Nike is reportedly permanently closing its store in northeast Portland, Oregon, citing safety and security issues for vacating the retail space.
The Soul District Business Association announced in a news release on Friday that Nike had said the company would be closing the store, per the Oregonian.
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Nike confirmed to the outlet that it would be “reimagining” the retail space and is “considering future locations as part of this community’s long term revitalization plan.” The Soul District Business Association called the plan to shutter the store, which had been temporarily closed for most of the year, permanently “a major economic blow” for the community.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said the city had attempted to work with Nike to ease its “safety challenges” but said the city would not provide off-duty officers from the Portland Police Bureau because of a staffing shortage in the police force.
“My team and city staff have worked tirelessly and in good faith with Nike for almost a year to offer creative solutions to their safety challenges,” Wheeler said in a statement on Friday. “Ultimately, the City cannot offer Nike, or any other private business, with dedicated off-duty PPB officers due to PPB’s staffing shortage. I remain committed to supporting Nike’s future success in Portland and look forward to their future investments in our community.”
The Nike community store on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in the city is the latest business to leave as crime and homelessness wash over the city.
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A report from last month showed that Portland lost $1 billion between 2020 and 2021 as residents left the city amid crime and rampant homelessness.
Retail theft has also seen an uptick in several cities across the country, including Portland, leaving business owners, large and small, to feel abandoned by lawmakers who they say have done little to help fix the problem.
