PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A Portland-themed apparel brand is recommitting to the downtown area by moving its flagship location farther into the heart of Portland.
Portland Gear, founded by University of Oregon alumnus Marcus Harvey, first opened its doors on Southwest 19th Avenue nearly nine years ago. Now, the brand is moving away from its 600-square-foot space near Providence Park and relocating to 403 SW 10th Ave.
Harvey told KOIN 6 he had his eye on the new spot for five years before he was able to seal the deal.
“The move allowed us to get a bigger spot in a better part of town,” Harvey said. “There’s ample things to do for locals, there’s tourists down here. There’s just a lot more people down in this corridor.”
The founder noted that the new store will be just a block away from the world’s largest independent bookstore Powell’s Books, and the Ritz-Carlton, Portland, which is scheduled to open sometime this fall.
The clothing store’s relocation is one of the latest efforts to ‘revitalize’ downtown Portland.
According to Harvey, Portland Gear aims to be a positive presence in the area.
“We are well aware of the issues going on. We live with them every single day, but to us that’s not a reason to deter away from what our mission value is, and it’s to create a product that people can wear and share their love for Portland,” he said.
Harvey and team members will host a grand opening of the new store on Saturday, Oct. 21 starting at 11 a.m. He said the first 200 attendees would win a free hat and a limited-edition comic book for the brand.
In the future, the founder hopes to host athlete autograph signings and collaborations with other brands in the store.
Earlier this year, Portland Gear moved out of its Washington Square Mall pop-up store and into a brick-and-mortar location. The brand is also one of the several businesses coming to the Portland International Airport by the end of 2025.
“This is definitely a vision that I’ve had coming to life,” Harvey said.
