Just Move It! Nike Closes Iconic Portland Store Due to Crime, Theft; Report

According to a report from The Post Millennial, Nike’s historic Portland location is closing its doors due to rampant crime and theft in the area.

From PM:

In February, Nike went to great lengths to try to salvage its MLK Community Store and sent a letter to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and city officials asking for more police presence to combat ongoing retail theft. The company was open to creating an “intergovernmental agreement” with the city of Portland to directly fund full-time police officers who would be selected to police the store or would pay off-duty Portland Police Bureau officers as contracted security.

That request was denied by the city due to the police department’s detrimental staffing crisis, and now the famous staple is yet another store that has succumbed to the crime-ridden city.

The Soul District Business Association confirmed the location was closing on Friday, calling it “a major economic blow,” according to Willamette Week.

“This news has landed like a lead balloon in our district,” said John Washington, the SDBA’s executive director, according to Fox News. “We had all been holding our breath since last November when the store quietly shuttered its doors due to internal and external theft and safety issues. But, like so many of us riding out the fallout of the pandemic and protests, we held out hope that Nike, city officials and community leaders would recalibrate and realign order. But it looks like it’s game over.”

The Nike store location had been open since 1984; they released the following statement.

“Nike’s commitment to supporting and uplifting Portland’s North and Northeast community is unwavering. We are reimagining Nike’s retail space, permanently closing our current location at 2650 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and considering future locations as part of this community’s long-term revitalization plan,” the company said.

Nike’s iconic store in #Portland has closed for good due to theft & public safety issues. The store asked Mayor Wheeler if it could pay for police to be security but the request was denied due to police staffing issues stemming from the #BLM–#Antifa riots.https://t.co/PsIConappH

— Andy Ngô 🏳️‍🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) September 10, 2023