This includes revamping the market, attracting a new department store to the town and building a new 34-bed hotel.

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The concept of building a financial department store covering operations in brokerage, insurance, real estate and banking came apart at the seams in 2008.

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The day after the river outing, Bragdon is back at work in the Metro building, a former Sears department store converted to office space in the Rose Quarter of Portland.

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