Salt & Straw’s announcement last week that it will leave Portland if safety conditions don’t improve outside its Southeast Portland headquarters has unleashed a wave of grievances from other business owners.
Tuesday evening the Central Eastside Industrial Council, whose business district includes Salt & Straw, will host a two-hour listening session for businesses and nonprofits with Sam Adams, the former mayor of Portland who now works for Mayor Ted Wheeler; Chris Fick, chief of staff for Multnomah County Chair-elect Jessica Vega Pederson; and state Rep. Rob Nosse, D-Portland. Other city, county and state officials will attend as well, said Clare Briglio, executive director of the council.
Briglio said that safety concerns have been brewing for some time, but an RV fire outside of Revant Optics and Salt & Straw over a week ago ignited a call for action. Smash-and-grabs and other safety problems also have struck businesses outside…
