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Hales and others hopes Trader Joe's would reconsider a proposed development on this empty lot at MLK Boulevard and Alberta Street. But the company cited "negative reactions" from the community and withdrew its support in February.

(Casey Parks/The Oregonian)

Portland Mayor Charlie Hales

from Trader Joe's on whether the company would reconsider a potential store location on a city-owned lot.

The answer, according to a press release from Hales' office, is no.

The rebuttal comes a month after Hales staffers confirmed the mayor had a meeting with Trader Joe's in Southern California. Hours after that announcement, Hales' meeting was abruptly cancelled, although his spokesman described the meeting as "postponed."

Hales did succeed in getting Trader Joe's officials on the phone twice since March 21, spokesman Dana Haynes said, though efforts to have a face-to-face meeting were rebuffed. Hales made a lengthy pitch to company officials by phone, according to his spokesman.

"The mayor knew it was an uphill battle," Haynes said.

But on Friday, Hales took a call from a Trader Joe's official who reportedly told the mayor the company would not reconsider a store location at Northeast Alberta Street and Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard after all.

"I told them it was a shame because that section of Portland is vibrant and on the rise," Hales said in the press release. "We’re confident that another, similar project will happen there, and I’m dedicated to making that happen."

Hales reiterated that he believes a grocery store is the right project for the property.

Trader Joe's abruptly withdrew plans for a store at the lot, owned by the Portland Development Commission, in early February. The company cited "negative reactions" from the community as its rationale for backing away from a proposed $8 million development.

In the weeks between the surprise February announcement and Tuesday's final confirmation that the deal is likely finished, public sentiment seemed to be overwhelmingly in favor of the project.

, including groups that were critical of the city's sale of its own property at a steep discount. The mayor pledged to push for Trader Joe's to come back to the bargaining table. Hales also said the city would commit $20 million to the Interstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area

Majestic Realty Co., a California-based developer, was expected to woo Trader Joe's as part of the development deal. The Portland Development Commission owns the vacant lot, and the PDC's board approved selling the land to Majestic in November as part of the larger plan to bring Trader Joe's and a handful of retailers to the two-acre property.

The Majestic deal, which sold the property for roughly $500,000, was followed by vocal

. The group decried the lack of transparency on the city's end, and said the project needed to include affordable housing and more efforts to limit further gentrification and displacement residents in the neighborhood.

In the wake of the February announcement from Trader Joe's that it wouldn't build in Northeast Portland, PAALF held

." They included heated testimony from many long-time residents who said they'd pushed the city to recruit a Trader Joe's for years.

In the Tuesday release, Hales said he would tell PDC to "restart the development project immediately" with Majestic at the helm.

"Majestic has the right of first refusal," Haynes said.

Calls to PDC, Majestic and Trader Joe's officials were not immediately returned.

"We can start afresh,” Hales said, "But this time with better relationships, more input and a stronger result. We’re in a much better place as a result of the efforts to date."

In his State of the City Speech, Hales said he planned to make MLK Boulevard the best street with that lofty name in the United States.

-- Andrew Theen