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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland officials are weighing an initiative that could prop up local businesses, many of which have closed or relocated in recent years.
Portland City Council’s Dan Ryan introduced a resolution centered on the “Storefront Support Program” during an Arts & Economy Committee meeting on Tuesday. The policy would direct the city administrator to develop a plan for rolling out the program, which aims to address and prevent the challenges currently faced by business owners.
According to Ryan, the city is losing business license revenue at an “alarming rate” — with a $12 million decline in revenue projected for the current fiscal year.
“The input from business owners has changed and it’s alarming,” Ryan added. “They are escaping chronic crime, vandalism and livability problems. These cut into their ability to make a living. Many small businesses are having an increasingly difficult time staying afloat just from the higher cost of employees, supplies and products.”
In 2024, Downtown Portland Clean & Safe found that a majority of local entrepreneurs noticed a decline in theft, shoplifting incidents and post-vandalism repairs. The organization’s survey also found that 57% of businesses felt “optimistic” about operating downtown. But problems still persist, with only about 25% of storefronts reporting higher revenues when compared to the previous year.
Elsewhere in the city, Northwest Broadway Business Association President Sarah Drescher noted the space that previously held Capitol Bar has been shuttered for more than a year — and the nearby Aztec Willie’s recently closed after 31 years.
While several shuttered storefronts have cited rising costs as the reason behind their closures, the resolution notes that neither the city nor Prosper Portland has a system that tracks these reasons or the number of vacant spaces.
Ryan’s proposal would create such a system, as well as establish “exit interviews” with shuttered storefronts and identify the staffing, funding and data needed for the “long-term” success of the program.
The Arts and Economy Committee voted to refer the resolution to the full council later this year. If approved, the city administrator is expected to present on a program plan on Jan. 31.
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Jashayla Pettigrew
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