💸 The Pearl District’s controversial shelter is closing

Pearl District Shelter To Close

Mayor Keith Wilson faced fierce opposition when he opened a 200-bed overnight shelter in the Pearl District on Northwest Northrup Street last year. Now he’s opting to close it as he proposes to cut 30% from the city’s shelter budget — amid a larger financial crunch. [City Cast Portland 🎧]

• Related: Owners of a neighboring building filed suit last month against the city and Salvation Army, saying that the shelter had impacted their property values. It is one of eight overnight shelters the city currently operates. The 96-bed Centennial Neighborhood Shelter is also slated to close — after fiscal problems at the nonprofit Sunstone Way. [Oregonian]

$370K Tariff Refunds for a Single Portland Business?

Portland Coffee Roasters, a relatively small operation with four coffee shops as well as a wholesale business, is seeking a $370,000 refund on the tariffs it paid in 2025. Businesses are eligible for a refund after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned President Trump’s tariffs from last year. “For a small mom-and-pop company like we are, it was a lot of money,” says co-owner Mark Stell. [Oregonian]

• Related: Local businesses were hit hard by tariffs last year. But some say they can’t even seek a refund, because they didn’t directly import the products. [Oregonian]

A Gay Bar Reopening

Downtown’s Harvey Milk Street, named in 2009 for the slain gay rights leader, was once home to as many as eight gay bars. But over time the historic “Gayborhood” lost these staples of local night life — Scandals was the last to move away in 2025. But now a new owner has plans to reopen the Scandals space in June as a new gay bar called Camp. [KGW]

You can find this mural on the back of Music Millennium, which is located at 3158 E. Burnside.

“I buy a lot of records and CDs there,” writes reader David Castillo, who notes that the “mural depicts many iconic musicians throughout the years.”

Reader Amy F. adds that the location “used to be a Piggly Wiggly.” That was a while back.

“Music Millenium has been serving music fans in the Portland area since 1969,” writes reader Heidi F. In fact, it’s the oldest music shop in the Pacific Northwest.

“I used to work there,” writes reader Abel. “A legendary Portland record store.”

“Best record store around,” writes reader Dan F.

A shoutout to all those readers as well as readers Ashley, Keith Johnson, and Robert Emmett Long Jr., who all named the location.

Music Millennium was recently in the news, when the shop canceled a release party for an album made by AI. The longtime owner is also looking to sell the shop to a fellow music lover.

This week’s scavenger hunt is from reader Sandra W.:

Do you know this mural?

Please click here to submit the location — and, for unofficial bonus points, anything you know about it.

If you’re new to the newsletter, there’s a scavenger hunt every Friday. In next week’s newsletter, I’ll reveal the answer and shout out the first 10 readers who respond correctly.

📸 Want to submit a photo? Please email me a snapshot of somewhere in the Portland metro area, and we’ll consider it for an upcoming “Where Is It?” segment!