A 2021 fire destroyed substantial portions of the 1922-era home at 7645 SE Division Street. Even before the fire, the derelict single-family residence attracted squatters, causing issues for adjacent neighbors. Now the property’s new owners have plans to demolish the 1,926-square-foot home and detached garage while preserving the basement cavity for future development on the nearly half-acre parcel. The recent property sale and permit applications could indicate that site’s redevelopment is finally underway.

Since the turn of the century, the home has sold six times, with the most recent exchange occurring last February. The new owners intend to reuse some of the existing structures on the property. In addition to retaining the basement footprint, half of the home’s driveway will remain post-demolition, acting as a parking pad. The Residential Multi-Dwelling zoned property is expansive and could support a large number of homes. The 2019 remodel plans will likely no longer apply to any future project. However, retaining the basement could indicate an interest in rebuilding a similar structure on the site.

Regardless of future redevelopment planned at this location, the demolition should remove a nuisance structure. With the proposed deconstruction just months away, residents bothered by the detraining building should see relief from a problem property. 35-Day Demo Delay concludes on May 17th. After that, the City can issue the permit, and crews could remove the fire-damaged building by Summer. Expect to see future coverage of this site when the owners submit building permits for the new housing coming to this property.

By

Jacob Loeb