🛍️ Pioneer Place, the next indie mall?

Goodbye Lloyd Center, Hello Pioneer Place

With the Lloyd Center mall closing on Saturday, some are hoping that Pioneer Place will take on its vibe — with lots of independent shops. Former Lloyd tenants making the move include Floating World Comics, the Lego store Brickdiculous, All American Magic Shop & Theater, and the boutique Kathmandu To You. [Oregonian]

• Will it happen? Some have hope: “I was talking to a friend, and they were like, ‘I don’t know, the vibe at Pioneer is so different from Lloyd,'” James Lucas Jones, owner of Brickdiculous, told the Oregonian. “Well, yeah, but the vibe at Lloyd was different before all these folks came in.”
• Lloyd Center’s Aug. 8 closing: You can mark the end of an era with a bike funeral procession for the mall on Saturday (and optional skate afterward). [Bike Summer / Pedalpalooza]
• Other events: On Saturday, there will be a last retro Food Court 5000 mall walk, a Lloydapalooza art market, as well as a last skate by a couple who’ve practiced at the rink for six decades. [Willamette Week]

Notable New Bars

Even as Portland has lost a bunch of new bars, there have been more than a few notable openings. Food and drink reporter Alex Frane says it might not be exactly right to call them lowbrow, but they’re definitely “really looking for this very party and community-oriented vibe.” [City Cast Portland 🎧]

• Eldorado is a “ dancey late-night bar” that’s a lot of fun. [Eater Portland]
• Good Girl nearby was opened by an all-female team. (Tip: Skip the food.)
• Aalto Lounge 2.0 has Filipino bar food and cocktails. [Eater Portland]
• Cliff’s 2.0 has a Friday fish fry special. (Tip: You have to order that in advance.) [Portland Mercury]

Trail Blazers Want Out of a Lease Requirement

Trail Blazers executives appeared before City Council, demanding that the city release it from an existing lease requirement that the team must maintain the stadium as a “first-class” facility — or it could be sued. Mayor Keith Wilson says the city has no plans to sue but won’t agree to the request without a deal in place for the Blazers to stay. [Willamette Week]

A Good Sign for Oregon’s Semiconductor Industry

The tech firm Lam Research has won a property tax break in Washington County to support a $1.5 billion expansion over the next 15 years. The company projects it will bring 445 new high-paying jobs in engineering and research. [Oregonian]