In 2022, Jason Leivian took a gamble.
The Floating World Comics owner had spent 16 years operating a brick and mortar in Old Town Portland before opting to relocate his business across the river. Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, foot traffic downtown was still dismally low. Leivian knew it was time to move on.
He chose Lloyd Center — at the time, somewhat of a “ghost mall,” newly devoid of any and all traditional anchor stores — to be the comic shop’s new home…