Mall 205
A former enclosed shopping mall at the junction of Interstate 205 and Southeast Washington Street in Portland, Oregon.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Mall 205 was an enclosed shopping mall in Portland’s Hazelwood neighborhood, positioned at the junction of Interstate 205 and Southeast Washington Street. It opened in September 1970 after New York-based developer Lenrich Associates announced plans for a roughly 50-store center in 1969. The original development was planned at a reported cost of $10 million and was intended to serve Portland’s growing east side with department-store anchors, smaller retailers, and food-service space. The mall opened with Montgomery Ward and White Front as its principal anchors. White Front closed in 1974, after which its former space was repurposed for other retail uses. Emporium and Pay Less Drug Stores opened locations in the former White Front area in 1978. For much of the 1980s and 1990s, Mall 205 remained a neighborhood-oriented enclosed center, although its competitive position was affected by the opening of the substantially larger Clackamas Town Center a few miles away in 1981. A proposed 1996 expansion would have added a 75,000-square-foot multiscreen cinema and a food court, but the available reference material does not establish that the full expansion was completed as proposed. The property entered a major transition in 2001. Montgomery Ward and Emporium closed their remaining stores, leaving both major anchor spaces vacant and contributing to the departure of many inline tenants. Center Oak Properties of Gresham, Oregon, subsequently acquired Mall 205 and began a reported $20 million renovation. Center Oak, now known as CenterCal Properties, replaced the former Montgomery Ward space with a two-level Target store and converted the former Emporium location for The Home Depot. Other tenants added or associated with the renovated center included Arch Fitters, Bed Bath & Beyond, 24 Hour Fitness, Circuit City, and Famous Footwear. The two-story Target was described as the largest Target store in Oregon at the time covered by the reference material. The property was sold again in July 2014 to Gerrity in a transaction that also included the adjacent Plaza 205. In January 2022, Rhino Investments Group acquired the Mall 205 and Plaza 205 properties. Target’s store and parking lot were excluded from that sale because Target owned them separately. By March 31, 2022, Target and Home Depot had blocked off their interior mall entrances, and the last two interior mall tenants had closed, marking the end of Mall 205’s operation as a conventional enclosed shopping mall. The site subsequently became associated with redevelopment plans, including proposed Hobby Lobby and Burlington locations. Mall 205 is therefore best understood as a former enclosed mall whose retail property was being repositioned as an open or redevelopment-oriented shopping center rather than as an active traditional mall.
History
The Mall 205 site previously housed Morningside Hospital, which closed in 1968. In March 1969, New York-based developer Lenrich Associates announced plans for an enclosed shopping center called Mall 205. The proposed project was expected to contain approximately 50 stores and cost $10 million. Construction began on June 12, 1969, and the center opened in September 1970 at the junction of Interstate 205 and Southeast Washington Street in Portland’s Hazelwood neighborhood. The original mall’s anchor tenants were Montgomery Ward and White Front. White Front closed in June 1974, leaving its former area available for reconfiguration. Emporium and Pay Less Drug Stores opened new stores in that space in 1978. Mall 205 otherwise changed relatively little through much of the 1990s, even as the opening of Clackamas Town Center in 1981 created competition from a larger regional mall nearby. A 1996 expansion proposal called for a 75,000-square-foot multiscreen movie theater and a food court; the available reference does not provide enough detail to confirm the complete implementation of that plan. A major restructuring occurred in 2001. Montgomery Ward and Emporium both closed their last stores, leaving the property without its two principal traditional department-store anchors. Their departures contributed to the loss of many inline tenants. Center Oak Properties, a Gresham, Oregon company later known as CenterCal Properties, acquired Mall 205 and launched a reported $20 million renovation. The former Montgomery Ward space was replaced by a two-level Target store, while the former Emporium space was used for The Home Depot. The renovation also brought in a new group of tenants and service businesses, including Arch Fitters, Bed Bath & Beyond, 24 Hour Fitness, Circuit City, and Famous Footwear. The Target location was described as Oregon’s largest two-story Target store. In July 2014, Gerrity bought Mall 205 in a transaction that also covered the adjacent Plaza 205. In January 2022, ownership changed again when Rhino Investments Group acquired both properties. The transaction did not include Target’s store and parking lot, which Target owned separately. Later that year, the center ceased functioning as a conventional enclosed mall. By March 31, Target and Home Depot had walled off their interior mall entrances, and the last two tenants located inside the mall had closed. Proposed replacement or redevelopment tenants included Hobby Lobby and Burlington. These changes left the property in transition from an enclosed, internally connected shopping mall toward a more open retail and redevelopment format.
- 2022
Rhino Investments Group purchase
[1]Rhino Investments Group acquired Mall 205 and Plaza 205, excluding Target’s separately owned store and parking lot.
- 2022
Enclosed-mall format ends
[1]The anchor stores closed their interior mall connections and the remaining interior tenants departed for redevelopment.
- 2014
Gerrity purchase
[1]Gerrity acquired Mall 205 and neighboring Plaza 205 in July.
- 2001
Ownership and format transition
[1]Center Oak Properties acquired the mall and began a reported $20 million renovation, replacing the original anchor configuration with Target and Home Depot.
- 1978
Replacement retailers open
[1]Emporium and Pay Less Drug Stores opened in the former White Front area.
- 1974
White Front departs
[1]White Front closed its Mall 205 location, and its former space was later converted for other uses.
- 1970
Mall 205 opens
[1]The enclosed mall opened in September with Montgomery Ward and White Front as anchors.
- 1969
Mall 205 plans announced
[1]Lenrich Associates announced plans for an enclosed shopping center of approximately 50 stores.
- 1969
Construction begins
[1]Construction of Mall 205 began on June 12.
- 1968
Morningside Hospital closes
[1]The hospital occupying the future Mall 205 site closed, clearing the way for later commercial redevelopment.
Products and positioning
A neighborhood-oriented east Portland shopping center that evolved from a traditional enclosed mall into a redevelopment-focused retail property.
Department store · 2001
Target
A two-level Target store replaced the former Montgomery Ward anchor during the early-2000s renovation. The location was described as the largest Target store in Oregon. Target owned its store and parking lot separately from the Mall 205 property and later blocked off its interior mall entrance as the enclosed-mall format was dismantled.
Home improvement retail · 2001
The Home Depot
The Home Depot occupied the former Emporium anchor area as part of the Center Oak renovation. Its presence shifted Mall 205 toward a practical, destination-oriented retail mix rather than a conventional department-store mall. In 2022, the store walled off its interior mall entrance in preparation for redevelopment.
Department store · 1970
Former Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward was one of Mall 205’s two original anchor stores when the center opened in 1970. It closed its final Mall 205 location in 2001, after which the anchor space was replaced by a two-level Target store.
Department store · 1978
Former Emporium
Emporium occupied space created after White Front’s departure and later became one of Mall 205’s principal anchors. Emporium closed its remaining store in 2001, and the former anchor area was subsequently used by The Home Depot.
Brand decisions
2022
Rhino Investments Group purchases Mall 205 and Plaza 205M&ABackground
The property was being repositioned as the traditional enclosed-mall format weakened.
Action taken
Rhino Investments Group acquired Mall 205 and Plaza 205. Target’s separately owned store and parking lot were excluded.
Aftermath
The property entered a redevelopment phase, with the interior mall connections removed or closed and proposed future tenants including Hobby Lobby and Burlington.
Purchase price. $43.2 million (January 2022)
2022
Conversion away from an enclosed mallStrategyBackground
By March 31, the remaining interior mall tenants had closed, while Target and Home Depot had separated their stores from the interior mall circulation.
Action taken
Interior entrances were walled off and the enclosed mall space was cleared for redevelopment.
Aftermath
Mall 205 ceased operating as a conventional enclosed shopping mall and became a redevelopment-oriented retail property.
2014
Gerrity purchases Mall 205 and Plaza 205M&ABackground
Mall 205 was sold together with the neighboring Plaza 205 as part of a broader property transaction.
Action taken
Gerrity acquired the two-property complex in July.
Aftermath
Ownership of the retail complex changed while its hybrid big-box and mall format continued.
Purchase price. $76.5 million (July 2014)
2001
Center Oak Properties acquires Mall 205M&ABackground
The closures of Montgomery Ward and Emporium left both major anchor spaces vacant and contributed to inline-tenant departures.
Action taken
Center Oak Properties acquired the mall and initiated a reported $20 million renovation, introducing Target, Home Depot, and additional service and retail tenants.
Aftermath
The property moved away from its original department-store format and toward a hybrid shopping-center model anchored by big-box retailers.
Reported renovation cost. $20 million (2001 renovation)
Sources1 sources
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