Did you hear?… REI to move Portland store from Jantzen Beach to the Pearl District

REI is moving its Portland store from Jantzen Beach to the Pearl District (the trendy district where Patagonia just settled in). The 35,500-square-foot store will occupy the first two floors of a new seven-story, mixed-use building, with residential lofts above. The building is being developed by John Carroll, with Carroll Aspen LLC — a friend of SNEWS® founder Bob Woodward and rumored to have once been just another poor Bend paddling/running/skier. In addition to parking provided within the building, the site is also served by public transportation — including the city’s new streetcar, strengthening the connections to downtown Portland and Portland State University. Though not considered a flagship store, the Pearl location, slated to open in the spring of 2004, will have many flagship amenities, including a freestanding climbing pinnacle behind a two-story glass façade. The Jantzen Beach store first opened in 1976 and was, at the time, REI’s third store. A second Portland-area store, the Tualatin REI, is located at 7410 SW Bridgeport Road and will remain open.