PORTLAND, Ore. — Just two years after purchasing a historic property near Forest Park in Northwest Portland for an ambitious expansion, Portland Japanese Garden announced Wednesday that it will be looking to sell the campus.
Portland Japanese Garden leadership bought the 3.65-acre campus with the aim of making it a home for the Japan Institute, an initiative they envision as "a leading global voice for cultural understanding, in pursuit of a more peaceful, sustainable world."
Since 1920, the Salvation Army owned and operated the White Shield Center on the property, which took in and cared for unwed mothers while they gave birth. The program shut down in 2020 before the Salvation Army sold the property to the Japanese Garden in 2022.
At that time, Portland Japanese Garden said it hoped to have renovations completed and the Japan Institute campus open by the end of 2024. That still seemed to be the plan around this time last year.
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Instead, they're now looking to offload the property. In their message to members, the Portland Japanese Garden Board of Trustees said that the location initially "felt like an ideal fit," but that the pandemic had altered the landscape of the city, "from the broader economy to escalating construction costs to the wellness of our city."
The former Salvation Army facility itself, they said, needed significant environmental and structural upgrades upon further inspection.
"The Board of Trustees did not make this decision lightly but did so in answering our responsibility to ensure the long-term health of this organization we all hold so dear," said Paul Schommer, board president. "Fortunately, Japan Institute was never just defined by its physical property.
"As the programmatic arm of Portland Japanese Garden, it is defined by its people and the passion they have for sharing culture, art, and nature. We have just the right people to help move us forward on this important journey, including members of our community like you."
The sale comes at a time when the Portland Japanese Garden is also going through a transition in leadership. Longtime CEO Steve Bloom plans to retire in January, and Schommer said that the board is still discussing what qualities they're looking for in a new CEO.
"This deliberate evaluation includes input from key stakeholders to ensure we select the right candidate to lead us into the future," Schommer said. "We anticipate this careful process will continue into 2025."
In the meantime, Executive Director Lisa Christy is in helming the organization, Schommer added.
"Portland Japanese Garden is an organic place evolving with each generation, and with nature itself," he concluded. "I’m excited to step forward into the future with you and know that with our passion, energy, and commitment, we will do amazing things for community here in Portland, and all around the world."
