The Greater Brooklyn Business Association (GBBA) is a neighborhood business association formed to advocate for business interests within and surrounding the Brooklyn Neighborhood in southeast Portland. The boundaries of the GBBA include an area approximately 1.5 square miles in size, bordered to the west by the Willamette River, to east by SE 39th Avenue; to the south by Steele Street, and to the north by SE Brooklyn Street and SE Powell Boulevard.
The businesses within the GBBA boundaries are diverse in size and function, ranging from large heavy industrial and office uses (Union Pacific Railyards, Fred Meyer Headquarters) to small neighborhood retail outlets and office space. Because these businesses vary greatly in size and industry, their interaction with the surrounding neighborhood and their needs from the surrounding business community also vary greatly.
In addition, the businesses in the GBBA area are challenged by several physical boundaries. State highways such as Powell Boulevard (Highway 26) and Milwaukie A venue (Highway 99) dissect the district, fragmenting land uses within it. Further exacerbating this problem is the Union Pacific rail yard, which runs north-south through the district, physically separating land uses to the east and west. These barriers contribute to the lack of connection between enterprises within the area represented by the GBBA.
The GBBA has been revived and looks forward to working on these long-standing business challenges. If you’re a business owner living in greater Brooklyn or have a greater Brooklyn-based business, please contact us to get involved!