Lloyd Center (original) (raw)

Shopping mall in Portland, Oregon, United States

Lloyd Center

Lloyd Center logo
Main entrance after the 2017 renovation
Map
Location Portland, Oregon, United States
Coordinates 45°31′57″N 122°39′13″W / 45.5325°N 122.6536°W / 45.5325; -122.6536
Opening date August 1, 1960[1]
Developer Lloyd Family andPrudential Insurance[1]
Management Urban Renaissance Group[2]
Owner Urban Renaissance Group[2]
No. of stores and services 178
No. of anchor tenants 0 (4 vacant)
Total retail floor area 1,472,000 sq ft (136,800 m2)(2007)[3]
No. of floors 3 (2 in former Marshalls, 4 in former Sears, 5 in former Macy's)
Parking 3 garages
Public transit access TriMet bus lines 8, 17, 70, 77; Lloyd Center/NE 11th Ave MAX Station
Website lloydcenter.com

Lloyd Center is a shopping mall in the Lloyd District of Portland, Oregon, United States, just northeast of downtown. It is owned by the Urban Renaissance Group and KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Inc.[4] The mall features three floors of shopping, with the third level serving mostly as professional office spaces, a food court, and U.S. Education Corporation's Carrington College. Lloyd Center also includes the Lloyd Center Ice Skating Rink, which has become the main draw for the mall. There are currently no anchors in the mall. There are vacant anchor spaces left by Macy's, Marshalls, Nordstrom, and Sears. Junior anchors include Barnes & Noble and Ross Dress for Less.

Ideas for Lloyd Center were conceived as early as 1923. The mall was named after southern Californian oil company executive Ralph B. Lloyd (1875–1953) who wished to build an area of self-sufficiency that included stores and residential locations. However, the mall wasn't built until 37 years later, due to major events such as the Great Depression[1] and World War II, as well as Portland's conservative anti-development attitude.[5]

The mall opened August 1, 1960 in a 100-store, open-air configuration. At the time, it was the largest shopping center in the Pacific Northwest and claimed to be the largest in the country.[5] In 1960, Lloyd Center was located very close to the downtown retail core and was the first major retail development to seriously challenge it, [_citation needed_] aimed almost exclusively at commuters utilizing Portland's then-growing freeway system, especially the adjacent Banfield Expressway.

The original anchor stores were Meier & Frank at the center, Best's and Nordstrom's Shoes anchoring the west end, J. C. Penney and Woolworth anchoring the east, and J. J. Newberry the north. The Newberry store was the national chain's largest at the time of its opening.[6] The Seattle-based Nordstrom's Shoes chain acquired Best's apparel in 1963 and rebranded all locations as Nordstrom Best in 1967. The Nordstrom nameplate was adopted in 1973.

As of 1971, Lloyd Center's five largest stores were, from largest to smallest, Meier & Frank (314,000 square feet), Newberry's (100,000 sq. ft.), Penney's (97,370 sq. ft.), F. W. Woolworth (62,734 sq. ft.) and Nordstom Best (52,891 sq. ft.).[7]

The first significant expansion to the mall since its opening in 1960 was made in fall 1972, adding six stores.[8] The 75,000-square-foot (7,000 m2) expansion included the addition of a 50,000-square-foot (4,600 m2) Lipman's store.[8] In 1973, the JCPenney store was remodeled and expanded to 144,000 square feet (13,400 m2).[9]

Frederick & Nelson acquired the Lipman's chain in 1979,[10] and the Lloyd Center Lipman's store was renamed Frederick & Nelson.[11] The store subsequently went through a dizzying succession of owners, nameplates and locations within the mall.[_clarification needed_] It appears that, in 1988, Nordstrom moved into the old Lipmans/Frederick and Nelson building. The Lipmans name was apparently reinstated[_citation needed_] at a new location in the north end of the mall in 1987, only to be replaced by that of Spokane-based The Crescent later in the same year. In March 1988, the store was acquired by Bellevue, Washington-based Lamonts.

1988–2021: renovation and new look, foreclosure

[edit]

Southwest entrance in 1992, after its remodeling and the replacement of the original Nordstrom store from 1960 with a new, larger one

By 1987, the mall was aging and enclosed malls were becoming the norm across the United States. Between 1988 and 1991 the mall was gradually renovated.[12] Nordstrom ended up demolishing the Lipmans store and opening an entirely new location on its space in August 1990. The former Nordstrom spaces had been gutted and refitted as inline stores, followed by a mall-wide renovation around late 1990-early 1991 which fully enclosed the mall and added a food court. The remodeled shopping hub was rededicated in August 1991.

Glimcher Realty Trust bought the center in 1998 for $167 million.[13]

JCPenney closed in June 1998[14] and was replaced by Sears in November 1999.[15] The Newberry's store, the last in Oregon, closed in 2001, when the entire chain went out of business.[16] Macy's replaced Meier & Frank in 2006.

Mall interior in 2015

Glimcher Realty Trust sold 60% of the center to Blackstone Real Estate Partners in 2010 after a deal to sell the entire mall fell through the year before.[13] Lloyd Center was sold by Glimcher to Cypress Equities Real Estate Investment Management in June 2013.[13]

In February 2014, it was announced that Nordstrom would be closing its Lloyd Center store effective January 10, 2015.[17][18]

An 18-month, $50 million renovation began in March 2015, alongside the closure of the Regal 8 cinema.[19] Entrances to the mall were made more pedestrian-friendly and the central space was reconfigured with a spiral staircase.[20] The changes were in part a response to the increasing population of the Lloyd District from newly constructed apartment buildings.[21]

The Sears store in 2017. It closed in 2018.

In August 2016, Sears sold its 143,000-square-foot (13,300 m2) space to the mall's owners, who were reported to be planning a major remodeling of its upper floors, demolishing the fourth floor and expanding the third floor.[22] On January 4, 2018, Sears announced that its Lloyd Center store would be closing in early April 2018 as part of a plan to close 103 stores nationwide.[23]

In January 2019, it was reported that Marshalls would be closing later that month.[24]

On November 17, 2020, Macy's announced it would be closing in January 2021.[25] After the closure of Macy's, no traditional anchor stores remain in the mall.[26]

On January 12, 2021, Old Navy announced that the Lloyd Center store would permanently close by the end of January. After the Old Navy closure, the first floor of the mall from the former Sears and the former Marshalls to the former Payless Shoe Source would be completely empty with vacant storefronts.[_citation needed_]

On August 6, 2021, a two-alarm fire started in the mall's basement, damaging the mall's electrical system. The mall was closed for over three weeks while repairs were made.[27]

On November 1, 2021, it was reported by local media that KKR Real Estate Finance Trust would be foreclosing on Lloyd Center by the end of the year due to payments on its $110 million debt loan not having been made since October 2020. It was stated that a comprehensive redevelopment of the site was to be considered.[28]

After 2021: redevelopment

[edit]

In a press release on December 20, 2021, Seattle-based real estate company Urban Renaissance Group announced themselves as the new owner-operators of Lloyd center and expressed intentions to listen to "existing tenants, neighbors, the broader community and City officials."[4]

The sculpture Capitalism, at the southwest entrance

The managing director of Urban Renaissance Group, Tim Kilbane, said that while store owners will not be seeing major changes to the mall for two years, they are unable to sign five-year leases due to uncertainty about future plans.[29]

Several small, art-focused local businesses relocated into the mall in 2022, citing lower rent and greater influence over the future of the location.[30][31][32]

In September 2023, Urban Renaissance Group announced a plan for the mall that would add 5000 residences into the space while keeping the local landmark ice rink but did not include a cost estimate, nor any announcement of closure for building.[33] Tax increment financing was mentioned as a method of paying for this plan.[34]

The mall continues to host community events in 2024,[35] several of which are various local entertainment events that are smaller and more unique to the area such as Portland's secret roller disco several times in the empty Marshall's,[36] a local theater company hosting productions in what was a Victoria's Secret,[37] and a performance art piece in the dry fountain sculpture Capitalism.[38] Bigger organizations such Live Nation in 2018 and Anschutz Entertainment Group in 2024 have made plans to develop a larger music events space out of the mall.[39]

Mall staples, Ross Dress For Less [40] and Cinnabon[41] have left the mall but Jumbo's Pickleball has opened its doors in one of the mall's empty anchors. [42]

Lloyd Center Ice Rink

[edit]

Opening in 1960, the Lloyd Center Ice Rink was the world's first shopping center rink.[43] The open-air rink was widely popular, drawing more than a million visitors in its first two years,[43] and remains the mall's central attraction.[44] The Ice Rink has attracted a few notable guests over the years. Actor Jim Backus, the voice of Mr. Magoo, once did a couple's routine with a bear.[43] Robert F. Kennedy and his wife Ethel, circled Lloyd's ice just a month before his assassination in June, 1968.[43] Former Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding, at age 3, first learned to skate at the Lloyd Center rink.[43]

The Open-air Ice Rink was covered when the mall went from an open-air configuration to an atrium roof design in the 1990s. The rink was reduced in size in 2016 from a standard rectangular rink design to a smaller oval shape.[45] The redesign moved the rink to a more central location, and opened it up to be visible from all levels of the mall.[46] The renovations to the food court are supposed to make watching the skaters easier, which supposedly will keep people inside shopping longer.[47]Despite allowing for more natural light, the renovations were met with controversy by some locals, as the size was less than 4/5ths of what it was and some skaters took issue with the oval shape.[48]

Lloyd Center is accessible by TriMet's MAX light rail service, which stops one block south of the mall, at the Lloyd Center/Northeast 11th Avenue station. The area is also served by several bus stops around the mall facility. The Portland Streetcar's A Loop has a stop two blocks west of the Lloyd Center.

Lloyd Center has played a role in the history of freedom of speech in the United States, especially with regard to the scope of free speech within private shopping centers. Lloyd Center was the defendant in the landmark cases of Lloyd Corp. v. Tanner, 407 U.S. 551 (1972), a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court involving First Amendment rights and private property, and Lloyd Corp. v. Whiffen, 307 Or. 674, 773 P.2d 1293 (1989), a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court.

  1. ^ a b c Toll, William (2003). "Urban Investment". Oregon History Project. Oregon Historical Society. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
  2. ^ a b Gallivan, Joseph (December 23, 2021). "Lloyd Center new owner: Give us two years". Portland Tribune.
  3. ^ Glimcher Form 10-K (2007) Annual Report
  4. ^ a b "Urban Renaissance Group partners with KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Inc. to lead revitalization of Portland property" (Press release). Portland, Oregon: Urban Renaissance Group. December 20, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  5. ^ a b "History of the Lloyd District". Ashforth Pacific Properties. Archived from the original on 2011-09-30. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
  6. ^ "Stores Grow With Times". The Sunday Oregonian. July 31, 1960. p. M31.
  7. ^ "Additional buildings proposed for Lloyd Center". The Sunday Oregonian. May 23, 1971. Section 1, p. 35.
  8. ^ a b "Lloyd Center, East side's downtown, gets larger". The Sunday Oregonian. October 29, 1972. p. F8.
  9. ^ Hill, Jim (May 17, 1998). "Lloyd Center thrives while Penney's wilts". The Oregonian. p. B1.
  10. ^ Brennan, Tom (February 10, 1979). "99-year tradition ending: Frederick & Nelson buys Lipmans". The Oregonian. p. 1.
  11. ^ "Tonight we close our doors as Lipman's ....". Advertisement in The Oregonian, March 30, 1979, p. A3.
  12. ^ MacGillivray, Don (December 30, 2021). "Lloyd Center's Evolution". The Southeast Examiner. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c Njus, Elliot (June 13, 2013). "Lloyd Center mall acquired by Dallas real estate firm". The Oregonian. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  14. ^ Love, Jacqueline (July 1, 1998). "Penney's bows out of Lloyd Center". The Oregonian. p. E1.
  15. ^ Hortsch, Dan (November 22, 1999). "There seems to be more traffic at the Lloyd Center". The Oregonian. p. E2.
  16. ^ Heinz, Spencer (April 2, 2001). "Five-and-dime retailer will soon ring up its final sale". The Oregonian, p. B1.
  17. ^ Njus, Elliot (February 5, 2014). "Nordstrom to close Lloyd Center, Westfield Vancouver stores". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2015-01-12.
  18. ^ Marum, Anna (January 10, 2015). "Last call for two Portland-area Nordstroms". The Oregonian. p. C8. Retrieved 2015-03-08.
  19. ^ Marum, Anna (February 5, 2015). "Lloyd Center renovation: Brokers shy away from 'traditional' tenants, lean toward yoga studios, pubs". The Oregonian. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
  20. ^ Njus, Elliot (July 24, 2014). "Lloyd Center to begin $50 million renovation project, largest since its enclosure". The Oregonian. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
  21. ^ Slothower, Chuck (2016-07-27). "Shopping malls alive and kicking | Daily Journal of Commerce". Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  22. ^ Marum, Anna (November 15, 2016). "Lloyd Center Sears sold, ice rink to reopen". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  23. ^ D'Innocenzio, Anne (January 4, 2018). "Sears to close stores at Gateway in Springfield, Lloyd Center in Portland". Eugene, Oregon: KVAL. Associated Press. Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  24. ^ Graves, Lincoln (January 9, 2019). "Lloyd District dealing with handful of business closures in recent months". KATU. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  25. ^ Rogoway, Mike (November 17, 2020). "Macy's Lloyd Center store will close in January". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  26. ^ De Leon, Kristina (March 18, 2024). "Former Sears at Lloyd Center for sale amid bankruptcy proceedings". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
  27. ^ Goldberg, Jamie (August 26, 2021). "Lloyd Center to reopen Monday after shuttering due to electrical fire". Retrieved 2024-03-20.
  28. ^ Ramakrishnan, Jayati (November 1, 2021). "Portland's Lloyd Center mall faces foreclosure and redevelopment, lender says". The Oregonian.
  29. ^ Gallivan, Joseph (December 23, 2021). "Lloyd Center new owner: Give us two years". Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  30. ^ Leon, Kat (August 17, 2022). "Lloyd Center becomes Portland's newest arts district". PSU Vanguard. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  31. ^ Pape, Sam. "What Does Lloyd Center's Indie Rebirth Say about Portland's Future?". Portland Monthly. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  32. ^ Gallivan, Joseph (August 24, 2022). "Lloyd Center's hipster future". Portland Tribune. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  33. ^ Bach, Jonathan (September 21, 2023). "Transformative Lloyd Center plan could add 5,000 homes, demolish mall". KGW. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  34. ^ Effinger, Anthony (September 21, 2023). "Owners of Lloyd Center Unveil Master Plan for Mall That Restores Street Grid and Adds Housing". Willamette Week. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  35. ^ Wastradowski, Matt (February 9, 2024). "Local Businesses Revive Lloyd Center Mall". Travel Portland. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  36. ^ "Secret Roller Disco Flyer Archive / All". secretrollerdisco.org. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
  37. ^ "Portland's hottest theater venue is the abandoned Victoria's Secret in the Lloyd Center Mall". Here is Oregon - hereisoregon.com. 2023-07-31. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
  38. ^ "Dawn of the Undead Mall". Willamette Week. 2024-06-26. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
  39. ^ "Monqui, Anschutz Entertainment to Build Music Venue in Lloyd Center". Willamette Week. 2024-07-04. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
  40. ^ Oregonian/OregonLive, Kristine de Leon | The (2024-10-12). "Another anchor retailer closes Lloyd Center store". oregonlive. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  41. ^ "Cinnabon's Lloyd Center Location Has Closed". Willamette Week. 2024-11-07. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  42. ^ www.bizjournals.com https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2024/11/06/pickleball-opens-at-lloyd-center.html. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  43. ^ a b c d e Casey, Parks (September 13, 2014). "Lloyd Center Ice Rink: See historical photos of the 50-year-old rink". The Oregonian. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  44. ^ Bajandas, Inka (2014-08-12). "Mall's past influencing its future | Daily Journal of Commerce". Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  45. ^ June, Sophia (November 21, 2016). "The Lloyd Center Skate Rink Has Finally Reopened". Willamette Week. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  46. ^ "Lloyd Center Remodel". DCI Engineers. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  47. ^ "Lloyd Center to receive 0M redo". Oregon Business. July 29, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  48. ^ "Lloyd Center ice rink will be prettier, but also smaller, irritating some skaters". 12 September 2014.