It’s looking up downtown, survey says

But employers are concerned about street people keeping customers away

By Jeanie Senior

The Portland Tribune, May 3, 2005, Updated Oct 30, 2009

A clear majority of the 4,034 businesses, nonprofit organizations and government entities surveyed in the Portland Business Alliance’s 2004 Downtown Business Census & Survey said they’re upbeat about downtown’s improving health.

At the same time, they’re worried about some lingering problems.

There is growing concern, for example, about the perceived impact of street people Ñ described in the survey as “public inebriates, transients and vagrants” Ñ on downtown safety. The number of those surveyed who said downtown was safe or very safe has dropped since 2001.

“I think the most important thing we saw in the survey is that we’re starting to see more optimism from the downtown business community about how things are going,” said Sandra McDonough, president and chief executive officer of the PBA, pointing out that about a third of those surveyed said they are expecting their business to grow. “It’s kind of a move in the upward direction after a few very difficult years.”

And although downtown Portland gained 23 new businesses and 235 jobs last year, the census profiles an area that’s still not as healthy as it once was.

Total employment within the downtown’s Interstate 405-Interstate 5 loop is down almost 4,300 workers since 2001. Except for accommodations and food service, which have gained 1,566 jobs since 2001, employment in most sectors has declined.

In some cases, it’s shrunk markedly. The number of transportation and warehousing jobs, for example, has fallen from 3,836 in 2001 to 2,762 last year. Finance and insurance, the second-biggest downtown employment sector with 11,730 employees, has lost almost 1,400 jobs since 2001.

Employment in the professional, scientific and technical service fields, the leading sector downtown, dropped by 413 jobs in the last three years, to 14,091.

Randy Miller, a member of the Central Eastside Industrial Council, said the numbers “reflect the city.”

“There’s no question there’s been an impact, part of it because of the tax policies,” he said. “In terms of where we are going, the City Council is being very responsive in addressing tax policy. There is more optimism.”

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