Jacob Loeb began writing for newspapers in high school, first for the school's publication and then for a Vashon, Washington, community paper. He graduated college with a degree in English Literature and Television Communications. After graduating, Loeb worked in film distribution for a pioneering DVD company that supported independent filmmakers. Years later, he wrote for a weekly newsletter about technology and ran a popular computer advice column called Ask Jacob. Moving to the Montavilla neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, with his family in 2005, Loeb firmly planted roots in the community and now writes for the Montavilla News. He is a Society of Professional Journalists member and volunteers with non-profit organizations serving East Portland.
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On April 21st, the renowned and storied Stoopid Burger opened a new location inside the Rocket Empire Machine food hall at 6935 NE Glisan Street. This new location is Portland’s second brick-and-mortar space for the Oregon chain, which also operates a Lloyd Center restaurant and a St. Helens food truck location. This new location is just 2.5 miles from its original restaurant, which closed during the pandemic. They are known for massive towering burger creations and have received local and national recognition.
Stoopid Burger “cooming Soon” sign from early April
Stoopid Burger opened as a food cart at the corner of N Fremont Street and N Vancouver Avenue in 2014, and expanded into a storefront at 2329 NE Glisan Streetin 2017. That year, Willamette Week named the signature Stoopid Burger Portland’s best classic burger. The venture closed in 2020, with the Willamette Week reporting that Co-owners John Hunt and Danny Moore parted ways. Moore revived the brand in 2021, transitioning into two food trucks. In 2025, Stoopid Burger took over the 1950s-style diner space at Lloyd Center mall. The St Helens, Oregon, food truck location is the organization’s only remaining mobile kitchen.
Moore explained that with the impending closure and demolition of the Lloyd Center this August. The NE Glisan location will become the only brick-and-mortar storefront for his company. He said he is excited to move back to NE Glisan and enjoys the Montavilla neighborhood. He thinks people will appreciate the $5 “Super Boring” burger on the menu, noting that people are experiencing hard times, and it is important to hit that price point. He also wanted people to know about their fried fish, remarking, “People are calling our fish some of the best in Portland.” All locations serve the same menu, so fans of the Lloyd Center restaurant can start visiting the NE Glisan location to get their Stoopid Burger fix.
The Montavilla Stoopid Burger location is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. It replaced Alleamin African Kitchen in the Rocket Empire Machine food hall. Moore said the new space will offer the same “bold flavors” his company is known for in a good location. The burger restaurant lets people order at a kiosk, freeing the cook to prepare the food. In the future, when the service is activated, customers can call 971-668-7237 to place an order. Until then, people can stop in and reintroduce themselves to this returning business or discover it for the first time.
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.
On April 22nd, crews with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) begin grinding down the old asphalt pavement along NE 87th Avenue from the dead-end section near Interstate 84’s sound wall north of NE Hassalo Street and progressing south towards NE Glisan Street. This follows work started last summer to update sidewalk corner curb ramps to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. That sidewalk infrastructure upgrade and this repaving work underway will create a mostly accessible path through a section of Montavilla with inconsistent pedestrian infrastructure. The northeast section of the neighborhood’s connectivity is constrained by two freeways bordering it to the east and north, along with heavy traffic on NE 82nd Avenue and NE Glisan Street along the other edges of these blocks, inhibiting travel. NE 87th Avenue is part of the city’s low-traffic Neighborhood Greenway for walkers and people rolling to their destination.
Image from Portland Maps showing paving of NE 87th Ave in purple
In August 2025, cement masons reconstructed eight sidewalk corners along NE 87th Avenue and added a mid-block curb ramp on the south side of NE Glisan Street across from the northeast corner of 87th Avenue at the NE Glisan intersection. This project creates an opportunity for a near-continuously paved north-south pedestrian path between NE Hassalo Street and NE Glisan Street. However, missing paved sidewalks on the northern edges of 8631 and 8636 NE Holladay Street will require pedestrians to walk across the lawns of these homes to reach the new ADA curb ramps and the existing paved sidewalks. Future redevelopment of those properties could require installing new sidewalks to complete the pedestrian connection.
PBOT pavement grinding equipment parked along 8631 NE Holladay Street’s frontage without a sidewalk
PBOT will continue grinding down the road surface and then transition to repaving NE 87th Avenue from NE Glisan Street to just north of NE Hassalo Street. The maintenance paving crews will work on one travel lane at a time from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays. Drivers should expect delays and obey all crew instructions. The sidewalks will remain open. PBOT intends to complete work by Thursday, April 30th. Funding for this project comes from the voter-approved Fixing Our Streets tax, paid by heavy vehicle users and a 10-cent-per-gallon gas tax.
Dead-end section NE 87th Avenue north of NE Hassalo St
This work, along with the curb ramp improvements and repaving happening on NE Glisan from NE 82nd to 92nd avenues, will strengthen pedestrian and bike infrastructure for the Neighborhood Greenway network. The NE Glisan Street repaving and repainting project will provide space for bike lanes, and its intersection with NE 87th Avenue has a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) to help people cross the busy NE Glisan roadway. People traveling outside a car should soon feel more comfortable navigating the neighborhood on NE 87th Avenue, thanks to these transportation bureau investments. Drivers should also enjoy a smoother street with brighter painted markings.
Promotion: Check out East Portland News as it continues to advocate for and report on outer East Portland. You will find frequently updated articles and an archive of more than 5,000 stories written over the past 20+ years alongside a robust Community Calendar of events.
Montavilla residents do not have to travel far to celebrate the American Booksellers Association’s 13th annual Independent Bookstores Day with the neighborhood’s newest bookstore, Endless Wonders Books, which is hosting a sidewalk sale at 414 SE 80th Avenue. The Saturday, April 25th, event will feature local authors signing their books from noon to 4 p.m.
On November 13th, 2025, Endless Wonders Books opened a sales corner at Hungry Heart Bakery. Owners Zo Nicole and Mags Burke created the venture as a mobile and online bookstore before meeting Hungry Heart’s owner, Jax Hart, at a pride pop-up event in the Jupiter Hotel. That introduction eventually led to the book seller’s first store location within the bakery. Nicole describes themselves as a lifelong reader who grew tired of a tech career and used a layoff as the catalyst to pursue a dream of opening a bookstore that would surface works that include often overlooked or inaccurately represented communities.
The sidewalk sale should expose more community members to the bookshop’s selection of titles by and about people from historically underrepresented or marginalized communities. Visitors that day will find new custom store merchandise, prizes, promotionally priced items, and an opportunity to meet five local authors. A scavenger hunt for a “Golden Ticket” could give one visitor 12 free audiobooks, and owners explain there will also be a raffle for a $50 gift card. This is in addition to sale-priced new and used books. Readers and interested community members can stop by this Saturday to find new books that don’t often appear in other storefronts and to purchase coffee or sweets from Hungry Heart.
Colise Johnson and her husband, James, run a small food pantry from their home, a few blocks east of the Leodis V. McDaniel High School athletics fields on the corner of NE 86th Avenue and Brazee Street. As economic pressures push more people into food insecurity, they say the number of people served at this privately funded community resource has increased to an estimated 400 per week. They fund a sizable portion of these efforts through can deposit redemption and donations from people who wish to support the weekend lunch program and their Thursday pantry boxes.
Social media graphic courtesy Colise Johnson
Johnson explained that her home is filled with a fluctuating amount of food ready for weekly pickup by individuals and groups who visit her white house with purple trim. “We’ve got a big freezer out in the back and what we call a mini Winco upstairs,” explained Johnson. Nearly an entire floor of the home is dedicated to stocking canned and dried goods. Stacks of empty produce boxes sit on the front porch waiting to transport food. The couple and around 15 volunteers serve the majority of people on weekends with lunches. “Mike and Faye just brought over 300 sandwiches because we do 300 lunches a week, and a hundred of those go to veterans at least every week,” said Johnson. “We put in a bottle of water, a snack, a bag of chips, and the little fruit snack bags. If we have fruit, we use that as well.”
The volunteer staff only includes a bottle of water in the lunch if the person is unhoused as a way to stretch a slim budget and reduce waste. Additionally, on Thursday pantry box days that operate from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., they ask people what they want to eat instead of giving everyone the same items. “The reason I give them choices is because you see so many food boxes left on 82nd, or up on Glisan, or on Halsey because they take what they want out of the food box, then leave it,” remarked Johnson.
Pantry refrigerator filled with hundreds of sandwiches for lunch kits
Most of the food they give out is first-come, first-served. “There have been days that I’ve opened up at 9 o’clock, and our breads have been gone by 11:30 a.m,” Johnson said. But in those cases, they tap into reserves upstairs and give people anything they want so they will not leave hungry. “I’ll give them whatever I have here and just make the best of it.” The only time people need to sign up for food is on special holiday meals that require more planning. “For Thanksgiving and Christmas last year combined, we did 88 total dinners. We fed 537 people, and almost $2,000 of that was pop can money,” said Johnson.
In addition to accepting donated cans, Colise Johnson traverses the neighborhood in her motorized chair to pick up discarded cans. However, recent changes to the Green Bags bottle and can deposit redemption program limit people to 30 sacks per account per calendar quarter. This policy change has hampered the food pantry’s funding efforts, limiting its ability to scale up operations. Johnson has limited fundraising options, but the deposit collection has supported the feeding efforts for 27 years. “I have cerebral palsy and epilepsy. I can’t work, but I want to do something,” said Johnson.
The couple explained that funding restrictions will not prevent the pantry from continuing its work. They are thankful for the support of volunteers who keep the efforts going. “We’ve got Faye and Mike, we’ve got Corey and Garrett, we’ve got Terrence and his crew, and Don. We’ve probably got 15 volunteers. People come over and help me restock upstairs; they don’t think twice about coming over and donating their time,” recalled Johnson. “Danny comes in from the VFW and picks up the vets’ lunches and hands them out at Fort Kennedy.”
Johnson says they make a special effort for veterans who experience food insecurity. However, they serve all people and create a safe space by not tolerating abusive language directed at themselves or guests. Their goal is to be easy to access for people in need, and they are willing to give whatever they can source from private donations. “We don’t ask for ID. We don’t ask for any of that. We just give them the food,” said Johnson. “We give out school supplies, we give out sleeping bags, tents, we give out clothes, shoes, we make personal care kits.”
The community food pantry accepts donations to keep the program running. “We can’t take anything that’s open. We can’t take anything that’s expired. But we gladly accept donations,” explained Johnson. “If they do happen to bring donations of any cans and bottles, please bring them up to the porch. If you just set them over the fence, they’re going to get stolen.” The couple has dealt with theft of items from their property and some violence over the years. Overall, people are just grateful they are there year after year.
Colise Johnson explains that this multi-decade effort to feed people is her way of contributing to the support she received earlier in her life. “It was done for me when I was a single mom with two kids. People helped me, and we were able to start giving out what we had. We always tell everyone it’s a hand up, not a hand out.” What began as a simple way to pay support forward has only grown year over year as demand has increased. “The economy sucks, and the worse the economy gets, the more people we get. Grocery prices, gas prices, rent prices; you name it, it contributes to hunger,” remarked Johnson. She explained that some people who are not accustomed to needing support sometimes come in with the wrong attitude and need to adjust to current circumstances. “When you’ve got food insecurity, and you’ve got financial insecurity, we’re seeing a lot of entitlement. And it’s getting more and more as the times get tougher.”
This is a small community food pantry run out of a home in a residential area. They limited hours by locking their gate and had to shut down their self-service option due to abuse. Even with the added visitors to the area due to their efforts, Johnson says they have the support of the people around them and hope to keep doing this work as long as they are able. “We’ve got great neighbors. They have never had a problem with what we do.” Colise Johnson and James welcome donations of unopened food and personal care items. You can contact Colise on Nextdoor or Facebook to arrange drop-off times. Visitors are asked to wear a mask indoors for health reasons.
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.
The 20th annual 82nd Avenue of Roses Parade returns on April 25th at 9:30, featuring over 70 groups, including many returning and several new participants. The event organizers will use the scaled-back route implemented last year, starting at Eastport Plaza and ending just short of Montavilla at SE Clinton Street. To celebrate its two-decade run, organizers are adding additional days of activities in the district on Friday, the 24th, and Sunday, the 26th.
The volunteer-led organization, 82 Roses Community Enrichment Coalition, produces the parade each year, having taken over the operation from the 82nd Avenue Business Association. For most of its run, the parade started at Eastport Plaza Shopping Center and ended on SE Yamhill Street. This year, the procession will start from SE Cora Street, across the road from Eastport retail complex, and march less than a mile north, ending right before SE Division Street. People can gather along the SE 82nd Avenue parade route to view the marchers and procession vehicles. However, with the parade no longer ending at SE Yamhill Street, Montavilla spectators will need to walk south past Portland Community College’s Southeast campus to watch the various groups walk, dance, or drive down the road.
Ken Turner started work on parade planning in 2006 when he served as the Eastport Plaza Manager and 82nd Avenue Business Association President. In 2007, the first parade participants marched along its route and quickly grew into a significant community event over the following years. It has been 20 years since the first event; however, they have had to skip the tradition four times during its run. Planned protests and safety concerns led organizers to cancel the parade in 2017. Leaders halted the in-person event during the pandemic and took the parade online for 2022. The traditional parade returned in 2023 to a crowd ready to see its revival. Volunteers bringing this East Portland event to fruition believe the parade shows appreciation for the diverse population that defines 82nd Avenue by celebrating the community’s art, music, and dance.
Sponsor logos for the 2026 82nd Avenue of Roses Parade
The Regional Arts & Culture Council and the Office of Arts & Culture provided funding for this year’s parade, along with sponsorship by several area businesses. Funtastic Carnival will set up in the parking lot of Hong Phat Super Center, 4200 SE 82nd Avenue, for all three days as part of the celebration. The Impalas Car Show will start right after the parade at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 25th. The parade features the Rose Festival Clown Prince, Rosarians, brass bands, premier Chinese dance groups, classic cars, America’s First Corps Band, City & Metro Councilors, costume characters, dance and theatrical groups, plus Middle and High school Marching and Jazz Bands.
Multnomah County Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards and State Representative Thuy Tran in 2024
People looking for a front-row seat can volunteer as parade traffic monitors. One or two volunteers control every crossing along the 82nd Avenue route, and staff coordinators still need people. Volunteer applicants can complete a form at 82rosescec.com. A little before the parade starts, and to its conclusion, unauthorized vehicles are prohibited on SE 82nd Avenue from SE Holgate Boulevard to Division Street. People driving to destinations in the area during that time should select a different route. APANO and the Parade are also holding a SOLVE Oregon cleanup on Sunday, April 26th, from 9:30 a.m. through noon to clean up after the event. People interested in volunteering can sign up at volunteer.solve.org.
On Friday, April 24th, Multnomah County’s Homeless Service Department (HSD) and site operator Do Good Multnomah invite the public to preview Harrison Community Village Shelter from 2 to 4 p.m. The newly completed sober-shelter site at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue will soon host 38 shed-style sleeping quarters for adult residents.
April 24th Harrison Community Village Shelter “Sneak Peak” invite courtesy Multnomah County
Multnomah County purchased the former recreational vehicle dealership at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue in December 2022 for $2 million. This 34,000-square-foot parcel was the second Montavilla location the County bought that year for temporary shelter services. The other shelter, Oak Street Village at 333 SE 82nd Avenue, opened in February 2025 and is currently operating at full capacity. The Joint Office of Homeless Services—now renamed the Homeless Services Department—has held several community meetings, including one in February where the nonprofit Do Good Multnomah staff elaborated on the site’s sober shelter model that aims for people to stay onsite from 90 days to three months as they work towards stable housing in a recovery supportive environment. Presenters explained that residents and staff are subject to drug testing, and policy strictly prohibits the possession of non-prescribed intoxicants on the property. Selecting a sober format meets community desires for the county-owned site, which is near two Portland Public Schools. Do Good Multnomah will conduct background checks on potential residents looking for past criminal history, and those with a record of abuse of vulnerable populations are directed to another, more appropriate shelter or resource. The site is also a weapons-free zone.
HSD will contract with the operator to staff the alternative shelter site at all hours of the day. The residents will receive a private sleeping pod made by Portland-based LIT Homes, each offering an 8 by 10.5-foot room with heating and cooling. Six converted shipping container units will provide office space for staff, participant services, hygiene facilities, kitchenette amenities, and laundry facilities. Residents and their pets will have on-site access to a modest green space. The site will receive upgraded fencing with privacy inserts on all street sides and a wood fence between the adjacent residential property to the east. The site intends to offer more than short-term shelter. People in the program will have access to dedicated housing case management and abstinence-based recovery services to help with long-term substance use recovery and housing stability.
Kitchenette with refrigerators, microwaves, and a sinkPet relief area for residents with dogs
People staying at Harrison Community Village will have access to a kitchenette with refrigerators, microwaves, and a sink, along with dining space. The site offers a pet relief area for residents with dogs, and residents are expected to keep their animals on leash in public spaces. However, not every person can have a pet. The site operator tries to limit the shelter to a total of five dogs and five cats. People can seek outdoor leisure away from the elements in a covered carport-style outdoor seating area. There are laundry facilities, shower rooms, and bathrooms in separate structures. All shared amenities are accessible to people with special mobility requirements, and select units are Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)- compliant, with ramps and platforms, providing no-step entry.
Enhanced privacy slats installed in the fence
The site is completely fenced, with a new chainlink barrier on three sides of the property using enhanced privacy slats installed in the fence. Unlike some other installations, these plastic inserts have wings on the side that better fill the gaps where the wire links connect, providing significant visual obstruction. Site designers also planted greenery along the SE Mill Street frontage to provide additional buffer between the newly updated sidewalk and the shelter space. The eastern edge of the property, abutting a residential lot, was fenced with wood. That neighbor had previously expressed concern because the County’s southern fence only follows the property line, leaving a gap between existing fences. The construction crews received permission from adjoining landowners to work beyond the property line and filled that gap.
Gap between fences beyond the county’s property line filled at neighbor’s request
HSD estimates it will cost $107 per night to house and provide supportive services to each resident. This number includes utilities and staff time. This location is opening at a time when the City of Portland and Multnomah County are looking to reduce shelter space due to budget concerns. The two Montavilla shelters along SE 82nd Avenue are not under threat of closure, but other smaller shelters in the County are concerned about possible closure.
Planting buffer alon SE Mill St
The Harrison Community Village Shelter Preview may be the only opportunity some residents will have to see inside the shelter, thanks to the enhanced privacy fence. It is one of many public outreach efforts by HSD to involve the community, including a Good Neighbor Agreement that was crafted with input from Do Good Multnomah, the 82nd Avenue Business Association, African Youth & Community Organization, APANO, and the Montavilla Neighborhood Association. People wishing to attend the April 24th event should complete an online RSVP form.
Promotion: Check out East Portland News as it continues to advocate for and report on outer East Portland. You will find frequently updated articles and an archive of more than 5,000 stories written over the past 20+ years alongside a robust Community Calendar of events.
An overnight fire at the youth-focused 4D Recovery center off NE 100th Avenue will likely delay construction timelines for the currently unoccupied facility. The nonprofit organization bought the 1980-era office building at 180 NE 100th Avenue in July 2025 and began transforming the structure into a new treatment center with onsite living space for inpatient care.
Construction fence erected at 180 NE 100th Ave August 7, 2025
A social media announcement at the time of the building’s acquisition explained that the site would “become Oregon’s first Adolescent and Family Recovery Campus.” It went on to say the site would host 4D Recovery’s youth detox, residential inpatient treatment, outpatient care, mental health services, family therapy, and a recovery community center. The organization has roots back to 2012, when it began providing a safe place to hang out and socialize for young people seeking recovery, offering a drug- and alcohol-free environment. It has grown to support a variety of youth recovery services operating in over half a dozen Oregon locations.
Construction fence post fire at 180 NE 100th Ave April 12, 2026
The fire that broke out before 10:45 p.m. on Saturday, April 11th, already had visible flames when Portland Fire & Rescue’s Engine 19 arrived at the scene. According to reports, construction fencing initially inhibited access, but crews quickly began addressing the fire, working to keep the flames contained to the single-story portion of the nearly 18,000-square-foot building. Additional alarms called by first responders brought in more firefighting resources, and the fire was mostly contained by midnight. The source of the fire is still under investigation.
The new Adolescent & Family Campus was set to open in the first half of 2026. This fire will set back those plans for a nonprofit that planned to serve youth ages 14 to 17 from this location. Fire officials report there were no injuries, and no one was displaced as the building was still under construction. People interested in supporting this organization’s efforts or interested in learning more can visit its capital campaign page at 4drecovery.org/capital-campaign.
Update April 13, 2026: Fire officials have determined through their investigative practices that the April 11th fire at 180 NE 100th Avenue was an act of arson. Investigators do not have evidence to suggest the youth recovery facility was specifically targeted, but they are seeking a person of interest in connection with this arson event.
Update April 20, 2026: The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) arrested a suspect in connection with this fire. The person is suspected of starting other fires that day, include two dumpster fires on NE 102nd Avenue and an incident of burning cardboard near an occupied building on NE 99th Avenue. Police say the individual in custody had outstanding misdemeanor warrants, including a Reckless Burning charge from January 2026.
There is a GoFundMe campaign to help bridge the gap between what insurance will likely pay and the cost to rebuild. 4D Recover also has a direct donation link in its website 4drecovery.org.
The owners of the single-story Tool Building at 7131 NE Glisan Street are working behind the decoratively painted window coverings to create seven to eight divided spaces for future tenants. With the help of listing agent JJ Hewitt, they are seeking creative businesses for the space that will complement one another while serving the community with active frontage along a historic streetcar commercial district.
Rendering of the Tool Building at 7131 NE Glisan St courtesy Bill Neburka EAO
Architect and one of the project owners, Bill Neburka, explained that he wants to pay tribute to the 1926-era building’s commercial laundry origins by supporting businesses that produce their products on-site. “I think that’s the only model for retail anymore, where the value add actually happens in the space,” said Neburka. He notes that stores that resell items made by others and sold to customers at a slight markup are often put out of business by their online competitors. He feels that this is contributing to the empty retail space across the city. “It’s a little bit of a hard nut to crack within that model, what is the ground floor habitation in a city anymore, because you walk anywhere and we’ve just got acres of empty storefront.” Instead, he thinks successful shops will have a modest showroom for customers but dedicate significant floor space to creating those products in the back.
Steel-casement windows
The Tool Building team has some experience with supporting tenants on this street. Since 2022, they have owned the commercial building two blocks east at 7323 NE Glisan Street, which extends the full width of the city block and has frontages on NE 73rd and 74th Avenues. Neburka says that space hosts a community of fabricators who often support one another and benefit from being in the same space. They hope to similarly find complementary tenants for the Tool Building and are taking a thoughtful approach to signing leases. “We want to find—not in a snobby way—the right group of people that elevate each other,” explained Neburka. “That’s one of the things we found up the street, having a bunch of fabricators [in one building]. It’s nice to have that community. It’s not borrowing a cup of sugar but borrowing a saw blade, bringing value out of those human connections.”
Rendering of the Tool Building unit courtesy Bill Neburka EAO
Despite the leasing success at their other locations, the Tool Building owners see value in having a more customer-facing activity at this site with a wider definition of “makers.” Tool Building co-owner Michael Quinn is also the primary owner of Sparrow Salon’s building at 7243 NE Glisan Street. That location hosts a longtime local business, which adds value on-site and brings the community into the space. The Tool Building team suspects that the same community-serving, gathering-space model could do well down the street. “We’re focusing on creating a nucleus for the neighborhood, I think that’s really where things are at now,” said Neburka. “I think that these buildings begin to become more than just themselves, more than just one space, a place where people can come and interact with people who are making their stuff or food, and it becomes a real collecting spot for our neighborhood.”
Pre-restoration Steel-casement windows and door seen in rendering above
Inside the building, the space is still raw, with just a few stud-framed walls built to show divided space for prospective tenants. The design team wants to preserve much of the century-old building’s character. They will clean and repair the commercial steel-casement windows along the NE 72nd Avenue frontage that give the building its industrial character. They will then create new wood-framed storefront glazing in the existing openings facing NE Glisan Street, with a centrally located atrium containing an American with Disabilities Act (ADA)- compliant entry ramp. That covered opening will have direct access to two storefronts and a central hallway that leads to additional units and shared three-stall restroom facilities. The 7,139-square-foot building features several skylights, making internal spaces naturally bright during the day.
Floor plan courtesy Evident Architecture Office (EAO)
The southwest corner was the historic laundry’s old mechanical room, and still features the ceiling-mounted line shaft power-driven rotating pulleys that provided mechanical power transmission to the commercial washers. The building owners think this space would be an ideal location for a food or bar service establishment. It has two skylights and a large roll-up door at the back that could open to a secluded outdoor seating area.
Rendering of the Tool Building food or bar unit courtesy Bill Neburka EAO
The team has developed a tenancy vision for the space, but must carefully consider the impacts of Change of Use or Change of Occupancy. Those adjustments can trigger substantial Systems Development Charges (SDCs) to the property owner. Portland collects these fees to offset the impact a project may have on the City’s streets, water, storm runoff management, and sanitary sewer systems. They can also add funds for parks and recreation facilities. In 2025, the Portland City Council temporarily exempted newly created housing units from paying SDCs to encourage more construction in that market. However, that does not apply to commercial projects like the Tool Building, and any potential tenant who wants to use the space in a way that triggers SDC fees would need to pay rent at a rate sufficient to cover those charges.
Pre-restoration Tool Building food or bar unit seen in rendering above
Commercial property owners can not simply rent space to any tenant. They often need to consider the long-term viability of the business to fulfill its lease and whether it will significantly change the building’s use in a way that requires them to pay the city’s SDCs. Neburka said they recently had to reverse course due to such a fee. “We got hit when we changed the front space in the building up the street. We changed that to retail, and the development charges from PBOT (Portland Bureau of Transportation) were huge. It’s onerous, to the point we’re changing it back,” explained Neburka. “At the City… there is a thirst for money, and nobody’s getting the message that it doesn’t work. It literally doesn’t work.” In this case, SDC charges can create a situation where a prospective tenant’s business could drive up property expenses to the point that the leased rate is no longer affordable to the operator or the building owner has to forgo revenue. “The charge is enough that it would be our entire profit off a three-year lease, so at what point does it make any sense for us to do it?” Neburka said.
Historic laundry ceiling-mounted line shaft power-driven rotating pulley
With that recent change in occupancy experience, the Tool Building team will favor certain business types but remains flexible and open to hearing from a variety of groups. “I think we’re interested in talking to anybody right now, especially fabrication, especially art-focused. I mean, it’s close to our heart, it’s what we see the building being part of, but we’d love to hear from anybody who wants a space to do something,” Neburka explained. “I think that the design is going to be a blue-collar building. We’re just trying to be smart about it, and we’re hoping that the way we approach it will be attractive to the community.”
The team is working on building permits and bank financing for the project. Interested prospective tenants can contact JJ Hewitt with Cloud City Realty via email at jj@cloudcityrealty.com or by phone at 971-339-1456.
Rendering of the Tool Building entry courtesy Bill Neburka EAO
Recently, the members of Montavilla United Methodist Church voted to demolish all their buildings at 232 SE 80th Avenue to create three stories of affordable housing above a new ground-level worship space that will also share resources with support organization Rahab’s Sisters. Reverend Heather Riggs explained that this site transformation will embrace the faith-based group’s efforts to provide resources it sees needed in the community while reducing its operational burden of maintaining an aging building. The project is in pre-development with a target completion date of 2030. Until the city approves permits, parishioners and users of the midcentury building will continue to gather there.
Riggs said they plan to maximize housing options on the site while respecting the neighborhood’s scale and preserving on-site parking for the gathering space. The 0.88-acre property occupies nearly a full block and is shared with only one single-family residence. The Residential Multi-Dwelling 2 zoning of the site allows up to four stories and has a three-to-one Floor Area Ratio through bonus provisions for affordable housing.
Montavilla United Methodist Church December 2024
Riggs explained they are in a pre-development phase and working to formalize a relationship with a prospective developer who will take ownership of the property and rent back the ground floor to the congregation at a discounted rate. The agreement will target an Area Median Income (AMI) restriction for future residents of 30 to 60 percent for the anticipated 72 units of regulated affordable housing. The Methodist Church wants the property to remain affordable for at least 60 years. “We would like to be in the 30 [AMI] range because that’s what’s affordable for our local baristas and for our local restaurant workers,” said Riggs. “This is not free housing. This is housing for people who work, who cannot afford to live in the city where they work.”
The final configuration of units and income targets depends on the funding available at the time of construction. Riggs noted that affordable housing projects require specialized skill sets to fund and manage. That is why the congregation and regional Methodist leadership are planning to transfer the land to another group rather than keeping it under church control. “Honestly, one of our priorities has been to get out of the business of building management so that we can focus on ministry,” said Riggs. The older property, built between the 1940s and 1950s, takes considerable funds to maintain. The building also sits empty more often than it is occupied, attracting unwanted attention and vandalism. Church leadership feels that having people living above the worship space will make the property more active and safer for the surrounding community.
Demolishing the building could seem like a loss of history, but Riggs explained it is part of the site’s tradition to adapt to changing needs. Initially, a large wooden structure painted white served as a place of worship at this site. That was torn down to make way for the larger facility that accommodated a growing congregation in the 1950s. Now the faith community sees the mission changing again. The city needs housing, and the younger members of the church started the conversation around adapting the site’s use to address both faith and service to Portland’s needs.
A committee of knowledgeable members will take on preservation work, identifying the precious items that need to become part of the new facility. “We have plans to incorporate a lot of things into the new building. We want to incorporate some of the stained glass into the new building, but we’re thinking of placing it on interior walls, lighting hallways,” said Riggs. “We would like to preserve at least one of the upside-down boat arches in our worship space, and we’d like to preserve the bell, creating a small bell tower.” The “Precious Team” will work right up to demolition, preserving everything that matters to the congregation’s history. “We will be going through that process of honoring the history of those who came before us and celebrating that history,” remarked Riggs. Part of that celebration will be the opening of a time capsule on the front of the building.
Portland Maps image showing 232 SE 80th Ave
During the demolition and construction phases, church members will share space with the Tabor Heights United Methodist Church, less than a mile away at 6161 SE Stark Street. Before work begins, the design team will hold public meetings to gather community feedback on the project’s design. Riggs wants this site to meet the faith organization’s goals of serving those most in need while still playing a positive role in the wider community. As a community advisory committee member for the nearby Oak Street Village shelter, Riggs feels it is important for working people transitioning back into stable housing to have a place to move into. The church members also know this property is central to the neighborhood and asked the developer to include a garden and green space to keep it an attractive element of Montavilla’s historic downtown.
Reverend Heather Riggs hopes to speak to the Montavilla Neighborhood Association about the project at a future meeting. When the developer is formally secured for the housing, the design phases will begin, and community members can expect to learn more and provide input. Riggs wants people to know these changes will create a safer, more secure site that remains a useful resource for Rahab’s Sisters to build on its over 20 years of community support, and for the church to add to its 100-year history.
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Montavilla Farmers Market (MFM) is examining relocation options ahead of a land sale that could displace the nearly two-decade-old neighborhood icon. In October of 2024, the owners of the 0.84-acre lot at 7700 SE Stark Street informed the operators of the Sunday market that they were seeking a buyer for the combined lots. The market is allowed to use the space until the land changes ownership. The Commercial Mixed Use 2 property became publicly listed for sale a year later and currently has an asking price of $4,999,000. With a sale possible, the MFM leadership team is strategically looking for a new location and has created a user survey to guide the search team.
Montavilla’s farmers market opened in 2007 within a smaller portion of the current SE Stark Street lot, featuring 17 initial vendors. A private trust purchased the MFM property and adjoining Montavilla Animal Clinic veterinary building at 7714 SE Stark Street in April 2018. In June 2019, the trust purchased the Beets Auto Body building at 518 SE 76th Avenue. The new owners demolished the automotive repair structure in February 2020 and later added the Beets Auto Body gravel lot space to the MFM footprint.
In a social media post announcing the survey, the MFM assured visitors that they will operate on a normal schedule without a change in location as “no sale is imminent.” They continued to explain that the research to find a new location will take considerable effort and should not be done under a tight timeline. “We’re grateful for the past 19 years in our location, and want to plan carefully for what comes next. With a dedicated site search committee leading the process, vendor and community input is needed.”
A property sale could also displace the Portland Guitar Repair shop located on the eastern edge of the parcel in the only remaining building at the site. However, a new owner may not have immediate redevelopment plans and could extend leases. The site could host up to four stories for retail, offices, and housing. Any substantial redevelopment could take over a year to receive building permits. Beyond participating in the survey, MFM leaders ask people with connections to a large lot that satisfies their location requirements to email president@montavillamarket.org. An ideal site would fit a similar number of vendors, currently over 70, and be available on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
