Axios Portland

May 22, 2026
π It's Friday. The temps are up, the days are long and so is the weekend.
βοΈ Today's weather: Sunny, high 82, low 54.
πΊπΈ Situational awareness: We're off Monday for Memorial Day, but will be back in your inboxes Tuesday.
Today's newsletter is 875 words β a 3.5-minute read.
1 big thing: π° Supercharging The Sports Bra
The Sports Bra, the Portland watering hole that put women's sports bars on the map, is eyeing a rapid expansion powered by community funding.
The big picture: Founder Jenny Nguyen is betting big that surging interest in women's sports can fuel the nationwide growth of such spaces.
- The company released an investment pitch this week through Republic, an online investment platform that specializes in startups and cryptocurrency.
How it works: For a minimum investment of $250, patrons and fans can buy equity in The Sports Bra as the company seeks to raise $1.2 million.
- Five independently owned franchises are already in development β Boston, Las Vegas, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Portland, Maine.
- And there are plans to have 40 or more Sports Bras open within the next four years.
By the numbers: The original location brought in more than $1 million in its first eight months and now generates $25,000 in annual revenue per seat, per the company's investment pitch.
- The company projects revenues of $75 million from locations nationwide by 2030.
- That includes an estimated $2.4 million from a planned new location in Portland that will also serve as the company's headquarters.
- The fundraising effort had collected more than $250,000 from nearly 400 supporters as of yesterday.
Yes, but: Like any investment, there's no guarantee that buying in will turn into profit.
- Investors won't get dividends or voting rights unless the company is sold or takes on other financing, per the Oregonian.
- Anyone looking to invest should read the fine print on the agreement.
Between the lines: While the Sports Bra initially attracted mostly female and nonbinary patrons at first, some of the company's most loyal supporters are men who do not fit the bar's original core audience, Nguyen said.
- "Cis men are sometimes the most vocal about why they love women's sports," Nguyen told The Athletic. "They've become huge allies for spaces like ours."
The bottom line: "The gap between women's sports fandom and the places dedicated to celebrating it has created a tremendous opportunity in hospitality," Nguyen said in a promotional video.
2. ποΈ City budget, amended
Portland city councilors finalized the city budget this week, restoring funding to public safety and homelessness efforts as the city works to close a $160 million shortfall in the city's $8.5 billion budget.
The big picture: Mayor Wilson's initial budget proposal last month called for cutting 150 jobs and reducing funding such services.
- Many of those cuts remain, but councilors worked to blunt their impact through more than a dozen amendments.
Among those efforts, the council restored $2.5 million to Project Ceasefire, Portland Street Response and other programs by reducing funding for councilors' personal security.
- They halted more than $3 million in cuts to the city's Urban Forestry program by drawing money from the Portland Clean Energy Fund.
- And they directed the city administrator to cut management positions to save the city roughly $3.3 million.
Yes, but: The city still expects about 100 job reductions.
What's next: The budget now heads to legal review, and further adjustments remain possible before a final vote next month.
3. Rose City Rundown
π An outside investigation found the Housing Bureau amassed more than $100 million in unspent funds via a years-long practice of excluding cash balances from public budgets, raising questions about the city's financial oversight. (The Oregonian)
πΏ A formerly contaminated site along the Willamette River near the University of Portland is one step closer to becoming one of the largest botanical gardens in the city. (KPTV)
β’οΈ It's been 20 years since Portland General Electric blew up the cooling tower of the decommissioned Trojan nuclear plant.
- The plant's spent uranium fuel rods still sit in concrete mausoleums along the Columbia and cost $11 million annually to maintain as they await their yet-to-be-determined final waste destination. (OPB)
πββοΈ Kids under 14 now have to bring an adult with them to any of Portland's public pools due to a new Oregon Health Authority rule. (The Oregonian)
4. π² Our great parks
Portland's park system ranked No. 9 in the nation for the fourth year in a row, per an annual report from the Trust for Public Land.
- Some 90% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of one of the city's 332 parks, per the report.
- Plus: The city received perfect scores for the number of dog parks and splash pads we have.
Yes, but: We only scored 56 out of 100 for equity, with low-income neighborhoods and communities of color seeing fewer acres of park space.
π³ The bottom line: It's lovely to get national recognition of our beautiful parks, but we still have work to do to make sure everyone sees their benefit.
π΄ Kale needs a nap.
π§πΌββοΈ Meira is spending the day at the spa with her mom.
Editor's note: A story in Wednesday's newsletter about the gas tax has been clarified to note the signature gathering effort was to put the question on the November ballot, but Democrats later opted to put it before primary voters.
This newsletter was edited by Geoff Ziezulewicz.
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