It'll help; the store is a kind of attractive nuisance. But the fundamental problem is the architecture of the building, with its dark, dank sidewalk under the building's overhang.

From KGW news tonight, Brooks Bros was the latest to complain about Peterson's. Didn't Brooks Bros research the location, or the city of Portland's liberal policies regarding street punks, panhandlers, druggies and other assorted weirdos. The city wants to redevelop the parking garage and Peterson's doesn't fit into the picture, plain and simple. This story fits into the whole scheme of things like “the creative class snow job” as linked on this blog. The city wants only upscale crap, which the way the economy is going won't pencil out. National chains really don't fit the needs. I remember a few (well 20) years go, we had a multitude of independent businesses downtown, like the Big Bang, Habromania, Art Circle, Escape from NY Pizza (across from the Galleria) Kobos, numerous independent book stores and a whole bunch of other neat things. What happened? Central planning, system access charges and blatant arrogance from city officials that listened to idiots like Richard Florida.

Its a MAX stop, and covered from rain and sun. The "dregs" are not going away.

I think between Brooks Brothers and the Moyers condo tower going in a block east, I think the new tenants want the block cleaned up.

Leave it to the city to stick it to another downtown business.

I kinda wish Moyer had gone to jail for the alleged election fraud. I'm sure it's not him complaining about Peterson's -- it's his secretary.

I buy my Sunday paper there often,
and it's no worse an area than many others downtown and around.
Jon's got it right, and it's sad to lose another small biz.

Looks to me that City Hall is just grasping at straws here...most of this stuff on the timeline of events is sorta vague to me...also, the one incident with the improper storage of beverages wasn't even Doug's, it was Bush Gardens and Doug called the City about it.....I agree with John too!!!

I happened to read this comment at another local blog (Blogtown) and it seems to really capture the essence of what is at stake with this matter, and I'm clipping 'n' pasting it as follows, with your permission of course:

"Clearly anyone that knows how government here in Portland is done will recognize that what is really involved with this sad case is that some corrupt official sought to get a bribe and being super-honest people, the Peterson's said "bite my a$$" and the spiteful official has now conjured up an eviction as spiteful revenge, and some corrupt-politician is giving them cover to do so. We need to cut to the chase and find out the sorry official involved in this incident and then find out who is the politician (or could be plural...politicians) giving this turd cover and then expose them to the light of day and try their a$$es in the only court that matters..."

Posted by Court of Public Opinion | June 25, 2008 4:52 PM

The issue is the MAX stop. Those same folks will still be waiting there whether Peterson's is there or not.

There's a Peterson's on 4th that's just fine, so the store and its management are not the problems.

I wonder how much we'll spend on redeveloping the parking structure?

There is also a Peterson's on Yamhill, which, SHOCKER, is in front of a MAX stop!!!

It's typical that the City of Portland rather than taking responsibility for a problem points the finger of blame somewhere else. I agree that the problem is not Peterson's but a dark and sheltered MAX stop (TriMet) next to a poorly designed parking garage (City of Portland). Of course that spot will attract anyone who spends time hanging around the streets. I pass through downtown every day on my commute to work (via TriMet) and no longer bother to stop and shop because there is nothing in downtown except people asking me for spare change (or rather demanding spare change), people just sitting on the sidewalks with all of their friends, their dogs, their belongings. Maybe on the weekends it is different but there is no compelling reason to be downtown during the week (unless you work there). And that is not Mr. Peterson's fault. It is poor planning from the City of Portland.