The new owners of 319 NE 75th Avenue recently filed for a demolition permit to deconstruct the 122-year-old home. The dwelling retained some of its original design through several remodels but has suffered from neglect more recently. 

In March of this year, Everett Custom Homes bought the property and requested permission to clear the land the following month. The permit application seeks to demolish the single-family residence and attached garage. Crews will fill in the basement cavity, break up the driveway, and remove the curb cut leading onto NE 75th Avenue. The developer’s post-demolition plans for the site are not yet public. However, removing the curb cut and driveway could indicate a planned multifamily use of the property that does not support onsite parking.

This property resides on the same block as the 137 unit 74th and Glisan affordable housing project, scheduled to begin construction next year. The area already supports many multi-unit buildings, and redevelopment of smaller homes is likely to continue in this vicinity. 

When constructed in 1900, the original dwelling was a modest single-story home with a basement. Over its first three decades, the City changed the house’s address two times. The building’s first address of 411 East 75th Street North was updated sometime after Portland annexed Montavilla in 1906. The house number changed from 411 to 87. Then Portland’s Great Renumbering of 1931-1933 changes the address again to its current designation. The Sunday Oregonian for May 27, 1917, notes that an early owner of the home, Mrs. E. A. Beals, was active within the community. As a Daughters of the American Revolution member, she was the featured speaker for the Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) event held at the Montavilla School.

Although this bungalow has many admirable characteristics, the listing photos for the property indicate previous owners had not updated the house over the years. If the new owners had opted to restore the house, it would likely have taken a significant investment and required reducing the habitable space. The demolition permit is pending the completion of a 35-day appeal period. That delay window ends at 4:30 p.m. on May 31. Starting next month, demolition crews can begin removing the structures and preparing the land for a new project.

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