The Next Big Thing Downtown

Supporting Downtown Businesses During Construction

TriMet and its partners are making every effort to minimize the impacts of construction on downtown businesses:

  • Construction crews will take a "get in, get out" approach by speeding the pace of construction, limiting activity in front of businesses and maintaining pedestrian and parking access. Crews will give advance notice of any night work.
  • Moratoriums will give businesses a break: Construction will pause in the Central Mall during the winter holidays and in the North and Central mall areas during Rose Festival.
  • At each block within a construction zone, easy-to-read temporary signage will alert patrons that businesses are open.
  • Businesses and property owners can call a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week emergency construction hotline (503-962-2222) to get any issues resolved in an emergency.
  • TriMet outreach staff have met with all ground-floor businesses and property owners along the Mall to provide information about the project and learn about each location's unique needs.
  • Between 2006 and 2009, more than $9 million will be dedicated to promoting downtown businesses through an integrated marketing campaign.

Join us in supporting Portland Mall merchants during construction

Hands-on help for ground-floor businesses

A business support program is available to ground-floor businesses along 5th and 6th avenues between Union Station and PSU. This valuable suite of tools was designed to help businesses weather any disruptions caused by the project, strengthen their operations and position them to take advantage of marketing opportunities when the renovated Mall is completed in 2009.

  • Technical assistance: Help with business plan development, business operations, marketing and other areas through PSU’s Business Outreach Program.
  • Marketing/retail consulting: Marketing and merchandising guidance from PDC and TriMet staff.
  • Business workshops: Expert advice and useful business tools, plus opportunities oriented toward specific retail or development initiatives on the Mall.
  • Low-interest loans: 1-3 percent loans with extended repayment terms, administered by PSU.

Downtown Marketing Initiative

The Downtown Marketing Initiative is an integrated marketing campaign that will leverage resources from all project partners in an effort to keep shoppers downtown. In addition, downtown retailers will be promoted as part of a shopping campaign during the holiday season. Businesses will have ample opportunities to participate in advertising and promotional events. Between 2006 and 2009, more than $9 million will be dedicated to promoting downtown Portland and its businesses. To learn more about the Downtown Marketing Initiative and holiday campaign, please contact Chris Fincks at 503-222-0181 or finksc@pdc.us.

The "Next Big Thing Downtown" campaign

TriMet's promotional campaign, "The Next Big Thing Downtown," was developed to generate excitement about the project and foot traffic for businesses in the construction zones. The campaign will include milestone celebrations, restaurant promotions, construction tours and transit-oriented promotions with interested businesses.

For more information

Contact TriMet's Community Affairs office at 503-962-2150.