Introduction
Lloyd center is a shopping mall and an entertainment hub located in the Lloyd District of Portland, Oregon, United States. The mall belongs to Glimcher Realty Trust, a firm that focuses on the development and running of shopping centers and malls, and supported by Macy’s, Nordstrom, Marshall’s and JCPenny.
The mall is made up of three floors used for shopping, though the third floor mainly houses offices, a food court, an educational center, and an indoor cinema hall. The mall also houses the Lloyd Center Ice Rink, frequently used by young children to skate (Lloyd Center Ice Rink, para. 3).
A Historical Perspective
Plans for developing Lloyd Center came up as early as 1923. It was named after a Californian oil company director, Ralph B. Lloyd, who died in 1953 aged 78 years, and who desired to put up an area of self-sufficiency that comprised stores and residential areas. However, construction work only begun in 1960, due to key events such as the 2nd world War and the Great Depression.
Lloyd Center opened August 1, 1960, consisting of 100 stores in open-air style. At the time of its opening, the mall was the largest of its kind in the Pacific Northwest and alleged to be the largest in the United States and world. However, this was not true as the Lakewood Center in California, among others, was bigger than Lloyd Mall. It targeted commuters using Portland’s then developing freeway system, in particular the nearby Banfield Expressway. The mall was built in a place that was originally inhabited by African Americans.
Significance
Lloyd Mall is well linked to the TriMet, the transit system frequently used by the locals. Passenger vehicles park outside while the MAX rail is just a few meters away (Ashforth, para. 3). Due to the number of people that visit it, the mall has played a vital role in the struggle for the freedom of speech in the US, in particular with relation to the extent of free speech within the shopping precincts. The mall was the first defendant in the renowned cases of Lloyd Corp v. Tanner , a judgment of the Unites States Supreme Court that pitted First Amendment rights and personal property, and Loyd v. Wiffen, a judgment of the Oregon Supreme Court.
The Lloyd Corp v. Tanner pitted the mall against Donald Tammer, a Vietnam War activist who was giving out anti-war leaflets inside the mall. Donald and his colleagues were then informed that they should stop their act else be liable for arrest, they left the mall and filed suit against Lloyd Corporation that their freedom of speech had been breached. The courts ruled in their favor (The Oyez Project, para. 1).
The Lloyd center brings together residents from all over Lloyd district, and with many things to be seen and done. It is an activity and leisure center for the whole of Portland, staging shows and sporting activities at the Rose Quarter.
Besides, the mall houses a number of shops and services, there are several offices on the third floor of the mall, these include the World Forestry Center Museum, Portland Children’s Museum, Oregon Historical Society, Oregon Zoo, and Portland center for Performing Arts (Lloyd Center, para. 2-6). Besides, the center hosts the Chinese Garden, constructed to nurture and inspire visitors to the center.
Works Cited
Ashforth. About the Lloyd District. 2009. Web.
Lloyd center Ice Rink. Portland’s Ice Skating Tradition. 2010. Web. https://www.lloydice.com/
Lloyd Center. Tourism. (N. d.). Web. https://www.lloydcenter.com/
The Oyez Project. Lloyd Corp v. Tanner. (No date). Web. https://www.oyez.org/cases/1971/71-492