Last May, Rose City Reimagined purchased the 1925-era single-family residence at 604 SE 78th Avenue and the adjacent 50-foot by 50-foot lot that served as the home’s backyard. Development team Dallis Raynor and Antoine Dean began work to restore the original home, which had suffered years of neglect and damage from squatters. Crews will spend the next 45 days updating the 1,028-square-foot house as they prepare it for sale. The team will then create two new affordable homes on the unbuilt lot to the south.

Dallis Raynor explained that the house was in poor condition when they purchased the properties, and conditions at the site impacted area livability. “There was a lot of deferred maintenance, and it has been a real problem in the neighborhood for some years now. Portland police were present at the property pretty frequently. The squatters had taken over the home, and they’ve had ongoing problems with drug usage. It’s been a real nuisance for the community for quite some time now,” said Raynor. The previous owner left the site vacant for several years, allowing the corner lot to become overgrown and generating repeated Nuisance Complaints.

Eventually, the previous owner contacted a real estate agent to help sell the property. The Realtor knew the owners of Rose City Reimagined and their experience rehabilitating similar properties. “We deal with a lot of homes that have been taken over by squatters or where owners have become somewhat of a hoarder,” said Raynor. That experience allowed the team to approach the project with an eye toward preservation. “I think a lot of people thought it was a likely teardown, but as bad as it looked on the outside, it actually was very straightforward with no real structural damage,” recalled Raynor. “But it was very gross. I mean, they’ve been living without water, sewer, or electricity in there for quite some time. We had a lot of cleanup to do.”

After a deep cleaning, crews began restoring the nearly 100-year-old home. “We try to keep as much of the original finishes in the house as we can, so the floors will be refinished, and the floor plan will stay the same,” said Raynor. They will install new windows for higher heating efficiency and expect to replace the electrical panel in the home. Workers will completely refresh the bathroom and kitchen, modernizing the house in those critical spaces.

Raynor was impressed with the local support for this project. “The neighbors are really active in the community, and they’re thrilled that something is being done with the property.” Raynor said many people have visited the site to exchange information, offering to help keep an eye on the property until new residents move in. It seemed apparent to the developers that the community wanted this house alive again with active owners.

In addition to new landscaping, crews will install a fence on SE Washington Street to give future residents some privacy from the active pedestrian walkway along that street. The development team will also erect a fence between the two lots, making space for a forthcoming housing project with modest density. “We’re hoping for two units, smaller, affordable starter homes that fit the landscape. We don’t want to overbuild on the area,” said Raynor. The team has not finalized any plans for the new homes; instead, they are concentrating on the restoration project. However, when that work is complete, they expect to begin the permitting process for the next development phase. Look for realtors to list the original home this summer and for construction crews to break ground on new homes in the near future.

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