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How Portland’s ‘ghost mall’ [Lloyd Center] became the city’s coolest startup incubator
(www.oregonlive.com)
this post was submitted on 28 Aug 2025
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I've been there a few times this summer and it's definitely not dead. Certainly bigger than it needs to be for what it hosts, but I was surprised by the amount of stuff open vs the last time I was there several years ago.
Calling it "The city's coolest startup incubator" though? That will kill it, that will absolutely kill it dead. Garaunteed.
I was surprised that there were 10 closed shops in between everyone open shop. That is not living.
Eh, didn't stop me from going there to fill a Rx for new glasses. Also didn't stop Cory Doctorow from speaking there a few months ago at Teardown 2025. It's a mostly-empty archaic construct left behind by our mysterious capitalist forerunners, but the ice rink is open and people are skating on it. Call it alive, call it dead, whatever. But it's functioning on a self-determined level absent outside capitol injection.
I do think that malls should be repurposed as community centers. Tons of small businesses, some education like community college. Maybe even In Medical Center. Heck, there could even be some temporary housing for homeless on the top floor. That mall’s structure is actually pretty good. It would be a good way to “keep Portland weird”, because it is not anymore.
Yeah that would be awesome. If the building can be maintained without the rents going back up then I think that kind of arrangement could be achieved. There actually was a private college on the top floor, and a few doctors offices, though I think they're closed now.