shop

I can already foresee the Pearl District Neighborhood Association's tagline for future ads: "The Pearl District: Just like Beaverton."

In response to the comment about "just like Beaverton". While we would all like to have the Pearl District be comprised of only small independent boutiques, galleries and other unique shops, it is a fact that most of the smaller retail shops could not survive without some sprinkling of larger, national retail tenants who draw from a larger customer base. I think Eddie Bauer is a good option to some of the more suburban anchors such as Target, Best Buy, etc. and hope that most would agree.

I think that's debatable. Who is going to come to the Pearl District for Eddie Bauer when they can already go to Eddie Bauer in any mall with easier parking? Eddie Bauer and the like only serve to give the building owners a client who is willing to pay more for the space and provides a mall-like shopping opportunity for Pearl District residents -- so they don't have to go elsewhere.

I'm not "buy local" "Keep Portland Weird" zealot -- far from it. Hell, I'm a defender of Wal-Mart. But I don't see that having an Eddie Bauer come into the Pearl does anything but raise rents and probably make it less likely that small independents will be able to afford the Pearl District.

That area is at a crossroads -- perhaps they've already crossed it -- in deciding if they're going to be an urban mall with stores just like Bridgeport or Streets of Tanasbourne or if they're going to try to define themselves as something special. Personally, I think that landlords are often short-sighted or too focused on making a lot of money instead of just making a decent amount of money and keeping their property's unique appeal. Right now the owners will benefit from the Pearl District's cache as the cool place to be. In 10 years when it's populated with national chains, I have to wonder if it'll be so cool to live and shop there or if it'll just be considered suburbia with bad parking and overpriced condos.

I tend to agree with extramsg, but then again, I'm a small business owner. While large anchors do have the ability to help smaller retailers, I think it important to be very selective about what types of anchors are courted. I mean, Eddie Bauer??! Really. Hardly a destination retailer.
The developers really need to be aware that they have control over what kind of community they are creating. The Pearl is indeed on the cusp of becoming just another Bridgeport Village. Let's not lose sight that what gives the Pearl it's cache is the small, unique businesses. If you lose that, what have you got?

Got a good laugh out of the comment
"The Pearl becoming just another Bridgeport Village"

Look at the tenant list of Bridgeport Village. If anything, Bridgeport Village is attempting to become a compact Pearl District.

Lucy, Shoefly, Bella Casa, Cielo Home, LexiDog, Oblation, French Quarter, Design within Reach, Sur la Table, PF Chang, Peet's, Anthropologie

Ha! Great point, chunder. Let's not forget which came first - The Pearl has a few years on BV.

-Pearl Insider

Money talks, doesn't it? But as much as I think Eddie Boring is about the most unremarkable pedestrian-level brand I can think of, I do believe that their presence will create additional foot traffic in the area and hopefully provide enough demand to open up more retail in the oft empty 1st floor spaces in most of the buldings in the North Pearl. BTW, where's the beef? I'd love to see a butcher in the 'hood.

Any updates? How's the store doing?