Eastport Plaza

Eastport Plaza is a shopping center in Portland, Oregon, United States. The property began as an enclosed regional shopping mall during the postwar expansion of automobile-oriented retail in the Pacific Northwest. Construction started on October 20, 1959, under the direction of Anderson–Westfall Construction Company, and the center opened on October 27, 1960. Its development was described as one of the largest construction projects in the Pacific Northwest at the time, reflecting the growing importance of suburban and neighborhood shopping centers to Portland-area consumers. During its enclosed-mall era, Eastport Plaza hosted a broad mix of department stores, discount retailers, grocery operations, specialty merchants, music retail, and entertainment. Historical anchor and major tenants included J. C. Penney, Mervyn's, Newberry's, Albertsons, Tower Records, Walmart, and G.I. Joe's. Lipman's operated at the center before its space was taken over by Mervyn's. The tenant mix gave Eastport Plaza a role as a general-purpose shopping destination serving nearby residential communities in southeast Portland. The property faced increasing competitive pressure in the 1980s and 1990s. Mervyn's moved to Clackamas Promenade in 1988, and the newer, larger suburban mall environment to the south on 82nd Avenue drew retailers and customers away from Eastport Plaza. By the 1990s, the original enclosed mall was widely characterized as a declining or largely inactive shopping property. Rather than preserve the enclosed structure, the owners demolished it in 1996 and replaced it with the present open-air shopping plaza format. The redevelopment changed Eastport Plaza from a traditional enclosed mall into a more flexible center organized around separately accessible stores and services. Its current identity is associated particularly with Century 16 Theatres and LA Fitness, which serve as major destination tenants. The open-air configuration also supports a varied collection of retail and service businesses, although the tenant roster may change over time. In December 2024, Eastport Plaza was sold to the Hong Phat group. The transaction marked a change in ownership for a property whose history spans the classic enclosed-shopping-center era, the decline of many older malls, and the continuing adaptation of retail real estate toward open-air, service-oriented, and entertainment-led formats. Eastport Plaza remains an operating shopping center, but publicly available reference material does not establish a complete current tenant directory, detailed ownership structure, or a comprehensive account of later redevelopment plans.

Eastport Plaza was conceived during the expansion of large-scale retail development in the Pacific Northwest after World War II. Construction began on October 20, 1959, with Anderson–Westfall Construction Company carrying out the work. The project was considered unusually substantial for the region and reportedly represented an investment of approximately $5 million at the time. The enclosed shopping mall opened on October 27, 1960. In its original form, Eastport Plaza operated as a conventional enclosed shopping center with department-store and high-volume retail anchors. Over the following decades, its tenant base included J. C. Penney, Lipman's, Mervyn's, Newberry's, Albertsons, Tower Records, Walmart, and G.I. Joe's. Mervyn's later replaced Lipman's as one of the center's principal department-store occupants. This combination of department stores, grocery retail, general merchandise, specialty shopping, and entertainment made Eastport Plaza an important retail destination for surrounding Portland neighborhoods. The center's competitive position weakened as newer suburban retail developments expanded elsewhere in the metropolitan area. Mervyn's relocated to Clackamas Promenade in 1988, contributing to a broader movement of retailers and shoppers toward the newer and larger mall environment south of Eastport Plaza on 82nd Avenue. During the 1990s, the property increasingly resembled a declining enclosed mall, with reduced commercial activity and fewer of the destination tenants that had supported its earlier prominence. In 1996, the enclosed structure was demolished. It was replaced by the current open-air shopping plaza, a format that allowed individual buildings and storefronts to be leased more flexibly and reduced dependence on a single enclosed-mall configuration. The redevelopment represents the property's main physical and strategic turning point: Eastport Plaza moved from a traditional regional enclosed mall to a more accessible center organized around individual retailers, services, entertainment, and fitness uses. The present plaza is anchored by Century 16 Theatres and LA Fitness. These tenants provide destination functions that complement ordinary retail and service businesses and help maintain activity beyond conventional shopping hours. Because shopping-center tenants can change frequently, the available reference material does not provide a definitive current tenant list. In December 2024, ownership transferred to the Hong Phat group. No reliable public information in the supplied materials identifies the acquisition price, the complete corporate structure of the buyer, or a detailed redevelopment program following the sale. Eastport Plaza's documented history nevertheless illustrates the evolution of American retail property from enclosed department-store malls toward open-air centers that combine shopping with entertainment, services, and fitness.

• 2024

  Sale to Hong Phat group

  [1]Eastport Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  Eastport Plaza is sold to the Hong Phat group in December.

• 1996

  Enclosed structure is demolished

  [1]Eastport Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  The former enclosed mall is demolished and replaced by the current open-air shopping plaza.

• 1988

  Mervyn's relocates

  [1]Eastport Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  Mervyn's moves from Eastport Plaza to Clackamas Promenade, part of the shift of retail activity toward a newer suburban mall environment.

• 1960

  Original enclosed mall opens

  [1]Eastport Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  Eastport Plaza opens on October 27 as an enclosed shopping mall in Portland, Oregon.

• 1959

  Construction begins

  [1]Eastport Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  Construction of the original enclosed Eastport Plaza begins on October 20 under Anderson–Westfall Construction Company.

A community-oriented open-air shopping center combining everyday retail and services with destination entertainment and fitness uses.

• Shopping center · 1996

  Eastport Plaza shopping center

  The core offering is a Portland open-air shopping center providing leasable storefronts for retail, food, entertainment, fitness, and service businesses. The current format replaced the original enclosed mall after its demolition in 1996 and is designed around separately accessible tenant spaces rather than a single enclosed circulation system.

• Cinema and entertainment

  Century 16 Theatres

  Century 16 Theatres is one of Eastport Plaza's principal destination tenants. Its cinema function provides entertainment-driven foot traffic and gives the center an offering that extends beyond everyday retail and services.

• Fitness and wellness

  LA Fitness

  LA Fitness is a major fitness and wellness tenant at the plaza. As a membership-based destination, it contributes recurring visits and broadens Eastport Plaza's role from a shopping-only property to a mixed retail, service, and activity center.

• 2024

  Sale to Hong Phat groupM&A

  Background

  After decades of operation under prior ownership, Eastport Plaza changed hands in December 2024.

  Action taken

  The shopping center was sold to the Hong Phat group.

  Aftermath

  The sale established Hong Phat group as the reported owner. The supplied sources do not specify the purchase price or subsequent operating strategy.

  Source

• 1996

  Replacement of enclosed mall with an open-air plazaStrategy

  Background

  The enclosed center had suffered from declining activity and competition after retailers and customers shifted toward newer, larger suburban shopping destinations.

  Action taken

  The original enclosed structure was demolished and replaced with the open-air shopping plaza that operates today.

  Aftermath

  The property adopted a more flexible open-air format and later operated with destination tenants including Century 16 Theatres and LA Fitness.

  Source

1. 1Eastport Plazaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Eastport Plaza official websiteeastportplaza.com