The Lloyd Center is a shopping mall in Portland’s Lloyd district, and countless Portlanders have a deep connection with it. Many have fond childhood memories of meeting Santa at Christmastime, shopping and eating, watching people twirl and dance on the ice rink and experiencing many people’s first time on the ice.
The Lloyd Center’s ice rink is what the mall is best known for, as it is considered Portland’s most popular ice-skating rink. The center was also the world’s first mall with an ice rink. But for years, the mall has been vacant and slowly dying, and by the end of 2026, it will be demolished.
The mall’s downfall can be partially attributed to COVID-19, but it was already losing popularity before the pandemic, as customers opted to shop online instead of in person. With the closure of major stores, the Lloyd Center was left desolate and simply couldn’t compete with other Portland malls, such as Washington Square, which comparatively had many more popular stores.
Many ice skaters are fighting to keep the rink open due to its relevance and year-round accessibility. “Many small businesses have taken up there because the space is cheap to rent, and this [the closure of the Lloyd Center] will impact them,” says Madeline Lenzini, a senior at Ida B. Wells High School.
While the people of Portland will miss the Lloyd Center, this change isn’t completely negative. The Portland Design Commission plans to transform this area into a neighborhood complete with stores and parks. The reconstruction will likely happen over the next 10 years.
For more information on the construction plans, go to the Urban Renaissance Group to see their master plan, and lloydcenter.com/renovation for updates.
