PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — What could the empty parking lot across from the Lloyd Center become? Public records show that developers want to turn it into a mix of things.
The new space could potentially be an apartment complex, with retail shops on the ground floor, and a Home Depot built behind it. There are plans for more than 700 parking spots for shoppers.
“I feel like it would be really useful for everybody who comes through here. Home Depot can be used for so many different things. I think putting that over here would make life so much easier,” said Portlander Ajiannah Turner, who told KOIN 6 News that she loves the Lloyd District and wants to see it make a comeback.
JB Bishop worked for the Lloyd Center for three decades, from 1966 to 1996. He said the parking lot used to be for all the Lloyd Center employees and that he even used the lot to put on events.
“When I was here, it was an empty parking lot on the weekends, so I brought the Rose Festival here and they staged the floats for the families an hour after it was done and they could come and explore all the floats,” he said.
Bishop remembers the glory days of the Lloyd District, but as an expert in land development, he welcomes the proposed change.
“The past was the past. It was a great past that suited the needs at that time,” he said. “Mixed-use residential, retail in the inner city of Portland will be tremendous for the reconversion of the Lloyd Center.”