Blackbird expanding to Portland

In a time when many boutiques are closing, Ballard’s own Blackbird is expanding to Portland. In an email sent out this morning, owner Nicole Miller says the small, 600 square-foot space will be on West Burnside and NW 13th Ave, two blocks from the Ace Hotel. “The building is being renovated currently to create six retail locations very similar to our current Ballard location in architecture and neighborhood appeal,” MIller writes. The new store won’t have Portland brands, instead they will sell their own Blackbird label and “our more seriously design driven brands like Robert Geller and Rick Owens,” Miller says. The new store is slated to open sometime this summer.