In the last two weeks alone, MzKitty, the Banana Republic Women's store closed, as did Steven's Nest Notary, which celebrated its 100th anniversary this year. I have a picture of the anniversary banner, next to the closing permanently sign, if I could figure out how to post it here. This final farce by Brown, the two week "freeze," notice how they/she didn't use lockdown is the coup de graz.
5 years ago we would have THOUSANDS DOWNTOWN for the Christmas Tree lighting, the shopping, and just the ambience, and now we maybe have 1000. It is pathetic. And antifa did their thing in Pioneer Square itself, and that is the final straw.
Portland is kaput. The economy is permanently damaged, or at least for a decade or two. Many of the reasons I moved here, like the coffee culture etc no longer exist. The people voted these clowns in and will have to live with it.
I am also convinced the lack of money will further doom this government run welfare state. Like who is going to buy a 1 million dollar house in Lake Oswego now? And there are 5000 condos downtown at least, all of which were sold for half price back in 2009 when they overbuilt.
Once Nordstrom's, NIKE and a few other flagship stores, barely making it, close nothing will be left .The Apple Store is a boarded up joke. Pioneer Mall, not t he square, is a boarded up travesty with maybe one floor, out of 3, actual stores.
Next year, Mzkitty is when the evictions will start to really hit, unless, and this may happen, the local governments continue the eviction bans. They put up a notice in our lobby about a program that will pay 3 months rent free starting in November.
I am just trying to get through the next two months. After that, who really has any idea of what will happen. One thing is all the economic shit will hit in January no matter who is in office.