Green Zebra Grocery’s second store coming to a protected bike lane in the Lloyd District

GZG Mockup

Rendering of new Green Zebra Grocery on NE Multnomah.

Green Zebra Grocery, the company we’ve heralded as having the best bike parking in Portland, just announced the location of their long-awaited second store: It’s coming to the Lloyd District as the anchor tenant in the new Hassalo on Eighth development.

A rendering of the new 8,203 square-foot store shows that it will face directly onto NE Multnomah Street (between 7th and 9th), which just so happens to be home of Portland’s best protected bike lane. That fact, combined with Green Zebra’s stellar level of respect for bicycling customers in general, has led the company’s founder and CEO Lisa Sedlar to estimate that half of the store’s customers will show up by bike, on foot, or via public transportation.

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Green Zebra isn’t your typical grocery store. Think of a healthier version of the ubiquitous corner convenience store or mini-mart. Sedlar told us back in September 2013 before opening her first store that, “The model itself is built on the idea of a 20-minute neighborhood, so all your goods and services are built to be available within a 20-minute walk or bike.”

The announcement of a Lloyd District location comes amid a flurry of new development in the area. The redesign of NE Multnomah from auto-dominated thoroughfare to a calmer, more balanced street with a protected area for cycling has influenced a major redesign of the Lloyd Center Mall and has also become a selling point for the Hassalo on Eighth development. That development includes three separate buildings with over 650 apartments and the largest bike parking facility in North America with 1,200 spaces.

The new store is scheduled to open in early 2016.

— Stay tuned for more coverage later today when we wrap up The District, our in-depth three-part series about the past, present and future of the Lloyd District and what it means for how we get around.

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car owner and driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, feel free to contact me at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter.

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Dan
Dan
8 years ago

Sweet! Looks like a good place to pick up lunch.

Kiel Johnson / Go By Bike
kiel johnson
8 years ago

this is great news! i hope they come to wouth waterfront next! we have two bike and pedestrian bridges and while AAT keeps talking a good game on bike parking we still have them beat for now! 🙂

maccoinnich
8 years ago

On the one hand it’s a shame that the development couldn’t get a grocer to fill the entire 26,000 sq ft space; but on the other hand I’m glad to see a smaller format grocer expanding. There’s a huge missing category in the US between the convenience stores and full service grocery stores that take up tens of thousands of sq ft. I would love to see Green Zebra (or anyone else) expand to denser areas of the city where there are no large grocery stores within easy walking distance. Downtown near Pioneer Courthouse Square and South Waterfront are two areas where I think they could do a killing in sales.

Anne Hawley
Anne Hawley
8 years ago

Awesome! I don’t commute anymore, but for those who do go between Sabin/Irvington and downtown, this is going to be a handy place to pick up the proverbial bread and milk on the way home.

It’ll be exciting to see how many other ways the Hassalo on Eighth development and the active transportation community will build off each other’s energy to bring real change in citywide thinking and planning.

Kiel Johnson / Go By Bike
kiel johnson
8 years ago

hopefully Green Zebra will be a strong advocate for expanding the lloyd districts successful history of building great bike infastructure to NE 9th (which currently has no bike lanes and signs telling pedestrians not to cross)

Craig Harlow
Craig Harlow
8 years ago
Reply to  kiel johnson

Hear hear. And not only for bikes but for people on foot as well.

The addition of the Lloyd Blocks has now rendered *both* sides of NE 9th ave dead between Multnomah and Holladay. The developers requested an exception to the city code for minimum “Ground Floor Active Uses, 33.510.225” and “Ground Floor Windows, 33.130.230” for the ground floor of a development, and the result is likely to see drug activity that’s being displaced from Holladay Park over to the newly formed dead zone.

http://efiles.portlandoregon.gov/webdrawer.dll/webdrawer/rec/5718584/view/

Because the city was previously willing to remove a traffic lane along this block in order to add angled auto parking, I had suggested to BDS and this project that they instead repurpose that lane to extend the sidewalk out and create a pedestrian plaza in order to activate this space. They’ve just finished pouring the new concrete and repaving that unneeded traffic lane, so I guess they didn’t think that a pedestrian plaza was such a good idea.

davemess
davemess
8 years ago

So the Division store isn’t happening now (much like the Woodstock store)? I don’t get this company. Stop hyping future stores that very early in the planning phase!

Dick Pilz
Dick Pilz
8 years ago
Reply to  davemess

The Woodstock store was announced before New Seasons decided to build there. Green Zebra can compete across the street from Safeway, but not next door to NS.

The Division store is still in the works. I live just a 5 block walk away and am looking forward to it.

gutterbunnybikes
8 years ago
Reply to  Dick Pilz

Yeah, been in the works now for a 1 1/2 – 2 years….I was excited…but that is fading quickly. Living on the other side of the South Tabor neighborhood I’m now much more excited about Winco moving into the old Food-4-Less on 82nd and Powell – and since they’ve actually started remodeling that space, Winco will open before the Zebra.

davemess
davemess
8 years ago
Reply to  Dick Pilz

Point, being don’t make announcements and then 2-3 years later not have a store. Or in Woodstock’s case, don’t announce and then a year later pull the plug (and that was probably a year before New Seasons announcement).
They just seem to be putting the cart WAY before the horse.

ethan
ethan
8 years ago

Multnomah is a protected bike lane? Could have fooled me with those dangerous mixing zones and bus stops.

We need a real redesign of Multnomah that incorporates aspects of the transit mall (the #8 bus is terribly slow through here) and REAL protected bike lanes that are protected all the way through the intersection.

Adam Herstein
Adam Herstein
8 years ago

Thanks. I live right by that area and have been waiting on their store to open for a while!

Bryan Hance (The Bike Index)
8 years ago
Reply to  Adam Herstein

Since there’s a 120 unit building springing up across the street you’d think they’d be all over that 50th/Division location

Adam H.
Adam H.
8 years ago
Reply to  bhance

I’m hoping that’s the plan. There are Green Zebra posters all over the windows.

davemess
davemess
8 years ago
Reply to  Adam H.

It’s been like that for over 2 years, I wouldn’t get your hopes up yet.

gutterbunnybikes
8 years ago
Reply to  bhance

Yeah, but they’re now they are also out the 1000 hungry high school students who are practically across the street for the next two years.

davemess
davemess
8 years ago
Reply to  bhance

That’s what’s going in there? OH boy.

Captain Karma
8 years ago

Need a real grocery store like WINCO. Eating out of an upscale convenience store is not a sustainable practice for my wallet.

nuovorecord
nuovorecord
8 years ago
Reply to  Captain Karma

No way does a Winco-scale store fit into this neighborhood. Too big.

Spiffy
Spiffy
8 years ago
Reply to  Captain Karma

they don’t want poor people coming to the central city unless you’re cooking or cleaning for them…

soren
soren
8 years ago
Reply to  Captain Karma

hear, hear! i hate shopping at anti-union stores like green zebra, new seasons, whole foods, and fred meyer. an employee-owned store like winco would be a breath of fresh air.

John Liu
John Liu
8 years ago
Reply to  Captain Karma

If a Hassalo/8th resident wants a large traditional grocer, there is a large Safeway just the other side of Lloyd Center. Maybe 5 blocks walk. it is a nice store, I shop there sometimes.

Mao
Mao
8 years ago
Reply to  Captain Karma

I live near the current Green Zebra, pretty much everything is out of the reasonable price range. While those in a higher income bracket will be able to enjoy the pricy goods, I wouldn’t be surprised if half the reason it’s still around is just because it’s the only place on Lombard in the area to get coffee other than black with cream and sugar.

Josh G
Josh G
8 years ago

I see the planned reflecting pool as another big bike/ped draw.. 1 block South, as Phase 2, on Oregon St.
http://www.nextportland.com/2015/04/07/oregon-square-update/
http://www.nextportland.com/2015/07/01/design-review-scheduled-for-oregon-square/

maccoinnich
8 years ago
Reply to  Josh G

Here’s the most recent set of renderings / drawings:

http://www.nextportland.com/2015/08/14/design-commission-reviews-oregon-square/

Oregon Square is going to be awesome.

ethan
ethan
8 years ago
Reply to  maccoinnich

It will most likely be pretty awesome. However, I don’t see anything indicating that there will be good pedestrian access along NE Pacific street. Currently, crossing the street from the Liberty Centre to Oregon Square is sometimes frustrating, due to the lack of curb cutouts and people driving not realizing that this is actually a crosswalk and that they have to stop for people crossing the street.

Also, the design commission hasn’t fully approved it yet, so it could change. One interesting thing about this development is that the internal square will be much larger than any other square I can think of in the city. At 300′ X 300′, it is exactly the largest it can be without feeling too big to people on the ground. These architects are pushing the bounds in some areas and I mostly like that, especially given their track record, but some of the buildings look too sterile, IMO.

Spiffy
Spiffy
8 years ago
Reply to  Josh G

I hope we can bike through the pool in the summer…

ethan
ethan
8 years ago
Reply to  Spiffy

fatbikes float 😀

Adam Herstein
Adam Herstein
8 years ago

“Portland’s best protected bike lane”? It’s missing bollards everywhere and people are constantly parking in it. That and those terrible “mixing zones” at every intersection. Moody is far better-designed. NE Multmonah is in dire need of an upgrade with concrete and protected intersections.

maccoinnich
8 years ago
Reply to  Adam Herstein

I like the mixing zones, and prefer them to having drivers turning across the bike lane. The other option would be bike only signals, with separate phases for bikes going straight and cars turning. That would however increase journey times for everyone.

I do think it should be reworked to include floating bus stops and some more pleasant landscaping.

Adam H.
Adam H.
8 years ago
Reply to  maccoinnich

Using decreased journey times as a goal is how we ended up with dangerous streets in the first place. Under no circumstance should a quicker trip take priority over safety.

maccoinnich
8 years ago
Reply to  Adam H.

But quicker is better is the safety level is the same. I haven’t seen any evidence that mixing zones are inherently more dangerous than the alternatives. They could even be safer than bike only signals that are widely ignored.

ethan
ethan
8 years ago
Reply to  maccoinnich

The other option is to remove the ability to turn right off of Multnomah for people driving. If they want to turn so bad, they can use Halsey.

Spiffy
Spiffy
8 years ago
Reply to  Adam Herstein

yeah, I’m getting tired of the abuse of the phrase “protected bike lane” since Portland doesn’t have one… we have some separated bike lanes with a few things protecting them periodically…

planters every 50 feet aren’t protection… empty parking spaces aren’t protection… a 6″ curb is not protection…

Gary
Gary
8 years ago
Reply to  Adam Herstein

Moody as better was my first reaction, but I’m guessing he means that Moody is a cycle track (even better), not a protected bike lane like Mult.

Tyler
8 years ago
Reply to  Adam Herstein

Yeah, I call it “imitation dutch flavoring”

Christi U
Christi U
8 years ago

I don’t understand why so many in the biking community are thrilled with Hassalo8th. It’s just another pricey apt complex, out of reach for hourly workers, anyone on a fixed income… They even expect renters to pay for water/trash/sewer even after charging a minimum of 1200 for a tiny studio.

nuovorecord
nuovorecord
8 years ago
Reply to  Christi U

I think it’s because the idea is that Hassalo/8th is but the first of many such redevelopment opportunities that are happening around Lloyd and hopefully the region. I get what you’re saying about price, though. Density needs to be affordable too.

Alex Reed
Alex Reed
8 years ago
Reply to  Christi U

Christi, large numbers of new housing units added to the expensive end of the market end up decreasing rent pressure on the lower end of the market. The wealthy(er) singles who would have rented rooms in older, shared houses in Buckman (say) or Foster-Powell end up renting fancy studios in HassaloOn8th. Those rooms are then freed up for poorer people to rent at lower prices.

As Joe Cortright said, “I would argue that it’s vital that we keep building — if we don’t, Portland’s affordability problem will worsen.”

http://bikeportland.org/2015/05/21/portlands-housing-supply-still-isnt-keeping-population-falling-behind-slowly-143414#more-143414

maccoinnich
8 years ago
Reply to  Christi U

1) It is creating 657 homes on a site that used to be a parking lot. There will be over a thousand people living at a location bound by the MAX on one side, the streetcar on another and a protected lane on a third side. If the region wants to meet its carbon reduction goals it’s hard to imagine what kind of real estate development would be preferable. Certainly not 657 single family houses in Washington, Clackamas or Clark counties.
2) In a neighborhood where retail in concentrated in one large auto oriented mall it’s bringing over 48,000 sq ft of street level retail. Retailers like Green Zebra will serve far more people than just those who live in the building above it.
3) The housing and retail mix will help the area evolve from a 1960s business and shopping district into a true mixed use neighborhood. Hopefully one where cycling is one of the major ways in which people get around.

John Liu
John Liu
8 years ago
Reply to  Christi U

The person moving into a Hassalo/8th apartment is the person not competing for some other apartment.

nuovorecord
nuovorecord
8 years ago

EXACTLY what the neighborhood needed! Good news, indeed.

chris
chris
8 years ago

A 7th Ave bridge across i84 would make it super convenient to get there from inner SE.

Randy
Randy
8 years ago

Highrise housing, adjacent to a major freeway, with high point-source air pollution…

Terry
Terry
8 years ago

Such convenience groceries are common in London neighborhoods, and they work well. People ride home from work on the bus or Tube, then walk the rest of the way from the local stop. On the way back, they pick up fresh ingredients at the local grocery store for tonight’s dinner. Since you’re only buying a few items, it’s easy to carry for one or two blocks. It’s even easier on a bike with panniers or a basket.

Matt
Matt
8 years ago

The rendering–all white people in the image. What does that say about the individuals creating living space in Portland?

Beth
8 years ago
Reply to  Matt

Portland is, and has been for decades, one of the whitest cities in the United States. All the goodwill in the world will not change that unless and until a critical mass of entrenched white Portlanders clamor for true diversity of races and classes. Since human beings tend to sort themselves out along self-perceived “tribal” lines — age, race, socioeconomic class, and other markers — I don’t see that critical mass happening anytime soon. And so we’ll see more stores like Green Zebra that sell stuff the lowest wage-earners in our city could never afford.

The real question her that every single one of us needs to ask ourselves is, when push comes to shove, how much “diversity” do we want where we live? Really?