Another reason to avoid doing business downtown. I feel sorry for the people whose employers are still down there. They're the easy targets.

"shoppers need more parking spaces"

Well, that part is true since they keep taking out street spaces.

I think the Goodmans and Sclesinger groups own most of the private parking lots, so that'd be my guess is they are leaning on someone like Sam/Randy with some obscure promises.

Plus if they raise the garage rates, then they can bump the street rates again.

I think its a doomed plan to revive retail downtown anyways. Look at how much Wash Sq charges for parking to see the same stores as downtown.

Raising monthly parking rates also serves to further the city's goal of making driving so expensive and arduous that we all just give up and take transit everywhere. Plus, the Portland Business Alliance is providing them with some "pro-business" cover to justify this move. Must have been a no-brainer down at city hall.

Oh this pissed me off. My office is right downtown on Pioneer CH Square. I employ 30 people. They all shop on their lunch break and buy food downtown. Most commute on MAX - I cannot - I'm way out in Hillsboro, there are no express trains, usually the ticket machines are broken and it is frankly, not safe. So I park, along with about 5 others on my staff, at 10th and Yamhill Smart Park. I agree, this is about the Goodmans and their monopoly, nothing more, and about promises that the City made to Target to get them into the old Galleria building. Who do I call?

You've just joined the ever growing list of people who've been pissed on by CoP. You have plenty of company.

There are stores downtown ?

Karma here?

Yeah, saw all that smoke from my office window. We thought it was the Hilton. Smoke and smell was really thick for a while.

Jack: Karma, or a convenient fire that amazingly lights one under Sam's ass, making him tell everyone that this deal HAS to happen or else?

So let's see....raise your hand if you plan to commute from the suburbs with an ABUNDANCE of Target stores in every community, into downtown so you can shop at that Target store. No hands?? Big. Surprise. There...

Yes, let's limit the number of monthly parkers by raising rates making it more un-affordable than it already is for those of us who MUST drive into the city. That way you can be assured of a near empty garage to accomodate this HUGE INFLUX of downtown shoppers who need those spaces. Cut off your nose to spite your face?? I think so. I park at 10th & Yamhill, currently there are always spaces available, I have a hard time believing that parking will become such a premium once Target goes in that this is the best solution they could come up with!

As my daughter said, "Discourage commuters”? Really Mayor Adams? The same commuters who work down here every day and pour money into this city by buying food and/or shopping on their lunch hours. Are those the people you speak of? We are what keep this city thriving, not the “encouraged shoppers” you’re trying to entice to the area.

Man ain’t playin’ with a full deck of cards I think. ;)

Biz Journal: "A Portland firefighter on the scene said the blaze likely started in a duct."

Me: Are you sure it wasn't started in a gland?

Raising monthly parking rates also serves to further the city's goal of making driving so expensive and arduous that we all just give up and take transit everywhere.

Problem is they've been building so much expensive rail transit and cutting useful bus service that that won't be much of an option anymore.