Portland Metro Chamber

Join the Oregon Symphony for a special program featuring music by Copland, Still, and Portland composer Gabriel Kahane. The program includes Copland’s Lincoln Portrait, narrated by Earl Blumenauer, along with Kahane’s new work and Still’s Symphony No. 4, “Autochthonous.”

Salem: Friday, Oct. 23 at 7:30 PM
Portland: Saturday, Oct. 24 at 7:30 PM or Sunday, Oct. 25 at 2 PM

Elected officials and their staff can receive 25% off with code PUBLICSERVICE.

Learn more and get tickets: https://www.orsymphony.org/productions/2627/kahane-still-and-copland

If you have the feeling the Oregon economy is not doing particularly well, there is plenty of data to support it, as The Bulletin noted in an Aug. 27 editorial. Oregon has enormous potential, but the numbers show we are losing economic momentum.

In 2025, Oregon’s economy grew just 1%, employment fell 0.5%, and our per-capita personal income remained stuck at roughly 96% of the national average.

At the same time, Oregon’s national competitiveness rankings have continued to fall.

The 2027–28 Oregon Competitiveness Agenda identifies four priorities to get us back on track:
1. Economic and business development
2. Affordability
3. Regulatory reform
4. Sustainable, competitive tax and budget policies

The challenge now is turning recognition into action. Read Oregon Business & Industry's full agenda and see the proposals for yourself: https://oregonbusinessindustry.com/obiagenda/

Big news! Downtown Portland Clean & Safe's 2026 Summer Downtown Foot Traffic Report is here. Downtown Portland just hit 3 million visits per month this summer for the first time since 2020. Marking five years in a row of consistent growth.

Swipe through for key takeaways, and read the full report at DowntownPortland.org

Progress is being made on Portland's vacant storefronts and commercial spaces.

The City Council's decision not to pursue a tax on vacant properties is an important step in the right direction, but there is still a lot of work to do.

Getting people and businesses into buildings is a core priority for the Portland Metro Chamber Public Affairs Collaborative. We recently convened 40 real estate professionals to discuss Portland's vacancy challenges and identify potential solutions.

It is clear that the main drivers of Portland's commercial vacancy are:
- Weak demand
- Excess supply
- High costs of improvements
- Lack of flexibility in use
- Delays in permitting and entitlements

We agree with Councilors that a tax or fee on vacant properties is the wrong tool, and we appreciate their decision not to pursue one. The focus now should be on practical solutions that address the barriers to filling vacant commercial spaces.

We've invited Councilors to join us in that effort. This is an opportunity to build on the progress already being made and work together to get more people and businesses into Portland's storefronts and commercial buildings.

Join us on Tuesday, October 13 for a high-profile candidate forum featuring all three candidates for Multnomah County Chair. The conversation will give each candidate the opportunity to make their case, outline their priorities, and share their approach to leadership and governing.

Multnomah County is one of our region’s largest and most consequential public institutions, responsible for services that shape daily life across our community. The County Chair is widely regarded as one of the most powerful elected positions in the Portland region. This forum offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from the candidates, understand the choices before them, and learn how each would approach the challenges and opportunities facing the County.

Register today: https://bit.ly/3Vd1oVe

Our Chamber member, Lavoratti 1938, celebrated their grand opening in Downtown Portland with a ribbon cutting this week!

An Italian-based chocolate shop, their Portland store marks the location of their very first U.S. location. Shop truffles, bonbons, spreads, bars, and more at this delicious and beautiful location, just one block from Pioneer Courthouse Square at 621 SW Broadway.

Learn more about their business at https://lavoratti.it/en/

Join us on Tuesday, September 29 for a glamorous networking event in Portland's Goose Hollow neighborhood!

This month's EPOP: Last Tuesday event will be held at the Hotel deLuxe, a gleaming and historic hotel full of old Hollywood-style decadence. Come meet other Portland-area professionals, expand your network, and hear from two featured nonprofits!

Register now: https://bit.ly/4y69OMA

Our Chamber member, The Emerson School, recently celebrated the grand opening of their new outdoor play yard! The play yard was co-designed by the Emerson School and Puddletown Playworks, with the help and creativity of Emerson students!

The Emerson School is a K-5 charter school located in the heart of Portland, at 1800 SW 1st Avenue. At Emerson, learning happens through a hands-on, project-based approach that encourages collaboration and nurtures confidence, capable learners.

Learn more about the Emerson School: https://bit.ly/4xtvC3M

A proposal to create a fee or tax on vacant retail spaces and apartments in Portland has been dropped for the time being.

A recent study commissioned by city councilors found that imposing a tax on property owners would be "legally complicated and unlikely to address the root cause of why these spaces are empty."

The study also clarified that Portland landlords are not holding spaces open in hopes of landing higher rents, nor would a fee create stable or meaningful revenue for the city.

To learn more, read the Portland Business Journal article: https://bit.ly/4Ae4I2w

Reminder for Portland residents, commuters, and Portland Staycation-goers: Southbound I-5 through Portland's Rose Quarter will close for a planned five-week repair project beginning today! The closure will be in place 24 hours/day, 5 days/week.

For more information, read The Oregonian's article: https://bit.ly/4r1QT32