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- ADDRESS: 11702 NE Halsey St.
- YEAR BUILT: 1970
- SQUARE FOOTAGE: 1,978
- MARKET VALUE: $1 million
- OWNER: Tae Hong Choi TR
- HOW LONG IT’S BEEN EMPTY: 3-plus years
- WHY IT’S EMPTY: Pandemic staff drain
Choi’s Martial Arts Equipment & Supplies has a storied history. It was the third location established by late Taekwondo Grandmaster Tae Hong Choi, who helped bring the art from Korea to the U.S.
Current owner Hung Choi says the family opened the Northeast Halsey Street location in 1982 or 1983. The building at the northern edge of the Hazelwood neighborhood was home to an instructional school and sold everything from uniforms to weapons. But it has stood empty since 2020, when the pandemic paused classes.
“COVID was the main reason it closed,” Choi says. “In a nutshell, by the time we were ready to open, all my employees got jobs [elsewhere].”
Since then, Choi says the building has been “nothing but trouble” for him. He says he makes 911 calls about once a week to report activity on the property. The surrounding fence is broken and the building is graffitied. In 2023, a tree caught fire from a neighboring RV encampment, burning a power line about 10 feet from the building. (The building wasn’t damaged.)
He blames the city for not doing enough to address the conditions on Portland’s streets. “It’s just gross and scary,” he says.
Choi hired an employee to visit the property three times a week to clean the area and make himself visible. “It’s not too effective,” he admits. Someone smashed the front door and another window last Sunday—Choi was at the property on Monday to resolve it.
Choi put the building up for sale in 2023 after it became clear the studio wouldn’t reopen—he says students were hesitant about coming to class because they were concerned about their safety in the area. It’s been on the market for more than a year, and Choi’s not alone in his struggle to sell. He says he knows of at least three other business owners within a half-mile radius who can’t sell their properties.
But there’s a glimmer of hope: Choi’s in talks to lease the property for five years to people who run a restaurant and gift shop in a space he says they’ve outgrown. He’s waiting on them to offer a final price, and they’re thinking about transforming the space into a grocery store and gift shop.
Choi’s not willing to disclose the interested leasers’ names quite yet, since he’s not sure the deal will happen.
“Leasing it out, that’s the best offer so far,” he says. “A couple people who wanted to purchase, we couldn’t come up with an agreement. They’re lowballing because this area is not preferred.”
Every week, WW examines one mysteriously vacant property in the city of Portland, explains why it’s empty, and considers what might arrive there next. Send addresses to newstips@wweek.com.