When I first heard Fred Meyer was closing its Gateway location, I had the same reaction many of you did: concern, frustration, questions. It’s never just about one store shutting down. It’s about what it represents. For many in East Portland, Gateway Fred Meyer was a reliable stop for groceries, prescriptions, household items. A familiar and accessible place in a part of town that’s had to fight hard for every scrap of investment it’s gotten.
The loss of this anchor tenant, along with the earlier closure of Kohl’s, has left a growing hole in the Gateway Shopping Center. Storefronts are sitting empty. Neighbors are wondering what comes next. And as your councilor, I’m asking the same question: What is the future we want for Gateway, and how do we get there?
Let’s be honest. The Gateway TIF (Tax Increment Finance) district was supposed to bring transformative investment to this area that we haven’t seen yet. And while there have been some wins, the process got off to a slow start. Early zoning rules envisioned Gateway as “East Portland’s downtown,” with dense high-rises and big-ticket developments. But planners misunderstood what this community needed, and what it was ready to support. Meanwhile, the basics—streets, sidewalks, sewer lines—still weren’t in place. Unlike other parts of the city where TIF dollars went further, Gateway has had to play catch-up.
In 2022, after years of community pressure, the Gateway TIF was extended by 15 years. That extension unlocked around $60 million in potential investment. Prosper Portland is now working with David Douglas School District, private landowners, and community leaders on a new vision. There’s even a signature project planned for a 5-acre site in the Gateway district: 250+ units of middle-income housing and new infrastructure to support it.
But the Fred Meyer closure changes the math. That store was expected to bring in half the projected rent for the Gateway property, a major part of the financing puzzle. Without it, the plan to sell the land at an affordable price for redevelopment is suddenly in limbo. And once again, East Portland is left to deal with the consequences of economic forces far outside our control.
This isn’t just about Gateway. Across the country, big-box stores are struggling. Kroger, Fred Meyer’s parent company, is looking to cut costs after the failed Albertsons merger. Brick-and-mortar retail is still reeling from the rise of Amazon and the ongoing pressure of online shopping. Pharmacies, especially those inside grocery chains, are closing nationwide. And developers are facing high interest rates, tight lending markets, an unpredictable national economy, and fears that new buildings won’t pencil out.
But if East Portland has taught me anything, it’s this: we don’t wait around for someone else to save us. We build from the ground up, rooted in community, creativity, and care.
That’s why I’m convening conversations across City Hall and across our district. I want to hear directly from you—residents, workers, small business owners—about what you want to see in Gateway. The 2024 Gateway Action Plan gave us a roadmap: housing that’s truly affordable, economic growth that reflects the diversity of our community, and activation of public spaces that make Gateway feel alive again.
Let’s build on that vision. We are not trying to reinvent the work that’s already been done or step over East Portlanders who have been talking with the City about their ideas for Gateway for years. Thanks to city charter reform, East Portland has more of a voice than we've ever had in City Hall and we are not going to let the City repeat the same mistakes in Gateway that led to the situation today.
The Gateway Transit Center is the second busiest in the TriMet system. BIPOC homeownership in the area has grown by 300 percent in the last decade. We have strengths. We have momentum. What we need now is a city that shows up.
This is about more than filling an empty storefront. It’s about finally giving Gateway, and East Portland, the investment and attention we’ve long deserved. We must make sure this closing becomes an opening to finally fulfilling promises made. Let’s get to work.