Portland Design Commission unanimously approves Lloyd Center master plan, clearing path for demolition and district redevelopment

A pivotal vote for a 27-acre site in the Lloyd District

The Portland Design Commission has unanimously approved a voluntary Central City Master Plan for the Lloyd Center property, a decision that establishes a framework for replacing the enclosed mall with a new, street-connected mixed-use neighborhood. The approval follows a public hearing process that began on February 5, 2026, and concluded at a continued, closed-record hearing on March 5, 2026.

The master plan area covers roughly 27.1 acres at 2201 NE Lloyd Center and includes the current mall site along with the adjacent Regal Cinemas lot. The plan divides the property into 14 development areas and lays out building envelopes that allow heights up to 225 feet, alongside a new internal network of streets, paths, and open spaces intended to reconnect the site to the surrounding street grid.

What the approved framework allows

The city’s Central City Master Plan review is designed to set an urban design strategy for large redevelopment sites, enabling later project reviews to focus more narrowly on the design details of individual buildings. In this case, the approved framework anticipates approximately 7.0 million gross square feet of allowed development across the redevelopment areas, to be built in phases over time.

• Fourteen development areas organized around new public rights-of-way and internal circulation.
• Building envelopes allowing heights up to 225 feet.
• Approximately 6.18 acres of publicly accessible open spaces and new public rights-of-way.
• A pedestrian-oriented promenade along NE 12th Avenue with specified clear-path standards.

Demolition remains a separate question from this land-use approval

The master plan decision does not, by itself, function as a demolition permit, nor does it require demolition to proceed on a particular schedule. City review materials also note that, because the mall is not a designated historic resource, demolition permits for Lloyd Center and related structures can be applied for regardless of the outcome of the voluntary master plan review.

City review materials state that demolition permits may be applied for at any time and that the master plan criteria do not require weighing demolition versus building reuse.

Public access and transportation conditions shape what comes next

While the approval establishes an overall development concept, it also carries conditions intended to preserve public access and ensure functional connections as the site redevelops. City review documents describe requirements for public access easements over proposed open spaces and passageways, with oversight involving Portland Parks and Recreation. Transportation-related requirements addressed in the review include standards for clear pedestrian paths through designated open spaces and connections that align with crossings on surrounding streets.

The approval follows extensive public engagement around the future of the site, including debate over whether signature elements associated with the mall’s history should remain. With the master plan now approved, subsequent phases will move through additional permitting and design review steps as individual projects are proposed within the newly established framework.