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Two appeals of the Portland Design Commission‘s approval of a master plan for redevelopment of Lloyd Center were initially denied by the Portland City Council on Wednesday; the final vote is scheduled for later this month.

The appeals argued for preserving the Lloyd Center indoor ice rink and the entire mall. The two appellants include the Save Lloyd Ice Coalition and Jennifer Gilmore-Robinson for the ice rink and the Save Lloyd campaign/Matthew Henderson for the mall.

The Design Commission approved the master plan in March. The land use review included a voluntary Central City Master Plan for future redevelopment of the 27.1-acre site, which includes the mall.

The city council heard testimony during two hearings in June and received written testimony. Many of the comments expressed support for preserving the ice rink and mall.

鈥淚f the ice rink cannot be preserved in Urban Renaissance Group‘s master plan, it’s important that the city of Portland commit to a permanent, year-round replacement ice skating rink that is affordable and accessible to all residents,鈥� the Hillsdale Neighborhood Association stated in its written testimony.

鈥淚 support thoughtful redevelopment of the Lloyd Center site, but redevelopment should not come at the expense of an irreplaceable community resource,鈥� Portland resident Stacey Moy stated in written testimony. 鈥淚f developers wish to move forward with their plans, they should be required to include a binding commitment to preserve, replace, or relocate the year-round ice rink within the development area before approvals are granted.鈥�

If the appeals were granted, there would be no Central City Master Plan criteria required for the site. That would include open space, which currently amounts to about 6 acres, according to Urban Renaissance Group. The team would also still be able to proceed with demolition because it is a separate decision process, a city staff report states. The mall is scheduled to close on Aug. 8.

鈥淚 have listened closely to the hours of public testimony and felt the deep love this community holds for the Lloyd Center, especially the iconic ice rink that has anchored generations of family memories, first dates, and community gatherings,鈥� Councilor Loretta Smith said. 鈥淧lease know that my vote to approve the Central City Master Plan is not to dismantle that rich history, nor is it a validation of losing something that we all love. It is instead a difficult but necessary step toward securing a viable future to Northeast Portland.鈥�

Smith also said that the council cannot vote to require an ice rink be included in redevelopment of the site.

The council voted no on the appeals, with a formal final vote slated for July 29.

The city council’s decision could be appealed to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals. An appeal would need to be submitted to LUBA within 21 days after the city council’s decision, according to the city.