Three Portland Targets Will Close, Including Downtown Store

Target will close three of its Portland locations next month, including the downtown Target store on Southwest Morrison Street. The company made its announcement on Tuesday morning, citing crime and safety concerns.

“We cannot continue operating these stores because theft and organized retail crime are threatening the safety of our team and guests, and contributing to unsustainable business performance,” the corporation wrote in a statement. “Before making this decision, we invested heavily in strategies to prevent and stop theft and organized retail crime in our stores, such as adding more security team members, using third-party guard services, and implementing theft-deterrent tools across our business. Despite our efforts, unfortunately, we continue to face fundamental challenges to operating these stores safely and successfully.”

The other two locations closing are on Southeast Powell Boulevard and in the Hollywood neighborhood. That means that three of the nine stores Target is closing across the country are located in Portland.

The closures add to an already existing rash of retailers that have shuttered their doors in downtown, publicly citing crime and safety concerns. Undoubtedly, another contributing factor to the shuttering stores is consumers’ penchant for buying products online. The downtown Target building is owned by Unico Properties, a prominent downtown real estate developer.

Minneapolis-based Target’s closure is a blow to the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund, the cache of tax dollars earmarked for projects that reduce carbon emissions and benefit low-income communities of color. PCEF, as it’s known, is funded by a 1% surcharge on retailers with annual revenue of $1 billion or more in the U.S. and $500,000 or more within Portland. It excludes some grocery sales and those at co-ops, credit unions and other entities.

Target’s move comes six months after Walmart closed its only two stores within Portland’s city limits. The Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer didn’t give a reason for the closures.