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.
The pandemic has kept tourists and office workers away from the city’s core, too, contributing to a sharp decline in foot traffic. A growing number of tents have also popped up along the sidewalks around downtown as the city has limited cleanups of homeless camps due to the pandemic.
FEDERAL PRESENCE
Wheeler said in a press conference Thursday that he and the city were taking steps to address these issues.
He denounced the role that federal officers have played in escalating violence at nightly protests downtown since their arrival last month, and said the first steps in restoring downtown would be to ensure federal officers are removed and to focus on de-escalating and ending nightly violence.
Federal officers started pulling out of Portland on Thursday in a phased withdrawal, but federal officials have said the agents won’t leave entirely until they are satisfied that the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse is protected.
Along with de-escalating violence, Wheeler said the city will aggressively work to clean up downtown and put together a campaign to help bring visitors and shoppers back to the area. He said the city was working to continue to distribute grant money to businesses as well. The Portland City Council recently voted to earmark $12 million in federal coronavirus relief money for direct grants to businesses.
“I’ve spent a ton of time communicating with business leaders throughout the city, both big business operators, small business entrepreneurs, everybody in between, and a lot of employees, to talk about that recovery,” Wheeler said. “That’s what people want to do right now. They want to get back on their feet. It’s important for the economic future of this city that downtown opens soon.”
Wheeler met with the Portland Business Alliance last week to discuss his plan to revitalize downtown. Andrew Hoan, the alliance’s CEO, said the ideas Wheeler presented were a good start but said it is vital that the city follows through with action as quickly as possible.
“We are grateful for the Mayor’s attention to downtown,” Hoan said. “We need all of our partners in government to help our city recover from the dual impact of the historic downturn from COVID-19, as well as the negative impact on commerce from the acts of individuals using the demonstrations as an opportunity to damage our city center and home.”
REVITALIZATION PLAN
But several downtown business owners that spoke with The Oregonian/OregonLive Friday said they were concerned that the plan lacked specific timelines and details. A spokesman for Wheeler called the current plan a working outline, not a finalized product.
The plan includes directives for police to “de-escalate, contain and arrest those who are violent and violating the law,” as well as “follow up on the robberies and property crimes downtown and prioritize a response.” But it gives little additional information on new strategies the city will use to promote safety downtown.
Noha Kassab, the CEO of Kassab Jewelers, said Wheeler’s plan was “too little, too late.”
Kassab’s family-owned store, which has been in downtown Portland for over 40 years, was ransacked during the early morning of May 30 after a riot broke out in downtown following a peaceful protest in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police officers. Many of the businesses that were looted that night, including Kassab Jewelers and the Apple store, remain closed.
Looking around downtown now, Kassab said she sees boarded up stores, graffiti, increased homelessness and empty streets. She faulted the city for not doing more and acting sooner to address criminal activity downtown, but was clear that she did not equate the social justice movement with vandalism and destruction downtown.
“The root of the problem is lawlessness and lack of accountability,” said Kassab in an email. “The tolerance for the people breaking the law is outrageous! Wheeler’s plan does not address the root of the problem! He’s attempting to deal with the symptoms. He’s late in the game. There should be no empathy for law breakers. Enforce the laws. Do not tolerate lawlessness and these problems will go away.”
HOMELESS CAMPS
Wheeler’s plan is more detailed when it comes to how the city plans to address an increase in homeless camps, graffiti and trash in downtown.
The city paused cleanups of homeless camps early in the pandemic at the direction of local and national public health guidance.
Amid the pandemic, Portland opened up three outdoor shelters and took steps to provide information and supplies to those experiencing homelessness. The Joint Office of Homeless Services, funded by the city and Multnomah County, has also worked to secure motel space for individuals lodged in temporary emergency coronavirus shelters.
But the city plans to resume campsite removals in late July for sites that pose the biggest risk to health and safety.
According to the plan, the city will focus on sites with eight or more structures, sites blocking public sidewalks, transit stations, restrooms and building entrances and sites where there is significant garbage, conspicuous drug use or credible reports of criminal behavior.
Dan Lenzen, co-owner of Dixie Tavern in Old Town and a board member of the Old Town Community Association, said that the number of tents on the sidewalks in Old Town have grown significantly since the start of the pandemic and he has heard from customers who no longer feel comfortable visiting the area. He said Wheeler’s plan to address the issue is “a start.”
The city has also redirected $100,000 from its on-call graffiti removal contract to prioritize graffiti around the area of nightly downtown protests, according to the plan. Those resources will cover about 30 to 40 days of graffiti removal, according to the city. The plan also calls for the Office of Management and Finance to evaluate options to increase trash pickup in downtown, but the city has yet to identify funding for the additional service.
RETAIL ACTIVATION STRATEGY
Prosper Portland, the city’s economic development agency, is also developing a citywide retail activation strategy that will focus on downtown and businesses owned by Black entrepreneurs and other people of color. Prosper Portland plans to collaborate with business owners to create a proposal for the plan by early August. The city’s outline says that initiatives could include pop-up events and a marketing campaign.
But Milne, the owner of Old Town Pizza & Brewing, said that many businesses downtown remain shut and need to feel confident that they can generate business again before they reopen. Milne said that the city’s plan needs to include incentives for businesses to reopen and for customers to return.
“I think really the heart of the issue is, how do you get people to dine and shop and stay in downtown?” Milne said. “How do we coordinate most of the businesses to reopen at the same time, so we have enough meaningful activity? It’s too risky to be the first to open, or open too early.”
Stacey Gibson, who owns several Subway stores, including one downtown, said she is hopeful that elements of Wheeler’s plan will have a positive impact on businesses. But she said it is tough for business owners to trust that the city is taking the right steps until they see action.
“Our confidence is a little bit low in how things are handled right now, and it needs to be earned back,” Gibson said. “Quick, decisive actions are needed.”
-- Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com | @jamiebgoldberg
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