Posted on 08/02/2020 6:13:53 PM PDT by Libloather
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler’s office circulated a plan this week to revive business downtown, which has been walloped by the double-whammy of the pandemic and more than 60 nights of civil rights protests in the city’s core.
The three-page document focuses on five target areas: Promoting public safety, addressing issues around homelessness and graffiti, cleaning up trash and developing a downtown retail strategy.
The Portland Business Alliance and several downtown business owners called the plan a step in the right direction. But business owners also expressed concerns that the plan lacked specifics and said they needed to see action now if they hoped to recover.
“We just need it quickly,” said Adam Milne, the owner of Old Town Pizza & Brewing, whose downtown location is currently closed. “A lot of business owners are stuck trying to decide what to do. If this plan gets developed in three months, it’s going to be too late for a lot of businesses.”
Businesses throughout Oregon have struggled to stay afloat amid the coronavirus pandemic, but downtown business owners say they are facing unique challenges that have made their recovery especially uncertain.
Many business owners have pointed to the protests downtown, which have been marred by nightly clashes between federal officers and protesters and given Portland a reputation for upheaval.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
I concur that the memories will last a generation but the chaos and damage occurred in the area of a few square blocks; Portland and suburbs are quite large geographically. For most everyone outside downtown, covid restrictions are a bigger issue than the riots.
Portland’s city government has openly sided with terrorists and anarchists - no sane business person would attempt to engage in commerce in that environment.
Downtown Portland will be another Detroit for decades to come.
You mention Richmond, Minneapolis...but I think Portland and Seattle had the worst of the riots, or the worst of the press. When I think of the riots that’s what the think of. And NYC.
A friend of mine says: “Voting Democrat has consequences”
And keeping Trump's feds away they forgot to say.
Why don’t these kids just go get pizza and beer? More fun. And chicks too
That’s what I did at 25
Don’t forget New York. It will never be the same.
The restaurants in Portland are, or were, wonderful. My next-to-last trip there I found a magazine in my hotel room full of the new restaurants.
My daughter and I visited every one in the magazine and they were superb. Excellent talent, plus they really use the local ingredients, not just list the origin of everything on the menu as some classy NY restaurants do.
I would have gone back to a few of them on my last trip but she was on the coast, not in Portland, and the resort restaurants can’t compare by the way. They are the usual pretentious places, no real chefs.
The Portland is never coming back. Never.
A plan to fix the city by the guy who destroyed the city.
Makes as much sense as electing Biden to fix the 43 years of messes he created.
I had always wanted to visit Portland and Seattle. Now, just the opposite.
Yep. And Seattle is on the verge. If the riots spark up again that could finish them off.
LOL
don't take the brown acid
Exactly
Well, you de-funded your police and prevented them from doing their job while also lettign Anitfa (and the regular homes lees) live in parks, and graffiti and trash the city. Even if they clean it up, I don't see any sane business owned wanting to me in knowing that a week or year from now they city would turn a blind eye to the exact same problems.
I first started going to Portland over 50 years ago. I was impressed with the city and especially liked the touch of that elk statue downtown.
Elk statue destroyed and gone. Just like Portland
Did you make it to “Q” ? They just opened again - and honestly I’m surprised. So many times I said after eating there “this is the best thing I’ve ever eaten”.
There’s one on the coast near Salishan - “Side Door” I think. Not Q level but ok.
The best thing they can do for business is raise taxes. (Liberal mode)
Some cities never recovered from the 1960s riots—six decades later.
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