PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — A brand-new survey from the Portland Metro Chamber says Downtown Portland’s vacancy rate has reached its highest level on record, as businesses close or leave and the area loses workers and customers.
The chamber’s report links high vacancy and the loss of about 8,000 downtown workers to the area’s economic decline.
Major employers including U.S. Bank, which had more than 2,000 employees downtown, and the Portland Clinic, with 500, have left. Retailers such as Target and Nordstrom Rack have also departed, while many small businesses have closed…