Without question, a property with age and widespread
recognition needs no formal designation to be a considered “landmark” in the
public mind. Example: Joe Brown’s Carmel
Corn in the Lloyd Center.
The small confection shop was an original occupant when the
big shopping mall opened in Northeast Portland in 1960. Now, 66 years later, it likely will be the
last store to close when the mall shuts its doors to the public for the last
time on Aug. 8.
In the intervening years, literally tens of thousands of
carmel corn buyers have visited the shop, which has remained in its original
location despite an assortment of mall renovations. For all the shoppers who remember the glory
years of the Lloyd Center, Joe Brown’s proved to be the stable reminder of
Lloyd Center history.
Joe Brown’s history
goes back farther than the Loyd Center.
George Brown opened the first carmel corn shop in downtown Portland in
1932, naming it for his son Joe. The
shop added a second location downtown and a third I the Hollywood District
before World War II. Pressures of the
war, alas, forced the company to close.
Joe Brown’s sister, Betty Kalk, revived the company when the
Lloyd Center opened. Joe Brown’s Carmel
Corn remained in family ownership until 1992.
The popcorn is popped and the carmel coating is prepared and applied all
in the small shop.
The current owner is David Ferguson, a commercial real
estate consultant and business owner who bought Joe Brown’s in 2019. He reportedly intends to relocate Joe Brown’s
Carmel Corn to a new location, but he has yet to disclose where. A strong possibility appears to the Grand
Central Bowl & Arcade, where he has leased space in the past.
As closure of the Lloyd Center looms, Joe’s Carmel Corn
expects a rush of business. The carmel
corn is wonderfully tasty, and many folks presumably will be interested in a
nostalgic taste and a nostalgic last visit to the emptying halls of the big and
once-vibrant shopping mall.
While the future of Joe Brown’s Carmel Corn is somewhat
uncertain, so too is the future of the Loyd Center site. It is zoned for high-density urban use, and
the owner has shown drawings of high-rise residences and office towers. Alas, is there a market for towers these days?
The owner’s choices appear to be 1) tearing down all
existing buildings and waiting for new proposals to arise, no matter how long
that takes or 2) closing all entrances to buildings and parking lots and hoping
to keep out homeless campers while plans unfold. Neither option bodes well for the nearby
Irvington and Sullivan’s Gulch neighborhoods.
------Fred Leeson
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