterprises.

5. The mall has developed into a hub for local organizations and entrepreneurs.

The NAACP and the Portland Chess Club are just two of the many community organizations that now call Lloyd Center home.The mall’s new reputation as a place for mission-driven endeavors and second chances is best illustrated by Secondhand Pet Supply, a nonprofit that sells reconditioned pet supplies and offers retired research animals for adoption.

Lloyd Center

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Generative AI was used to draft this piece based on the author’s prior reporting. The author and editors from The Oregonian/OregonLive evaluated and revised it.