Crews recently cleared an overgrown parcel where a fire-damaged house at 2826 SE 87th Avenue had caused years of concern for neighbors who witnessed repeated illegal dumping on the property. The 95-by-180-foot lot is slated to support 10 new townhomes, offering future residents just under 1,000 square feet of living space across two floors. This development abuts the back of the three-story Jade apartments, nearing completion at 2905 SE 89th Avenue.
This area is zoned Residential Multi-Dwelling 1 (RM1), allowing low-scale multi-dwelling construction, generally two or three stories tall, with a 1:1 Floor Area Ratio (FAR). That provision would allow a single-story building to cover the entire property or two floors to occupy 50% of the land. Affordable housing can trigger a density bonus increasing FAR to 2:1. The zone also has a Minimum Density requirement for new housing of 1 unit per 2,500 square feet of site area. For this site, it is around a 6-unit minimum, but that can be adjusted based on site conditions.
The recent site activity cleared several mature trees and the remaining debris from the lot, which had sat vacant for years. A 2017 fire damaged the house owned by the Baker family for decades. The property was later sold, but suffered a catastrophic fire in 2021, which firefighters allowed to burn due to unsafe conditions inside the residence. In 2023, the city began foreclosure proceedings on nine distressed properties, including the one on SE 87th Avenue. Later, it failed to find a buyer at a foreclosure auction in January 2025 after a previous failed attempt in late 2024. According to Multnomah County records, Community Revitalization LLC acquired the property in March 2025 and sold it to its current owner a year ago for $265,000.
The redevelopment work will provide ten new homes and replace a longstanding problem property. The units will not have attached garages. However, site development permits indicate it will offer some on-site parking for cars and bicycles, along with an outdoor common space and a shared trash enclosure. Building permits are still Under Review and could take several months before contractors can begin work. The recent clearing of the property should help alleviate area residents’ concerns about dumping, now that the site is visible from all angles, including from the back of the property, where a 40-unit complex will soon start welcoming new residents, providing additional eyes on 2826 SE 87th Avenue.
Article and photos by
Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Otter Wax, a neighborhood producer of small-batch specialty goods handcrafted in Portland. Using only natural ingredients, they make modern care products that are steeped in tradition. We thank them for their support.