More than 3,000 people have signed a petition demanding an ice rink remains at the site of Northeast Portland’s Lloyd Center, even after the dilapidated mall is demolished later this year.

The Lloyd Center has had an ice rink since the mall first opened in 1960. Today, it’s the only permanent rink located within Portland city limits.

Last week, dozens of young skaters and their parents gathered at Portland City Hall to deliver signatures to Mayor Keith Wilson and ask for his help.

The skaters were dressed in bright, colorful skating outfits and practiced their spins on the concrete. One of them, 9-year-old Alice Robinson, said her skating journey started after a visit to Lloyd Center five years ago.

“Afterward, my mom said, ‘You know, they have lessons here,’” Robinson said. “And I so wanted to do them. That’s what started my journey through figure skating.”

Alice’s mom, Jenny Gilmore-Robinson, is one of the organizers behind the Save Lloyd Ice Coalition, or SLIC. While there are other ice skating rinks in Beaverton and Vancouver, she said Lloyd Center remains the best and only option for many families.

“It’s actually the most affordable, and it’s the only rink that’s actually accessible by public transportation,” Gilmore-Robinson said. “If you remove that, then there are going to be so many kids and families who are not going to be able to skate. You’ll be removing their access to this sport.”

The large group made their way to the mayor’s office, where they were greeted by a staffer. They delivered dozens of handmade Valentine’s Day cards, each asking for Wilson’s support in saving the rink.

The mayor doesn’t have control over the rink, but they hoped his influence might help their cause.

Lloyd Center is currently owned by Urban Renaissance Group, whose master plan involves converting the area into an area with parks, housing, businesses and lots of pathways.

Thomas Kilbane, the managing director of the project, confirmed to OPB that a permanent rink isn’t in the company’s plans.

“We appreciate the skating community that uses the Lloyd Center ice rink, but the mall today is no longer economically sustainable, which, sadly, includes the operation and maintenance of the rink,” Kilbane wrote. “Our future vision includes seasonal outdoor skating that we hope, one day, a new generation of Portlanders can enjoy.”

Among the skaters were Jerry and Tally Leonard. The couple has skated at Lloyd Center nearly every week since 1967. They’re such regulars that Lloyd Center staff often allows them to choose their own music when they skate.

Jerry Leonard said they appreciate Lloyd Center’s spectator-friendly atmosphere and warmer temperatures. The couple was “devastated” when they learned of the ice rink’s possible closure.

“I wanted so much for the developers to realize what an asset that they have had with a rink being part of the mall,” Jerry Leonard said. “The one area in the mall that has had consistent luring of patrons to come has been the ice rink.”

For now, it’s still available for skating and lessons throughout the week. Last Saturday morning, nearly a dozen students were on the ice, taking lessons as they maneuvered their way around a line of cones.

Adriana Reaboi helped her 5-year-old daughter Abigail put on the skates. An immigrant from Moldova, Reaboi said she enjoys how close Lloyd Center is to her home and the high quality of its skating program.

Still, she said, having a child in figure skating requires sacrifice, no matter where the rink is. Coaching, ice time, and equipment can cost lots of money and time.

“It’s a hope that my kid, one day, will say, ‘Thank you, Mom,’” Reaboi said. “I need … to work for my family, but instead I choose to spend this time with her and to give this time to her.”

The fate of the ice rink is still unclear. The Portland Design Commission has not made a final decision on Urban Renaissance Group’s plans.

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Developers of Lloyd Center send master plan – absent ice rink – to city for consideration

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/02/21/skating-community-rallies-preserve-portland-ice-rink-lloyd-center/