Portland skaters urge city, developers to preserve year-round Lloyd Center rink amid redevelopment plan

A decades-old indoor rink faces an uncertain future

Portland’s ice skating community is organizing to keep a year-round rink at Lloyd Center as owners advance plans to close and demolish the mall for a large-scale redevelopment of the site. Skaters and families say the current proposal would eliminate one of the city’s most accessible indoor ice facilities, replacing it with seasonal outdoor skating at a future date.

The Lloyd Center ice rink has operated in some form since the mall opened in 1960 and is widely recognized as a landmark feature of the property. Over the decades, it has served recreational skaters, figure skaters, hockey players, coaches, and youth programs, and has remained a central draw even as the mall’s tenant mix changed.

What the redevelopment plan includes—and what it does not

Ownership and development partners Urban Renaissance Group and KKR Real Estate Finance Trust have signaled that the mall will permanently close in 2026, though a specific date has not been publicly set. A master plan filed with the City of Portland envisions the transformation of the roughly 27-acre mall and adjacent parcels into a new mixed-use district built in phases.

City materials describing the proposal outline 14 development areas and approximately 7 million gross square feet of allowed development, with building heights reaching up to 225 feet. The plan also includes new streets and publicly accessible open space totaling about 6.18 acres.

As presented to city officials, the master plan does not include a permanent, year-round indoor ice rink. Developers have stated that the existing mall and rink operations are no longer economically sustainable and that their long-term vision includes seasonal outdoor skating.

Community response and demands

A newly formed group, the Save Lloyd Ice Coalition, has begun advocating for preservation of the rink or a binding commitment to build a permanent replacement that is open year-round before any demolition occurs. Supporters say they are not opposing housing or revitalization but are seeking a negotiated outcome that retains an indoor facility accessible to a broad range of users.

Skaters, parents, and coaches planned a public rally at Portland City Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, to urge city leaders to engage with developers and help broker a compromise.

City review timeline and what comes next

The proposal is moving through Portland’s Design Commission via a voluntary Central City Master Plan review. A hearing held Feb. 5, 2026 was continued to March 5, 2026. Under the continued-hearing schedule, deadlines were set for submitting new evidence, responding to evidence, and filing the applicant’s final argument before the record closes and commissioners deliberate.

While the mall’s closure is expected in 2026, the timeline for demolition and full redevelopment remains uncertain. For rink users, the immediate question is whether a year-round replacement can be secured before the existing facility is taken offline.

• Current plan: phased mixed-use redevelopment with new housing, retail, streets, and public open space
• Key point of conflict: no permanent indoor rink included in the submitted master plan
• Next milestone: Design Commission continued hearing on March 5, 2026

As redevelopment proceeds, the debate is narrowing to a practical issue: whether Portland will retain an affordable, centrally located, year-round ice surface—and on what timetable.