The Pacific Market burned down in March. It’s still full of rotten food.

• ADDRESS: 6700 NE Broadway
• YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION:1948
• SQUARE FEET: 20 120
• MARKET VALUE: $1.9 million
• OWNER: Pacific Property Holding LLC
• How long has it been empty?:Since March 26
• WHY IT’S EMPTY:He burned.

In its heyday, Pacific Market was the bustling center of the Northeast Portland neighborhood that surrounded it, serving a diverse clientele, from Asian immigrants seeking old-world snacks to Portland natives looking for cheaper goods.

The place offered countless varieties of instant ramen and many exotic drinks. The owner tried to stock year-round durian, the thorny South Asian fruit that many consider a delicacy despite its pungent aroma. It wasn’t the most organized store. The produce was often laid out on wooden pallets in and around the aisles for customers to pick up.

It all ended early on the morning of March 26, when flames tore through the building, consuming the Pacific Market and the neighboring restaurant, Thai Binh.

Not much has happened since the fire hoses were turned off. People have broken through the flimsy chain-link fence surrounding the charred structure and rummaged through the ruins, which are exposed to the elements because the roof collapsed during the fire. The collapsed shelves are still laden with charred packets of Vietnamese instant coffee, coconut milk and crockery.

The sidewalk outside the store is littered with trash, including bags of Vietnamese candy, broken glass and spent fireworks. Beyond, the parking lot is home to a small fleet of battered cars and vans, some of which double as homes.

Visit the Pacific Market site and you’ll likely be greeted by John Marino, the site’s self-appointed caretaker and head of cleanup. He lives in a shelter in East Portland but spends much of his time patrolling the Pacific Market property, trying to keep people from entering and getting hurt.

“I don’t let anyone live here,” Marino said.

Marino, a volunteer, is doing more than the owner to repair the damage. The property is owned by Pacific Property Holding LLC, which, in turn, is controlled by Tronghuy Pham, according to public records. Pham did not respond to messages left at several numbers linked to that name.

The scene around the former Pacific Market is similar to that at the Washington Center, the downtown building that became an open-air fentanyl market last year (“Market Forces,” WW(March 22, 2023). Broken windows? That’s okay. A broken fence? That’s okay. Trash everywhere? That’s okay. People barely surviving in Portland in 2024? That’s okay.

Like the Washington Center, the Pacific Market seems to have flown under the radar in an overworked city. There is no indication that the city or county has taken any steps to clean it up. Nor have there been any complaints from neighbors, according to city records.

Until those measures are enforced, things are unlikely to change, said Ken Ray, a spokesman for the Portland Bureau of Development Services, which handles code violations and property issues. “As you know, our code enforcement system is complaint-based,” Ray said in an email.

Alerted to the property by WWCommissioner Carmen Rubio, who oversaw the BDS until July 1, when an interim city manager took over all the offices, said she sent staff to take a look.

“It is important that the city be responsive when we receive information outside of the complaint process, and simply check things out themselves to anticipate any developing situations like this,” Rubio said in a statement.

A spokesman for Mayor Ted Wheeler said the Pacific Market was “on the city’s radar.”