Don't Save Lloyd
The mall is dead. Let's build something better.
Lloyd Center has zero anchor stores, 1.2 million square feet of mostly empty retail, and thousands of parking stalls in one of Portland's most transit-connected neighborhoods.
The redevelopment would replace it with 5,000 homes, a 2.3-acre park, and a real neighborhood.
The Reality of Lloyd Center Today
A Decade of Decline
Why "Saving" Lloyd Doesn't Make Sense
It's a Parking Lot With a Mall Attached
Acres of surface parking, an inward-facing building that ignores the street, and a design that assumes everyone drives.
Three MAX Lines, Zero Density
The Blue, Green, and Red lines all stop here. It's one of the best transit locations in the city, surrounded by parking lots.
The Anchors Aren't Coming Back
Nordstrom left in 2015. Sears in 2018. Macy's in 2021. The department store model is dead, and no renovation will bring it back.
We Need Housing More Than Nostalgia
Portland has a housing shortage. This site could hold 5,000 homes in a walkable, transit-connected neighborhood.
The Cheap Rent Is Temporary
Some small businesses have moved in because rents are low. But rents are only low because the building is slated for demolition. Cancel the project, and they go back to market rate.
The Ice Rink Isn't Going Away
The redevelopment includes a new ice rink. Keeping the old mall isn't the only way to keep skating in Lloyd.
What We're Getting Instead
Fix the Street Grid
Right now, Lloyd Center blocks north-south traffic from NE 9th to 15th. You have to walk around it. The redevelopment reconnects the streets so you can walk through.
Put Housing Where Transit Is
Three MAX lines stop here. This is exactly where we should be building apartments—so people can live without needing a car. The plan adds 5,000 homes within walking distance of transit.
Serious Design Team
The master plan is from ZGF Architects (Tom McCall Waterfront Park, PDX airport) and Field Operations (NYC's High Line).
Actual Destinations
A 4,250-seat music venue is already under construction. The plan also includes retail, restaurants, and new public spaces.
What About the Memories?
A lot of us grew up going to Lloyd Center. The ice rink, the food court, wandering around Macy's with your parents. Those were good times.
But that Lloyd Center is already gone. It's been gone for years. What's left is a mostly empty building that the owners can't fill and the city can't use.
You can keep your memories without keeping the building.
The Real Choice
"Save" Lloyd Center
- 1.2M sq ft of empty retail
- Zero anchor stores
- 8,000 parking spots
- Blocked street grid
- Wasted transit access
- Ongoing decline & blight
- Zero new housing
Redevelop
- 5,000 new homes
- Shops, restaurants & entertainment
- 2.3-acre urban park
- Restored street grid
- Transit-oriented neighborhood
- $1 billion in private investment
- New ice rink
Support the Redevelopment? Tell Your City Councilors.
Comments on the master plan are currently closed, but it's still important for local leaders to hear from people who are ready for a new Lloyd Center.