Business Relocating, Construction, New Residence

Affordable Housing Rising Above Methodist Church

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.

Interior of a church decorated for Christmas, featuring a large cross, Christmas trees, and festive lights.
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.

Exterior view of a brick church with a tall, green steeple, featuring a welcoming sign detailing community values of peace, prayer, and learning, surrounded by trees and grass.

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.

Map showing buildings and structures with numbered addresses in a grid layout, highlighting a specific area outlined in blue.
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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History

Historic Fight for a Montavilla Fire Station

On April 30, 1913, Montavilla residents gathered at the northeast corner of Burnside and 82nd Avenue to attend the grand opening of Fire Station No. 27. For years, the community had fought for professional fire protection. At last, it had arrived.

Historic photograph of a fire station with firefighters posing outside, featuring a horse-drawn fire engine.
Montavilla Fire Station at the northeast corner of 82nd Avenue and Burnside Street. Source: East Portland Historical Overview & Preservation

The need was evident as early as the early 1890s. The neighborhood was not yet part of the City of Portland, and it was on its own when it came to fighting fires. In June 1892, the residents of Montavilla’s first subdivision—Mount Tabor Villa Addition—met in their newly-created town hall to form their own volunteer fire brigade. The June 30, 1892, edition of the Oregonian reported that 56 people signed up as members. They elected officers. A committee would help raise funds for firefighting equipment. A “grand ball,” held in the town hall, raised “a handsome sum of money,” according to the Oregonian of July 20, 1892.

How often the Mount Tabor Villa Fire Company was activated is unknown. But the Oregonian reported that on the night of May 15, 1895, the brigade was called to action and partially succeeded. They were unable to save the Carlson house, but they did prevent it from spreading by throwing wet blankets onto the roof of the house next door.

Over the next few years, Montavilla’s population grew as new subdivisions were platted. Houses and commercial buildings multiplied. Better fire protection was needed. This task was taken up in 1902 by the newly formed Montavilla Board of Trade, a neighborhood improvement organization. The board’s first effort was to assess various types of fire extinguishers.

In 1902, the need was clear. In September, a Rockwood fire spread west to Montavilla and destroyed a number of houses. In October, the nearby Oriental Hall on Mt. Tabor also succumbed to flames.

Headline discussing a fire in Montavilla, indicating suffering in the area due to fierce flames.
Oregon Journal, September 12, 1902, page 1

William DeVeny—Montavilla’s Buffalo Bill look-alike and secretary of the Montavilla Board of Trade—advocated annexing Montavilla to the City of Portland. “For all the fire protection that we now have,” he proclaimed, “we might as well be located in the woods, many miles from the city limits.” With annexation could come local, professional fire protection.

Profile portrait of a man with long hair and a beard, wearing a large cowboy hat and a formal coat.
William DeVeny of the Montavilla Board of Trade argued strenuously for annexation to Portland.  Source: The Centennial History of Oregon, 1811-1912, Vol. 3, 1912

Many Montavilla voters opposed annexation, but it finally won in 1906. Now officially part of Portland, surely Montavilla would get better fire protection as well as Bull Run water, which would boost Montavilla’s insufficient water supply, a needed resource for squelching flames.

Portland fire protection did not come quickly. In 1908, Montavilla joined the nearby Mt. Tabor and Center neighborhoods to petition the Mayor and City Council for local fire protection. They failed. In August 1909, Montavilla resident Seth Lind lost his house on East Madison Street. A month later, the Montavilla Board of Trade pleaded with the City to at least provide 1,000 feet of fire hose and a hose cart. Again, they were turned down.

Newspaper article headline and text about Montavilla's request for fire hose equipment from the city auditor's office, highlighting the suburban population's need for fire protection.
The Oregon Journal, September 10, 1909

City protection was still lacking when fire broke out on July 4, 1910 in one of Montavilla’s main commercial blocks. Despite the date, the fire was not caused by fireworks. It started at 4:30 am when confectionary store owner, William Armstrong, lit his gasoline stove to heat some water. He stepped away for a moment and the stove suddenly exploded, filling the store with flames. From his store in the wood-frame Leander Lewis building at the northwest corner of Stark Street and 80th Avenue it spread north to adjacent stores on 80th and west all the way to 79th Street. Soon most of that block was in ruins.

Lacking a local fire station, Montavilla residents rushed to the scene to help. They started removing goods until the rapidly spreading fire made this too dangerous. Now, residents could only fight the flames with garden hoses and buckets. At one point, the refrigerator plant in Giles’ meat market exploded, carrying the sound for miles.

By the time two east-side fire-engine companies arrived, 15 buildings lay in ruins.

Black and white photo depicting the ruins of a building after a fire, with several people, including children, standing in front of the debris. The date 'July 8, 1910' is noted at the bottom.
Results of the July 4, 1910 fire in Montavilla Photo courtesy of the Oregon Historical Society
Black and white photo of a damaged building labeled 'M. Smyth Dry Goods and Furnishing Goods' with debris and sandbags in the foreground, dated July 3, 1910.
Michael Smyth’s dry goods store at the northwest corner of Stark and 79th survived the fire relatively intact. The repaired building is now home to the Bipartisan Café. Photo courtesy of the Oregon Historical Society.

The Oregon Journal estimated the total damage of the fire as $35,000. Fortunately, most businesses had insurance. Toll’s shoe store on 80th, however, was one of the uninsured, a $5,000 loss. Some businesses lost machinery as well as goods. And residents living above the stores lost clothing, furniture, and family heirlooms. These and other details of the devastating effects of the fire were reported at length in the Portland press.

Newspaper headline reporting a fire in Montavilla causing $35,000 in damage, noting that a defective gasoline stove started the blaze and that three people were hurt, but none seriously. It also mentions that several small stores and residences were destroyed.
Headlines in the Oregon Journal July 5, 1910 edition

Fortunately, injuries were minor. The destroyed buildings could—and would—be rebuilt, but this time with concrete and brick, not wood.

Surely now, the City of Portland would grant Montavilla a fire station. Just one day after the conflagration, the intrepid William DeVeny sprang into action and started circulating petitions for a Montavilla fire station. The Oregonian supported the petition, stating, in its July 9 edition, that “the narrow escape of the suburb from being completely destroyed has emphasized the need for a fire station and engine in the central portion of the district.” Montavilla also needed more water mains and fire hydrants: that campaign would begin in the fall.

Despite these efforts and the clear need, Mayor Simon and the Executive Board refused to grant Montavilla a fire station.

In 1911, the Montavilla Board of Trade launched another petition campaign, hoping to be more successful with the new Portland administration. By this time, Montavilla could argue that its new water mains could supply water for firefighting. The Oregonian again supported the effort, noting in its July 10, 1911, edition that the Mount Tabor fire station at E. 61st and Stark was too far away. This was demonstrated in August 1911, when Montavilla sent an alarm to that station, and its three horses refused to pull the engine over the hill.

In October 1911, signed petitions were presented to Portland’s new mayor, Allen G. Rushlight, and the Executive Board. They agreed to appropriate funds for a Montavilla fire station in the coming year. By June 1912, Battalion Chief Holden—an architect as well as a fire chief—had drawn up plans for a Montavilla station. Construction was underway by August.

The trend at this time was to use motorized vehicles, but Holden’s design would work for either horses or engines. The Montavilla station began with horsepower, but a few years later, switched to motorized trucks.

On April 30, 1913, Montavilla’s Engine Company No. 27 opened at the NE corner of Burnside and 82nd. That day, citizens were welcome to inspect the brick and concrete building, listen to a fireman’s band, and hear speeches by Mayor Rushlight, Montavilla booster William DeVeny, and others. 2,000—surely relieved–citizens attended. Finally, Montavilla had its own fire station.

Four uniformed figures standing in front of a brick building with large doors, labeled '27'.
The Montavilla Firehouse No. 27 opened onto NE 82nd Avenue. Photo courtesy of Jason Watson
A man in an early 20th-century uniform stands beside a white horse in a stable setting.
The Montavilla fire station was established at the end of the fire-horse era. Mechanical engines were already replacing horses. Photo courtesy of Jason Watson

Four years after the Montavilla fire station was threatened with closure. In 1917, the City of Portland decided to reduce its firefighting budget. That meant selling horses, replacing them with motorized vehicles, and eliminating three fire stations. Since Montavilla was one of the three, it seemed doomed. But the Montavilla Board of Trade fought back, arguing that Montavilla—with its 1,936 houses, 50 businesses, four schools, seven churches, and a population of 15,000—deserved local protection. The Board also protested the plan to replace horses with engines, arguing that motorized fire trucks could not traverse Montavilla’s many dirt streets. City Commissioner Bigelow pointed out that fire engines using heavy chains could get to places horse-drawn vehicles could not.

Montavilla Station 27 survived the City’s economizing effort. But horses would be replaced by motorized trucks. The new vehicles, bedecked with flowers, were displayed in the 1920s Rose Parade.

A historical black and white photograph of a decorated vehicle covered in flowers and foliage, with several people in military uniforms standing and sitting on it, set against a street with utility poles in the background.
The Montavilla fire truck covered with roses, delphiniums, and snapdragons won a fourth-place prize in the 1923 Rose Parade. Photo courtesy of Jason Watson.

In the 1920s, the men of Engine 27 sometimes joined other firefighting units to quell blazes outside Montavilla boundaries. A headline-catching Rocky Butte fire on July 23, 1924, is one example. After spreading east, the fire headed west to 82nd Street. Before the fire was extinguished, it burned an estimated 800 acres. It took nearly 100 people to beat back the flames. Fortunately, the damage was mainly limited to grass and brush.

During the Depression years, firefighting forces were reduced for economic reasons. The Montavilla fire station lost two crew members.

Montavilla Fire Station No. 27 continued in service until 1953. As part of Portland’s fire station replacement program, it was shut down, and a new fire station—engine 19—was built at 7301 E. Burnside. It serves the Montavilla, South Tabor, Madison South, and part of the Mount Tabor neighborhoods.

Exterior view of the Portland Fire & Rescue Engine 19 station, featuring a large garage door, brick structure, and surrounding greenery.
Portland Fire and Rescue, Engine 19, 7301 E. Burnside

The old Montavilla fire station was demolished, and the property—plus the two adjacent lots—became the site of a Carter Oil gas station in 1959. In 1986, the three lots were occupied by Sigler’s Auto Sales. Today, it is home to Cars to Go.

Three historical police officers sitting on a bench, wearing uniforms and hats, in front of a brick building with large doors.
Engine 27 fire fighters relaxing in front of the old Montavilla station. Photo courtesy of Jason Watson

Montavilla was lucky to get its own fire station. As usual, in this feisty suburb, it took a community.

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This is part of Montavilla History Questions Answered, a series of history related articles. If you have questions about Montavilla’s past that you’d like answered, local historian Patricia Sanders will investigate your question. Please email your questions to history@montavilla.net and we may feature it alongside Patricia Sanders’ research in a future.

Business Relocating

Where Will Montavilla Farmers Market Go?

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.

A vibrant outdoor market scene featuring several tents selling various goods, with people browsing and interacting. The setting is lively, with clear blue skies and trees in the background.

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 bustling farmers market with various vendor tents set up, selling goods. In the foreground, a bright yellow sign advertises the Montavilla Farmers Market, stating the hours and location.

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.

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Community, Government, New Residence

Advocating for a Jade District Park

In July 2025, Oregon Metro purchased a 1.46-acre property at the intersection of SE 90th Place and SE 89th Avenue for planned Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). For over a decade, community advocates have envisioned the large, sloped property as a neighborhood park and are now seeking support for that project ahead of Metro’s RFP (Request for Proposals) this summer. Residents and interested parties can complete an Online Form to endorse a call for the City to purchase the lot from Metro and to direct Portland Parks and Recreation to create public green space for the expanding community in this area.

A vibrant community park scene featuring people riding bicycles, walking, and playing. In the background, families enjoy a picnic on the grass, while others engage in games. The landscape includes greenery, seating areas, and informational signage.
Park Rendering from the 2018 EPA Greening The Jade project document

Metro’s TOD team plans to introduce new affordable housing at the site with help from partner developers. The early concepts included open neighborhood greenspace, but not at the scale documented in the 2014 Jade District community visioning plan or the 2018 EPA Greening the Jade project. The community outreach recorded in those documents showed a desire and expressed need for green space across all groups in the neighborhood. The Metro-owned property at 2815 SE 90th Place is in the center of a community surrounded by busy city roadways, a State highway, and a freeway. Harrison Park is the closest park to this location, at over half a mile away, and often serves as an extension of the adjoining school’s campus rather than a neighborhood park.

A fenced lot with a grassy area and several structures, including a green shed and nearby houses, under a clear blue sky.
2815 SE 90th Place property with fence

Andrea Pastor, Metro’s Senior Development Project Manager of Housing and TOD, explained in a September 2025 interview that Metro purchased the land along SE 89th Avenue using an allocation provided by the Oregon State legislature for a revolving acquisition fund around 82nd Avenue. “With all of the improvements happening on 82nd, including the planning of the new transit, we wanted to prioritize the area. So we made a specific legislative ask back in 2023 for some funds to buy land near 82nd,” said Pastor. “We have been basically looking and making offers on properties in the area for the last couple of years.” She notes that Metro has often owned land around transit with the intention of developing it. “We are trying to think of ourselves as a regional land bank specifically aimed at building affordable housing near transit.”

A construction site featuring two multi-story buildings with yellow exteriors, in various stages of development. In the foreground, a red car is parked beside a fenced area containing construction materials and tools. A caution sign indicates a roadway that is not improved. The sky is cloudy.
The Jade apartments under construction

The Jade District advocacy organizers seeking support for the park say Metro TOD is willing to sell the parcel, but City of Portland support must be secured before Metro releases an RFP to potential developers in August or September 2026. The park space is across from The Jade apartments, which are currently under construction and will offer 15 units with family-sized accommodations, including three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The workforce housing development will also create 14 one-bedroom and 11 two-bedroom flats. The expanded pool of families on this street would benefit from a new city park with a safe crossing to a play area. The site can also amplify existing green space that is not publicly accessible but protected by Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services, which owns the lot to the south of this property. It serves as a natural stormwater detention area where plants and soil help absorb the area’s rainwater. It also contains a sewer pump facility that requires 24-hour security for community safety and asset protection. Depending on the City’s flexibility, designers could extend park space into some of the stormwater detention area land without compromising security.

Map of a park featuring various amenities including an air quality monitoring installation, a terraced amphitheater, a multi-purpose paved pad, a nature play area, and a park loop trail. It also shows locations for public art installations and potential housing.
Image from the 2018 EPA Greening The Jade project document

Park designs and amenities presented in the visioning materials are illustrative only and do not constitute final design options. If the idea receives community support through the Online Form and city officials adopt the property for a new park, future community outreach from park planners will drive the development of the green space. Whether the land serves as a public park or affordable housing, this large, underdeveloped property will become a needed community resource as housing density brings more people into the Jade District.

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Transportation

2026 Transit Driver Appreciation Day March 18

TriMet will observe this year’s Transit Driver Appreciation Day on March 18th. For over a decade, the municipal transportation corporation has used this day to invite its users to thank those who keep the system moving. If riding on public transportation this Wednesday, event organizers encourage people to say “thank you,” wave, give a card, or smile at the operator. Riders can sign a banner at one of four transit center locations or post their message of thanks on an online kudoboard.

A smiling transit driver in a blue uniform sitting in a bus, promoting Transit Driver Appreciation Day on March 18 with a heart graphic that says 'Thank you'.
Image courtesy triMet

TriMet’s role is critical in building housing density and lowering Oregon’s carbon output. Modern Portland multi-family developments often lack onsite parking or offer minimal vehicle storage space. This development model helps maximize the housing units on a property and encourages people to forgo a private vehicle. Instead, city planners who rezone for more density anticipate that residents will use other commuting methods, including public transit. This model should reduce the environmental impact of transportation in Oregon, but it depends on fast and effective alternatives that use less polluting propulsion. TriMet is the largest transportation provider in the region for those without personal vehicles, providing over 56 million rides in the 2025 fiscal year.

Sign a banner at one of these transit centers:

Transit drivers are not only responsible for safely moving people throughout the community but also play an impactful role in reducing climate change and mitigating the housing crisis. TriMet drivers always welcome daily appreciation, but March 18th is an appropriate time to communicate your gratitude.

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Crime, Government

Reining in Chronic Nuisance Properties

Portland City Councilor Steve Novick wants to amend a 1992 chronic nuisance property ordinance to lessen the threshold for triggering mandated remedies. He is proposing these changes with the intent of reducing the impact on afflicted neighborhoods from human trafficking and gun violence. The City Council will hear first reading on this proposed amendment at the March 18th session held at 6 p.m. this Wednesday.

Former Congressman Earl Blumenauer introduced the first version of Portland’s chronic nuisance property ordinance while serving as a Portland Commissioner. It received several updates in the years following its enactment but has remained relatively unchanged since 1997. The proposed update considers the current list of Nuisance Activities to be too narrow and the timeframe for accumulating violations to be too restrictive for law enforcement to adequately address contemporary instances of harmful behavior. “We’re proposing that instead of having to have three instances in 30 days to initiate this process —which is a lot, a hell of a lot of bad stuff can go on in the location, and you still don’t have three reports in 30 days— we’re proposing it become two in 90 days,” said Novick.

The councilor says this ordinance has never been intended to punish property owners. Instead, it is designed to encourage responsible site operations. “What it means is, it just gives the police a little more leverage to lean on property owners to play ball,” explained Novick. However, enforcement is not without significant consequences if people ignore recurring complaints. “Well, I don’t know if that’s ever happened, but if you can’t work out an agreement, then the city can go to court, which has happened rarely, and the court can order them to take abatement measures. Then, only if they don’t take abatement measures, then the last resort is that they forfeit the property,” Novick said. Ordinance infractions only accumulate for specific activity from a list of 25 defined types that occur within 200 feet of their property. Those activities include assault, Firearm-related crimes, drug crimes, and prostitution.

Police car blocking a street with crime scene tape in a suburban neighborhood.

Additionally, Novick noted that the existing ordinance did not provide sufficient guidance for property owners to demonstrate a good-faith effort to improve conditions. So part of this update is to build that into the legislation. “Washington D.C. came up with a list of abatement measures to be considered. So we’re borrowing from that and saying, ‘here’s a list of things you might be asked to do,’” said Novick. The intent is to ensure people have a clear path to avoid consequences while minimizing the negative impact on the community. As the updates to the chronic nuisance property ordinance developed in committee, City Council members have worked to address business owners’ concerns. “The Asian American Hotel Owners Association’s Taran Patel testified. He said that he was generally supportive of the idea, but was concerned about what if a hotel reports the activity itself? Is that held against them?” recalled Novick. ” We thought that was a reasonable question, so we added an amendment to the law saying that if the property owner reports the activity themselves, then as long as they are cooperating with the police and following up on that subsequently, that doesn’t go on their record as one of the two instances that lead to invoking the nuisance law.”

In addition to the self-reporting amendment, the committee removed noise complaints from this ordinance, recognizing that such complaints are inconsistent with the other listed nuisances, which mostly focus on crimes that reduce perceived safety. “We’re removing noise as one of the chronic nuisance criteria at [Councilor] Jamie Dunphy’s request, and it’s not really what we’re worried about anyway,” said Novick. He explained that the city is trying to tackle serious issues where people suffer life-changing harms, including physical abuse and trafficking of people for sex work. Sex trafficking has become particularly apparent along NE 82nd Avenue near Leodis V. McDaniel High School and within certain storefronts advertising massage services that have spread across the region. “It identifies unlawful, non-compliant massage parlors as one of the nuisance activities. That’s a new thing, and because of the law that Representative [Thủy] Trần passed,” explained Novick. House Bill 3819, which Representative Trần co-sponsored, gave new investigatory powers to the State Board of Massage Therapists starting on January 1st, 2026, and increased maximum fine amounts. Now, the board can post a placard on the exterior of a business notifying the public if the massage facility is in violation of ORS 687.021 by using unlicensed practitioners.

Some critics of this type of legislation fear that without lodging spaces available, it will push sex work further into unsafe and exposed environments, including cars and public streets. This same perspective sometimes attributes the increase in pervasive solicitation on city streets to the 2018 passage of the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) and the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA) that shut down many online forums used for connecting buyers and sellers of sex work. Some of those online tools had reportedly made sex work safer by letting sellers check a buyer’s reputation. Since 2018, the nation has seen an increase in street-based sex work, often with associated ancillary crimes occurring around that activity. Novick explained that he heard that perspective from some people, but that counter testimony convinced him that lodging did not provide substantive protections for vulnerable sex workers. “Robin Miller, who’s a survivor and advocate, testified in favor of the proposal several weeks ago,” recalled Novick. “Her experience was that there was nothing safe about being at a motel and was beaten by a supplier [third-party seller of sex] in front of the hotel owner, and the hotel owner didn’t do anything.” That testimony, along with the councilor’s understanding of community needs, has increased his support for this update to Portland’s chronic nuisance property ordinance. “We are concerned about kids walking this gauntlet of sex trafficking,” said Novick. “So you balance interests, and if you think that there’s a community benefit to doing something —and there’s significant numbers of people most affected who think that it’s the right thing to do— I’m willing to go with what I think has the broader community benefit.”

The expressed goal of this update is to further motivate businesses to assist with the problems surrounding their operations. Landowners may not always live in the same neighborhood as their property, but the city says, with this ordinance, that they have a commitment to those communities that should not be discounted. “The underlying question is, does a property owner have some responsibility for what’s going on on their property? I tend to think that they do,” said Novick.

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Business Relocating, Community, Event

VOA Oregon’s 130 Year Celebration Kicks Off Montavilla Campus Fundraising

On Thursday evening, March 12th, supporters and guests of Volunteers of America Oregon gathered near the Convention Center to celebrate the family safety, substance use treatment, behavioral health, and post-criminal justice system support organization’s 130 years in the state. After hearing from VOA Oregon’s current President and CEO, Maree Wacker, and Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read about the benefits of a planned 5.67-acre campus at 8815 NE Glisan Street, attendees were asked to donate towards the facility’s construction and support the group’s other active programs.

Event banner showcasing '130 Years from Past to Possibility Community Changemakers' with a mountain and city skyline backdrop, dated March 12, 2026.
VOA Oregons’s Community Changemakers: From Past to Possibility event on March 12, 2026

Volunteers of America Oregon purchased the Montavilla-based property in 2021, which had previously served as a church. The organization’s President and CEO at the time, Kay Toran, was instrumental in selecting the NE Glisan and 90th Avenue property as a new campus and treatment center. Her quarter-century of leadership concluded when she retired in early 2025, with few updates on campus development plans during the nonprofit’s leadership transition. The new location should allow the organization to co-locate some of its programs in an East Portland site, creating new community resources and one-stop service delivery alongside centralized administrative functions.

Aerial view of a modern building complex featuring solar panels, surrounded by landscaped green areas and a parking lot with several cars.
Looking Northwest at future NE Glisan site. Rendering by Opsis Architecture provided courtesy VOA Oregon

In February 2024,area residents reviewed renderings of the proposed facility and learned about the phased buildout plans. Designers with Opsis Architecture arranged the proposed campus with external functions in buildings adjacent to NE Glisan Street and internal services in the site’s northwest half. The proposed VOA Oregon buildings will stand two stories tall along the site’s southern edge, rising to three levels as the land slopes downhill, maintaining a consistent scale along the frontage. Crews will reconstruct the existing parking lot, adding more trees and landscaping between the 92 stalls. Another cluster of lots along the property’s northern edge will provide an additional 54 on-site parking spaces. The early redevelopment will raze the 1950s-era church building and add frontage improvements along NE Glisan Street with significant work on NE 90th Avenue. Road Crews will reconstruct sections of NE 90th, adding sidewalks, street trees, and curbside parking spaces to the street’s western edge.

During the 2024 community outreach, Toran noted that the construction schedule is dependent on fundraising efforts. Since that time, VOA Oregon began using two buildings at Jessup University’s Multnomah Campus for its residential treatment for women with children. This partnership leverages surplus dormitory space at the faith-based higher education campus located at 8435 NE Glisan Street, just west of the future VOA Oregon site. Jessup University placed its 20-acre Multnomah campus on the market in 2025 and is still seeking a buyer for the entire property. Depending on which group purchases the university site and its redevelopment timeline, VOA Oregon staff may have a limited timeframe to relocate to the new property. Making this fundraising effort essential to maintaining long-term operations in the area.

A woman speaking at a podium during a community event, with a city skyline backdrop and attendees in the audience.
VOA Oregons’s President and CEO Maree Wacker speaking at the Community Changemakers: From Past to Possibility event on March 12, 2026

A successful fundraising effort should advance the timeline for work at the VOA Oregon’s NE Glisan Street Health and Family Services Campus. Maree Wacker explained to the Thursday night audience what they intended to create at their site and why people should support their efforts. “Located in Northeast Portland, our campus will become a regional hub for healing, recovery, health, and hope. It will include 100 residential treatment beds for individuals facing severe substance use disorder, co-occurring mental health conditions, and pregnant women with children. Integrated intensive outpatient services that help individuals coming from residential care and back into the community, serving over 15,000 people each year.” She went on to explain that their trained staff will offer recovery housing with outpatient services, including peer support from people who have lived experience redirecting their lives from addiction. The campus will include space for essential health care, along with support, to create mental and physical stability so program participants can succeed in finding housing, employment, and long-term success. The organization provides specific support for families, and the planned campus includes facilities for childcare, helping people stay connected to their parental role as they seek behavioral health services.

A speaker in a suit stands at a podium with a banner reading 'FROM PAST to POSSIBILITY.' The background features silhouettes of buildings and a bridge.
Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read speaking at the Community Changemakers: From Past to Possibility event on March 12, 2026

Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read followed up with a declaration that the proposed campus was “the kind of solution Oregon deserves. It’s a model that is integrated. It’s evidence-based. It’s place-based. And that vision becomes even more transformative when we recognize the power of placing services designed to care for people and families through some of the most difficult moments in their lives, all in one place.” Read continued to highlight the nonprofit’s campus design’s efficiency and effectiveness. “It’s not about convenience, it’s about connections, reducing duplication, simplifying access, and strengthening accountability. Above all, it is centering dignity and equity, ensuring that the people we’re serving are meeting a system that is designed around them.”

In both speakers’ descriptions of the planned site development, they highlighted the value of having a single location that serves the range of needs of people interested in improving their lives. “Imagine those 100 new residential treatment beds alongside outpatient services, alongside recovery housing, alongside family support. It’s not a collection of disconnected programs, but a true continuum of care, one that welcomes people at the turnstiles of crisis and walks with them through stabilization and healing and through long-term recovery,” exclaimed Read. “This campus is not merely a collection of buildings. In this case, it is a coordinated system. It’s not coordinating programs, but coordinating people, organized and designed around people.”

Collage of images depicting diverse groups and individuals receiving counseling and support from Volunteers of America Oregon, with text highlighting their treatment options.

“We are building a future where services are integrated, where isolation is replaced with connection, and where people now needing recovery encounter support instead of obstacles,” said Wacker. “This campus is more than buildings. It declares loudly and clearly, you belong here. No matter your past, hope lives here. A place that restores your dignity and gives you a chance to leave behind who you’ve been and finally become that person you always knew you could be.”

The VOA Oregon’s Health and Family Services Campus at 8815 NE Glisan Street is likely years away from opening. The nonprofit will continue seeking financial support for the multi-phase buildout. As of yet, there are no active demolition or construction permit applications listed for the property. However, remarks at this week’s fundraising event show the group is intent on continuing the work started under Kay Toran’s leadership and setting up roots in the Montavilla Neighborhood.

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Jacob Loeb

Disclosure: The author of this article received a complimentary meal at the Community Changemakers: From Past to Possibility event on March 12, 2026.

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Transportation

TriMet 19 Bus Line Likely Saved from Cost Cuts

At the beginning of the year, TriMet announced a series of proposed cost-cutting measures planned for August and asked for rider feedback via an online survey. Those early cost-saving adjustments would have eliminated the Line 19 Bus route, among other reductions, and its closure would have ended NE Glisan Street’s century-long run as Montavilla’s transit backbone. The transit provider updates its proposal with a partially restored Line 19 route that will retain most of the existing path from the Gateway Transit Center to Downtown Portland. The TriMet Board of Directors will consider the updated proposals and vote on these changes on April 22nd.

Other potential changes were also refined to lessen reported impact but would similarly reduce functionality for transit users, push more people to existing TriMet lines, or encourage driving to some destinations. TriMet leaders are trying to close a $300 million annual budget gap through a variety of measures. Since first announcing the issue in July 2025, the transit agency says it has reduced spending by about $150 million through cutting expenses, eliminating staff positions, and pausing service expansion efforts. The next round of reductions aims to trim service or remove low-ridership lines where riders have other, sometimes less functional, options. In fiscal year 2025 (July 1st, 2024, through June 30th, 2025), 15,600 riders boarded Line 19 each week. Of those weekly transit users, 7,617 started their trip between I-205 and stops at Southwest Lincoln Street and 4th Avenue in Downtown Portland. Losing that route alarmed some riders, who were vocal in their opposition to the change.

A comparative map of the MAX Green Line showing the current route on the left and the proposed route for March 2026 on the right, featuring various stops and line connections.
TriMet graphic from March 2026 showing current and proposed cuts to the MAX Green Line and Line 19 bus route among others

The updated plans for the NE Glisan Street bus would maintain Line 19 along the busy commercial street where it serves several high-traffic destinations, including Providence Portland Medical Center. Downtown, the updated route would connect with the Line 58 path, creating a direct transit link between the Beaverton and Gateway transit centers. The line’s name would change to “19-Glisan/Canyon Rd” to reflect the updated path west of Downtown Portland. Lines 4 and 10 buses would cover some of the southeast leg of the route currently served by Line 19.

Map showing the current and proposed MAX Green Line routes in Portland, Oregon, with key transit stations highlighted.
TriMet graphic from January 2026 showing current and proposed cuts to the MAX Green Line and Line 19 bus route among others

TriMet encourages riders to visit trimet.org/servicecuts to see how changes could impact commutes. Decision makers will receive public input ahead of their April 2026 vote via email to boardtestimony@trimet.org, by phone at 503-238-7433, or by providing comments at the next two Board meetings, which take place at 9 a.m. March 18th and 25th.

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Construction, Infrastructure

Months of Roadwork Begins on NE Glisan

In early March, crews with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) started preparing underground infrastructure ahead of updating sidewalk corners along NE Glisan Street as part of the planned NE Glisan Pave and Paint Project. The updates will use the pavement maintenance budget to restripe and reconfigure the roadway from NE 82nd to 92nd avenues. Ahead of the planned summer work, contractors will begin rebuilding crossing points to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant standards for curb ramps and updating stormwater catch basin placement to match the new ramps and better handle rainwater runoff.

The first wave of work closed the outer travel lane on eastbound NE Glisan Street from the 82nd Avenue Burgerville parking lot’s entrance up to 85th Avenue. In street excavation barricades and heavy equipment block NE 84th Avenue at NE Glisan, requiring vehicles and pedestrians to take a detour in the area. A new maintenance hole cone sits on the side street, awaiting installation just below the road’s surface.

Construction site with a 'Sidewalk Closed' sign and an excavator, surrounded by traffic cones and barricades on a residential street.
Excavation barricades, new maintenance hole cone, and heavy equipment block NE 84th Avenue at NE Glisan

Pavement markings added to NE Glisan Street along the project path in January indicate the placement of new curb ramps and stormwater inlets. Nearly every corner that hasn’t already been updated needs improvements to assist people trying to cross this stretch of roadway, which has few marked crossings. Up to now, anyone crossing the busy east-west street has had limited curb ramp options. PBOT will need to complete sidewalk and in-road updates before major roadwork takes place, as the repaving project will repair the asphalt cuts made by crews, creating new sidewalk corners and stormwater management at the street’s edge. People can expect that work to take place this Spring.

A sidewalk closed sign with arrows indicating where to cross, placed next to a grassy area and a street with traffic cones.

PBOT planners anticipate that much of the in-traffic lane work will take place in the Summer of 2026, when crews use heavy equipment to grind down old asphalt and spread a new layer of aggregate bound with bitumen to create a smoother driving surface. Contractors will repaint the lane markings in a new configuration to support painted buffered-bike lanes along the curb for much of the project length. This section of NE Glisan Street implemented alternating outer lanes used for parking or an auxiliary travel lane, depending on the time of day. Collisions occurred on this street where cars were parked, but drivers may have assumed the outer lane was clear. PBOT engineers anticipate that removing that conflict point will yield significant safety improvements with minimal impact on vehicle throughput. This work will also increase safer bike and pedestrian infrastructure in the area this year, while later project work can build on the new configuration with hardened street elements for greater safety.

Proposed cross-section diagram for 80th Ave to I-205 segment, showing lane widths for vehicles and bike lanes.
Illustration of the existing four travel and one turn lane over proposed configuration from PBOT’s NE Glisan St – 82nd Avenue Multimodal Safety and Access 2028-2030 RFFA Project Factsheet. Courtesy Oregon Metro

This stretch of NE Glisan received an Oregon Metro Regional Flexible Funds Allocation grant to add physically protected bike infrastructure sometime in 2030. The work included in the Northeast Glisan St: 82nd Avenue Multimodal Safety and Access project would require lane reconfiguration and repainting. PBOT Planners feel that this 2026 road surface maintenance presents an opportunity to save public funds by reconfiguring the street during the post-asphalt-work painting process, years before the larger safety improvement project. By doing road marking work now in the new configuration, PBOT can save taxpayer funds by lessening the reconfiguration costs four years later.

Digital traffic sign displaying 'LONG DELAY' with orange traffic cones in the foreground.

Travelers should anticipate construction on sidewalks and in the roadway along NE Glisan Street from NE 82nd to 92nd avenues as crews rebuild pedestrian and stormwater infrastructure. People walking in the area should anticipate detours when demolition and construction work ramp up. Drivers in the area should expect temporary outer lane closures on NE Glisan during construction, followed by permanent outer lane closures after crews paint new lane markings. Crews will work to maintain access to business and residential driveways. Details are available on the project website.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Correction: NE 84th Avenue was incorrectly identified as SE 84th Avenue.

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Community, New Business

Meals on Wheels People’s Eastside Hub

Across from Eastport Plaza, the Meals on Wheels People nonprofit is transforming a full block frontage at 4035 SE 82nd Avenue into an East Portland food distribution hub and resiliency center for a community that depends on their system for regular sustenance. The warehouse portion of the building already houses frozen and shelf-stable meals for the nonprofit’s programs on this side of the river. When construction is complete, this site will serve as a backup kitchen for their westside primary facilities, a resource center, a counter-service restaurant for program participants, and an event space.

The organization purchased the property in July 2021 with the intention of quickly expanding its delivery network, which distributes prepared meals to collection locations across the region where people come to eat in groups, or where volunteers collect and transport those meals to homebound elderly recipients. “We originally thought we could do this pretty quickly because the [existing] warehouse was added on in 2014. We could start with a warehouse because we weren’t moving any walls or anything, just installing our freezers and coolers in there. That took forever, so we then said, ‘Well, let’s do the whole deal,'” recalled Suzanne Washington, the Chief Executive Officer at Meals on Wheels People. They began work in phases, using the completed sections as crews renovate existing structures and then begin construction on new structures. “Phase one was that warehouse. Phase two is some offices and then part of the service area, as I call it,” explained Washington. Most of the building is single-story, but the area under construction will have two levels, an event space upstairs and the main floor hosting a kitchen, cafe area, hub for senior deliveries, and additional space they intend to lease to another service provider group that would benefit from being connected to Meals on Wheels People patrons.

Modern building exterior with a vibrant yellow accent, featuring large windows and a landscaped entrance, showcasing a welcoming atmosphere.
Rendering of expanded building on SE 82nd Avenue courtesy Meals on Wheels People

During the nonprofit’s phased buildout, the neighboring Eastport Food Center cart pod closed, with its owner moving out of Oregon. He listed the property at 3905 SE 82nd Avenue for sale, and Meals on Wheels People purchased it in August 2024 to support development logistics and provide future auxiliary vehicle storage space. “We own this lot across the street, which is right now our staging for construction, but it will become parking for the event space and the senior transportation vans,” said Washington. The main Eastside facility has a parking lot, but four stalls support Electric Vehicle (EV) charging for the growing fleet of battery-powered transportation used by Meals on Wheels People. The SE Center Street accessed parking lot dedicates a sizable amount of space to the “U” shaped driveway that will support the speedy loading of delivery vehicles. Having the expanded parking across the street allowed designers to focus on operational uses adjacent to the building. The large lot across the street also allows for the delivery and staging of produce directly to this location. “So fruits, vegetables, and supplementary food will be delivered here directly, so we don’t have to bring them from Multnomah Village. Multnomah Village is now only bringing those frozen meals,” Washington said.

Two electric vehicles parked at a charging station, one displaying a 'meals for kids' graphic and the other with a child-friendly design.

Reducing the amount of food transported is a key component of this expansion project. Although the established network had served the 55-year-old organization, leadership identified vulnerabilities and operational inefficiencies that this East Portland hub could address. A primary labor and cost savings would come from reducing the number of site-to-site transport trucks needed. “We will be able to get rid of a diesel truck and use our electric vehicles to deliver to Gresham, MLK, and all the places on the east side,” explained Washington. “Right now, a big diesel truck, which costs us $8,000 a month, goes to 20 different sites. We can be better for the environment and get rid of it.” The organization received a PGE Drive Change Fund grant for a second EV to replace a diesel medium-duty delivery truck with an electric delivery truck and to install charging infrastructure.

A warehouse filled with stacked pallets of boxed items wrapped in plastic, organized on shelving units with colorful labels.

Another key concept in building along 82nd Avenue is based on maintaining operations when a disaster or weather prevents cross-town traffic. “The goal was to get a hub for emergencies on this side of the river. Our central kitchen right now is in Multnomah Village, and that’s where we make every meal fresh daily. We cook, flash-freeze, and then package anywhere from 6,500 to 8,000 meals a day. All the home deliveries are frozen [with volunteers] dropping them off for a whole week.” In the event of road network disruption, demand for food from program participants increases, and the ability to continue operations will be a critical lifeline for elderly people trapped at home. The kitchen at this new site will primarily serve people walking in for meals, but it has the capacity to prepare 2,000 meals a day in times of emergencies. It also has substantial freezer space for storing food. “The warehouse freezer right now has 45,000 frozen meals in it,” said Washington. They circulate the stockpile every day to deliveries in East Portland, but keep a reserve for emergencies. They also keep another 20,000 shelf-stable meals that can further bolster food delivery capabilities in situations where not everyone may have access to power to store and cook deliveries. The building is served by dual-fuel generators to keep the facility operational even if the power grid is down, and contractors will install solar panels on the roof, further ensuring the building remains powered and reduces its daily dependence on utility power.

Modern restaurant exterior featuring a bright yellow roof and outdoor seating area with plants, surrounded by greenery and people walking by.
Rendering of expanded building on SE 82nd Avenue courtesy Meals on Wheels People
Construction site of a building with a partially completed structure, featuring metal framing and wooden scaffolding. A mural is visible on one side of the building, and the site is enclosed by construction fencing.

Suzanne Washington and others led the drive to buy this property because the organization is relying on leased space east of the river, and making this level of investment in someone else’s property would not have been a good use of resources. Additionally, the current locations are too small for the storage needs provided by the 82nd Avenue building. However, this new space will not immediately replace any existing site as the nonprofit needs those locations to continue serving its primary function. “We’ll keep those sites because people can only go so far. We do two things. For older traditional adults, we do home-delivered meals, and then we do congregate dining, where, if they can, we get them out of their homes to eat with other people. It’s much better for their health,” Washington said. “We still want to provide that service where they can come in and eat.”

Construction site featuring a partially completed structure with wooden framing and metal beams under a cloudy sky.

Similar to other locations, the SE 82nd Avenue building is designed to bring people in to eat, but with more flexible hours and the ability to order something prepared to the individual’s tastes. “When somebody comes in for a meal here, first of all, they can come in at 8 o’clock and get a breakfast burrito; it doesn’t have to be lunch. They can eat at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, they order at the counter, and then we’ll bring it to them,” remarked Washington. “So we can serve the diversity of folks out here with their ethnic cultural needs and not your traditional lunch where you get one of two choices, and that’s it, because we control this space.” She describes it as similar to a Chipotle restaurant, where a person can customize flavors and mix and match base ingredients, all prepared fresh on site.

A modern classroom with a glass wall, showing a technology workshop in progress. Participants sit at tables with laptops, while a presenter stands in front of a screen displaying 'Technology Tips for Seniors'. Several older adults are engaged in the lesson, with some listening attentively and others interacting. In the foreground, two seniors are seated at a table, enjoying beverages.
Rendering of tech hub courtesy Meals on Wheels People

Guests can stop in at this location on their schedule, but they must become program participants and are limited to one meal per day. “It’s not meant to open to the street, especially right on this street,” said Washington. “We had a place downtown that we closed because most of the older people wouldn’t come because we had so many homeless folks.” Meals on Wheels People’s primary mission is serving older adults 60 and over. Washington explained that about 30 percent of the organization’s funding comes from the federal government through the 1965 Older Americans Act. “That comes with requirements like we have to have certain dietary guidelines and we have to ask for donations [from recipients], but there’s no coercion for that donation.”

A storage area showcasing multiple shelves filled with colorful bags featuring palm tree designs, alongside stacked black crates.

Although serving older adults is what most people associate with the Meals on Wheels brand, through other funding systems, they also help alleviate food insecurity among youth and their families. The Meals 4 Kids program serves families with at least one child under 18. “Last year, we served over 275 people within those families. We provided more than 300,000 meals,” said Washington. In this program, families receive frozen meals with supplemental foods like bread, milk, and fruit, or they can get the raw ingredients and cook them themselves. The program is based out of the SE 82nd Avenue facility and primarily serves East Portland residents. “The great thing about that program is that over 70% get the raw food and then they’re home with kids cooking, doing homework, that kind of thing. Not trying to haul somebody around on the bus or trying to figure out how to make a meal out of a school backpack,” remarked Washington. They have other dietary assistance initiatives, including one that delivers medically tailored grocery boxes to pregnant and newly lactating women.

A modern communal dining area with various people socializing, including an elderly man reading a newspaper, a woman with a child, and a server wearing an apron. The space features wooden accents and plants, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.
Rendering of dining area courtesy Meals on Wheels People
Interior view of an under-construction room showing exposed beams, framed walls, and construction materials scattered on the floor.

Food is at this organization’s core, but this new location will help Meals on Wheels People further expand services beyond feeding people by offering a tech hub and community space within an environment where people can eat healthily alongside their peers and stay to discover other opportunities and services to enrich their lives. This project represents a significant milestone for Meals on Wheels People. Suzanne Washington has spent over a decade strengthening the organization. “They didn’t have enough money when I started. They were always in the hole. I focused on three things while I’ve been here. To do the best service possible to those we serve, we’ve got to support our staff the best way possible. To do that, we need resources, money. So by focusing on those three things, [service, staff, and resources], we’ve gotten more efficient, where we can put more money into the quality of our food and the type of food. We support our staff, I think, much more than we did when I got here for benefits, wages, just everyday support,” said Washington. She believes the new property allows the organization to significantly update its operational infrastructure, ultimately saving on recurring costs by lowering transportation expenses and better utilizing people’s time.

Halbert Construction Services will continue working on the project through November. Several delays with permitting and supply-chain disruptions have already pushed back the completion date, but Meals on Wheels People anticipates completion this Fall season.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Correction: Fixed a typo in Eastport Plaza’s name that misidentified it.

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.