91视频

The sprawling Fred Meyer store at Southeast 82nd Avenue and Foster Road will soon close, potentially opening a significant redevelopment opportunity in the fast-changing neighborhood.

The store will close 鈥渙n or about鈥� Jan. 20, 2018, Fred Meyer spokesman Jeffery Temple stated in an email message.

鈥淭he decision to close this location was based on long-term business performance and forecasts,鈥� he stated.

The store will operate at full capacity through the holiday season, and each employee will be offered a job at another location. A gas station on the site will remain open. Fred Meyer does not plan to close any other local stores or open a replacement store, Temple stated.

The company will market the property, Temple stated.

鈥淔red Meyer will consider community interests and intends to market the store space for best possible use,鈥� he stated.

If it becomes available, the property at 5253 S.E. 82nd Ave. could hold significant development potential. It spans 6.04 acres, and the store itself is 93,864 square feet.

On May 24, 2018, the property will be zoned as commercial mixed-use, with a design overlay. The zoning is 鈥渧ery flexible,鈥� potentially allowing housing, retail or office use, said Marty Stockton, southeast district liaison for the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability.

Maximum heights on the property start at 65 feet and could rise to 120 feet with a master plan, Stockton said.

The property is near Lents and the emerging Jade District 鈥� a concentration of Asian businesses and residents.

City officials have been looking for properties as possible sites of affordable housing. However, the Fred Meyer site wasn’t being tracked by Prosper Portland, spokesman Shawn Uhlman said.

The property warrants some attention, Portland Housing Bureau spokeswoman Martha Calhoon said.

鈥淭hat site I don’t think at this point was on our team’s radar, but it’s definitely an interesting property,鈥� she said.