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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The property, bordered by the Interstate 205 Multi-use-path on two sides, is currently secured with plywood “due to prior break-ins while vacant,” according to a real estate flyer. A modest commercial parking lot provides three parking stalls in front of the single-story building and one driveway leading to the eastern entrance. A gated back courtyard faces south and provides separation between two dormitory wings, each with a bathroom at the end. The most recent configuration of the space included five bedrooms, along with laundry, kitchen, office, and storage spaces. The north end of the building features an equally sized “family room” and “living room” flanking the large kitchen, which features residential-style appliances.
Gated back courtyard
A buyer could reconfigure the space and update the dated quarter-century-old interior in many ways, but the site’s residential zoning limits it to single-family, single-room occupancy housing, or similar group home uses. A new owner could also redevelop the large 16,460-square-foot lot into townhouses or other middle housing to increase density. Its location next to the pedestrian I-205 crossing bridge leading to the MAX light rail station and proximity to the Multi-Use-Path make it a good candidate for Transit-oriented Development.
Image of 9350 SE Taylor St from Portland Maps
Home Forward—renamed from Housing Authority of Portland in May 2011—is an independent Public Corporation that contracts with the federal government to administer housing programs. It owns around 110 properties. In past years, it has worked with partner groups to build affordable housing. This land, if fully redeveloped, would likely not be an impactful source of affordable housing for the organization that oversees 6,678 units. However, with an asking price of $499,999, selling it will not generate a significant sum to stave off operational budget shortfalls at the nonprofit. In a different financial landscape, Home Forward could have reinvested in this property for a similar group home use or other affordable housing option. The future buyer of this unique property will have an opportunity to reshape this residential block abutting the I-205 border of the neighborhood.
Article and Photos by
Jacob Loeb
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With 2025 officially closed, here is a look back at the top stories readers viewed and shared in the past year. Many of the most visited articles center on the Gateway area with the opening of Portland’s first 99 Ranch Market on August 16th and the construction of Portland’s first Chick-fil-A restaurant within city limits since the Lloyd Center food court location closed in 2003. People enjoyed the East Glisan Pizza Lounge‘s reopening and rediscovered an article from 2024 featuring Storied Vintage on SE Stark Street. Two stories about declining enrollment at Multnomah University and the future sale of the property made the top stories list. Readers also took an interest in real estate listings for the Gateway Shopping Center and another area mall. Traffic cameras and bus shelters round out the things Portlanders found interesting in 2025.
Thanks for reading the Montavilla News in 2025. You were one of 127,000 people who regularly visited last year. We appreciate the financial support of our paid subscribers and business supporters that help keep independent news available to our community. We look forward to sharing more news with you in 2026.
Top Articles of 2025 (Ordered by newest to oldest)
For decades, TriMet has offered free rides to help people get home safely after ringing in the new year. This program removes the cost barrier to transit and extends service into the early hours of 2026 with more frequent trips. Most MAX lines run late until around 2 a.m. The MAX Blue, Green, Orange, and Yellow lines will run approximately every 30 minutes. MAX Red Line trains will operate on a weekday schedule, with the last westbound train leaving the Portland International Airport at 12:27 a.m. and the last eastbound train leaving the Hillsboro Airport/Fairgrounds Station at 10:31 p.m. Some MAX lines have later service, but riders traveling near the MAX line may also take the late-night/early-morning bus service along MAX lines. The buses do not run through the night, but they will provide some extra service on New Year’s Eve. TriMet buses will run on Sunday schedules for New Year’s Day. TriMet will not operate the WES Commuter Rail on January 1st and will close its call center and the Customer Support Center at Pioneer Courthouse Square. TriMet will require fare payment after 3 a.m. on New Year’s Day.
🔵 MAX Blue Line: The last westbound train will depart the Cleveland Ave MAX Station at 1:58 a.m., and the last eastbound train will leave the Hatfield Government Center MAX Station for Portland City Center and Gresham at 1:32 a.m.
🟢 MAX Green Line: The last westbound train will depart the Clackamas Town Center Transit Center MAX Station to Portland City Center at 1:42 a.m., and the last eastbound MAX Green Line train will leave the Pioneer Courthouse/SW 6th Ave MAX Station toward Clackamas Town Center at 1:47 a.m.
🟠 MAX Orange Line: The last northbound train will depart the SE Park Ave MAX Station at 2:55 a.m., and the last southbound MAX Orange Line train will leave the Pioneer Place/SW 5th Ave MAX Station at 2:02 a.m.
🟡 MAX Yellow Line: The last northbound MAX Yellow Line train will depart the Pioneer Courthouse/SW 6th Ave MAX Station at 2:25 a.m., and the last southbound train will leave the Expo Center MAX Station to Portland City Center at 1:32 a.m.
🔴 Please note that MAX Red Line will operate on regular schedules, with the last westbound train leaving the Portland International Airport MAX Station at 12:27 a.m., and the last eastbound MAX Red Line train leaving the Hillsboro Airport/Fairgrounds MAX Station at 10:31 p.m.
If you miss your bus or train and need a ride, the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s Safe Ride Home program offers discounts to help. Starting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, December 31st, people can use a discount code posted on the program’s website and posted flyers to save $10 on an Uber or Lyft ride originating within the City of Portland. Discounted rides are not valid if started after 4 a.m. Thursday, January 1st, 2025.
Image courtesy the City of Portland
Revelers looking for the taxi ride discount are out of luck. Broadway Cab, Flat Cab, PDX Yellow Cab, and Radio Cab will be working that night, getting people home safely, but are not partnering to offer discounted rides like they did in previous years. People have many ways to celebrate the new year without driving, and it is best to have a plan to get home. However, if that plan falls apart, know your options and never drive impaired or ride with an impaired driver.
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Despite the damp winter conditions, the use of personal fireworks remains illegal in Portland, as it has since the City Council passed an ordinance in March 2022. This New Year’s Eve, Portland Fire and Rescue (PF&R) and the Portland Bureau of Emergency Communications (BOEC) ask everyone within city limits to obey the ban and report violators through an online form instead of 9-1-1. As an alternative, people can attend a free New Year’s illuminated Eve Drone Show at Pioneer Courthouse Square.
Three years ago, the Portland City Council passed a consumer fireworks prohibition unanimously, in part due to a fatal fireworks fire the previous year and in reaction to the Eagle Creek Fire in the gorge, which started with the use of personal fireworks. Fire departments regularly experience a spike in injuries, fires, and fatalities during the fireworks season, which runs from June 23rd through July 6th. To a smaller degree, New Year’s Eve celebrations can replicate those mid-summer problems. People with pets also report significant stress inflicted on their animals due to fireworks, with some dogs and cats becoming separated from their owners when they run away from the explosive sounds. However, calling emergency services for fireworks use alone can overload the system, impacting firefighting and injury response times.
To limit the impact on BOEC staff answering 9-1-1 calls, the city launched a reporting form at portland.gov/fireworks in July 2025. The form collects information about fireworks use to assist officials in identifying hotspots and later to support public education about Portland’s fireworks ban. People can use the same form this New Year’s Eve or call 3-1-1. Non-English-speaking Portlanders can request a bilingual speaker to join the call for assistance. The City reports that increased staffing, public education, and the reporting form reduced 9-1-1 calls by 13 percent during the 2025 July 4th holiday, improving public safety response times by allowing dispatchers to focus on emergency calls. Additionally, the average wait time that day was 8 seconds, down from 26 seconds in 2024 and 70 seconds in 2023.
To help Portlanders celebrate responsibly, the City will provide two free New Year’s Eve illuminated Drone Shows downtown at Pioneer Courthouse Square. Activities start at 8 p.m. December 31st with a “Video Dance Attack Party.” Then, at 9 p.m., people who don’t want to stay out late can view a family-friendly drone show. For those wanting an official countdown, the second drone show starts just before midnight. Food and beverage vendors will sell refreshments throughout the event, which concludes at 12:30 a.m. on January 1st, 2026. Planners encouraged attendees to take TriMet to the event and to stay safe as they head into 2026.
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Three Montavilla car lots sit empty along 82nd Avenue at the end of 2025, marking a shift in an area known as Portland’s used car destination for budget-conscious buyers. It is not uncommon for locations to change tenants and for lots to relocate within the area. However, some auto industry businesses blame City-led changes to infrastructure and potential tax increases for adding to their operating pressures.
Empty Hood To Coast Auto Sales lot at 428 SE 82nd Ave
Hood To Coast Auto Sales relocated to 428 SE 82nd Avenue in 2021, having outgrown a location near NE Sandy Boulevard and NE 138th Avenue. From the prominent SE Stark Street corner, owners Lindsey Barber and Matt Barber ran the used-car lot for four years until staff recently cleared out the inventory in November. By mid December, the lot was empty, and the property’s owner, Harry John, placed a “for rent” sign on the sales lot’s fence.
Empty 82nd Auto Mall lot at 1164 SE 82nd Ave
82nd Auto Mall recently closed its 1164 SE 82nd Avenue location this year, as the property’s owner seeks to sell the three-quarter-acre site that once housed a Triple XXX Drive-In. Previously, the used auto sales lot bounced around the area with a stint at 1205 SE 82nd Avenue from 2003 to 2009. It served customers from 707 SE 82nd Avenue in 2010 and 2011, then moved back to 1205 SE 82nd Avenue in 2013, before setting up in its last location around 2021.
Empty sales lot at 707 SE 82nd Ave last used as an expansion lot by Atlas Motors
Atlas Motors expanded from its 605 SE 82nd Avenue location to the adjacent vehicle sales lot at 707 SE 82nd Avenue around 2012. Royal Motors and 82nd Auto Mall previously worked from the space. This fall, Atlas Motors consolidated its inventory to its original lot and vacated the expansion space. Sales Manager at Atlas Motors, Madjid Okhovat, explained that it is not a lack of vehicles impacting these changes. From his perspective, it is interference by local and state governments.
Empty sales lot at 707 SE 82nd Ave last used as an expansion lot by Atlas Motors
Nationally, automotive sales are declining in some segments. On December 16th, the U.S. Census Bureau released data on national retail and food sales for October, showing a 1.6% drop in motor vehicle and auto parts sales. However, that data focuses on the new- and late-model used-vehicle market. Cars on 82nd Avenue primarily fall into the below $15,000 segment, which is less volatile. Okhovat said that customers he sees shopping for a car on 82nd Avenue are budget-conscious. “Most people shopping on 82nd Avenue are working-class people with blue-collar jobs who need dependable cars to get to work, spending $7,000 to $10,000… Now people are also having trouble making that fit into their budget.” He noted that the average age of vehicles on the road is creeping to 13 years old, as people avoid the cost of an upgrade. At the same time, new vehicle prices approach $50,000, and late-model used cars still sell for substantially more than the average 82nd Avenue price, driving commuters to 82nd Avenue for affordable options.
Okhovat noted that not all car sales lots along the former State Highway are reputable, and some bad behavior toward customers has given 82nd Avenue a lower reputation. He says Atlas Motors will repeatedly encounter customers who bought a vehicle with significant issues from another lot and found the seller is no longer in business or unwilling to help. A recent Reddit conversation echoed that perception, with several commenters stating that Atlas had treated them well in comparison.
Recently installed center-lane raised medians in front of Atlas Motors at SE Washington St looking south
When asked about the conspicuously vacant lots surrounding his workplace, Madjid Okhovat said he felt it was due to pressures from local officials. He explained that new center-lane raised medians were recently installed by the City in front of Atlas Motors, and that the former Hood to Coast lots block left turns into their property. He also noted that proposed plans for 82nd Avenue Transit and Safety Improvements will extend those medians south to similarly block 707 SE 82nd Avenue and the former 82nd Auto Mall lots. He feels that those changes, along with the possibility that Portland could convert the outer travel lanes on 82nd Avenue into Business Access and Transit (BAT) lanes, weaken the future prosperity of a used-car business in the area. Selling used vehicles in the lower price range has many risks, and Okhovat said that current and pending fees impacting the automotive industry are making it tough for buyers with limited funds. Consequently, he thinks, used vehicle sellers are anticipating a challenging marketplace and can no longer operate at the same level they have been.
These current car lot vacancies may be a coincidence of timing in the business cycle of used car sales on 82nd Avenue. However, operators willing to discuss their experiences along 82nd Avenue are not optimistic about the future prosperity of automotive-oriented businesses on the avenue. Atlas Motors has a long history in the area that they intend to build on, and it is possible that vacant lots will fill with another similar business, but at the moment, the empty spaces have attracted the attention of the community as a visible signal of change.
Article and photos by
Jacob Loeb
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 December 19th, Portland Water Bureau (PWB) announced a complete switch to groundwater from Portland’s Columbia South Shore Well Field in response to higher amounts of organic material suspended in the Bull Run Watershed after this week’s heavy rainstorm. City ratepayers receive water from two primary sources that utility operators can switch between or blend together based on supply and environmental conditions. Groundwater sources are often activated by PWB during the dry summer season, as the Bull Run water supply diminishes in capacity, and they try to extend its availability by mixing the two sources. However, water from wells can take over for Bull Run if that source is threatened by wildfire contamination or by turbidity from excessive rain.
A similar event occurred in November 2022, when a massive rain event increased the flow of streams feeding the Bull Run watershed, contributing to a rapid increase in organic material washed into the supply, which takes time to settle. Almost a million people depend on water supplied by the Water Bureau. Long-term investments have added well-water sources to the City’s water supply, enhancing resiliency against weather-related events. The new Bull Run filtration facility, when it comes online, should reduce the need to switch to groundwater after storms. Federal water quality regulations require PBW to activate the extra water treatment capability by September 2027. The filtration facility will remove sediment, organic material, and other contaminants, including disease-causing microorganisms that could threaten drinking water safety.
The Portland Water Bureau assures residents that the Columbia South Shore Well Field water supply meets or surpasses all federal and state drinking water regulations. However, they make it a policy to notify the public when activating groundwater sources so sensitive water users can take precautions. Ratepayers can sign up at the Portland Water Bureau’s website to receive notifications regarding changes to the water system. In 2022, that took less than 30 days. Customers with questions should call the Water Line at 503-823-7525 and watch for updates to this article when Portland’s water system returns to 100 percent Bull Run watershed-sourced water.
Update December 27, 2025: The Portland Water Bureau reactivated the Bull Run water supply after elevated turbidity from heavy rains subside. It can take up to two weeks for the system to completely clear of groundwater and deliver 100% watershed sourced water. Ratepayers may notice a tea like color in the Bull Run water as harmless fine organic matter continues to settle within the reservoirs post storm.
Article and photo by
Jacob Loeb
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As part of the 82nd Avenue Transit Project currently under development, Oregon Metro and TriMet have launched a survey to gauge the impact of station construction on recreational and historic areas along the planned Bus Rapid Transit route. Provided details and several questions focus on work to convert the existing bus stop in front of the Montavilla Community Center, at 8219 NE Glisan Street, into an FX–Frequent Express station. Additional improvements impacting the recreational center include widening the connecting sidewalk along Montavilla Park’s NE 82nd Avenue frontage.
Transit line improvements will provide faster bus service along 82nd Avenue from the Cully neighborhood to Clackamas Town Center through a partnership between TriMet, the Portland Bureau of Transportation, the Oregon Department of Transportation, and Metro. The project offers several components that will impact 72 bus riders and street users along the route. Draft plans will transform some sections of the pedestrian zone near stations by improving sidewalks where they connect to new boarding platforms, offering covered seating, lighting, trash cans, and digital signage similar to some FX2 stops on SE Division Street.
Expanding the sidewalk width along Montavilla Park’s western edge and creating the FX station would push the property line eastward towards a row of mature trees, making 1,300 square feet of parkland public right-of-way. Construction crews would stage materiel along the worksite using 1.37% of the adjacent park property for temporary access. TriMet expects construction work to begin in 2027 and last around two months. Visitors will retain access to the park and community center throughout the project.
Montavilla Park site diagram courtesy TriMet and Metro
Transit planners have asked community members to complete several surveys meant to guide the 82nd Avenue Transit Project. However, this outreach is designed to share specific information about park, recreational, and historic resources in the project corridor that pertain to federal regulations governing the transit planning process. Section 4(f) of the U.S. Department of Transportation Act prevents harm to publicly owned parks, recreation areas, and historic sites that are along this transportation project’s path. The survey documents explain that “transportation agencies must show there is no feasible and prudent alternative and that all possible measures are taken to minimize harm.”
The other federal regulation under consideration is Section 106, which requires federal agencies to consider a project’s impact on historic properties. The Milepost 5 Apartments—originally the German Baptist Old People’s Home—at 823 NE 82nd Avenue is on the National Register of Historic Places (NHRP), and designs will need to minimize impact to that site. TriMet plans to remove the bus stop and shelter in front of that property and build a new FX station 300 feet north on the same block. Historians and archaeologists will evaluate the history, setting, and characteristics of older buildings and sites to determine whether any other resources in the project area are eligible for listing on the NHRP.
National Register of Historic Places registered German Baptist Old People’s Home at 823 NE 82nd Avenue (now Milepost 5 Apartments)
Survey questions allow community guidance on preservation considerations and gather comments on plans that could impact recreational spaces along 82nd Avenue, which may be affected by the transit development. The survey is available until January 18th, 2026.
Disclosure: The author of this article previously served on the 82nd Avenue Transit Project Community Advisory Committee (CAC).
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Cleanup crews from Central City Concern (CCC) began providing basic sidewalk cleaning services in Montavilla’s major business corridors in October. The Public Environment Management Office (PEMO), part of Portland Solutions, contracted with the employment opportunity program operator to improve conditions around neighborhood economic centers, aiming to create safer, more welcoming spaces. The rollout’s timing coincides with the critical holiday shopping season when small businesses depend on customers coming out to local storefronts and shopping within the community.
CCC crew member Victor Leon collecting litter from NE 82nd Ave and Glisan St
In November alone, CCC Crew 3 removed 8,820 pounds of trash from City sidewalks in Montavilla and parts of East Portland. Cleanup crews work on a fixed schedule determined by need and resources, using trikes in areas closer to the city center and logoed trucks farther out in areas with larger volumes of trash. With this new program, contractors visit Portland’s busiest locations to clean up trash and biohazards from sidewalks on a weekly, bi-monthly, or quarterly cadence, depending on conditions in the area, and adjust their schedule based on demand. In the Montavilla area, workers will maintain SE Stark Street from 76th to 82nd Avenues, 82nd Avenue from SE Stark Street to NE Pacific Street, and NE Glisan Street from 81st to 84th Avenues. Crews will also maintain a well-used route to school along NE 82nd Avenue from NE Thompson Street to NE Klickitat Street.
CCC and Portland Solutions logoed truck already half full of removed trash
In addition to CCC, PEMO contracts with Cultivate Initiatives in areas further east of 82nd Avenue. The citywide program focuses on spaces where people walk to school, work, shop, and enjoy neighborhood amenities. Cleaning crews sweep sidewalks, pick up litter, clean biohazards, and pressure wash outdoor surfaces when needed. The staff will also remove graffiti from city-owned street elements, including bike racks, utility meters, and trashcans. In addition to improving conditions on impacted streets, the funds support homeless-to-work employment programs that provide opportunities for people seeking pathways to stability and long-term employment.
CCC crew member Charlie Smelser collecting litter from NE 82nd Ave by Montavilla Park
CCC crew member Charlie Smelser explained that his group parks the truck at a central location within the assigned areas, then the three to four-person crew fans out with rolling trash cans to collect any improperly discarded items from public spaces. He noted that they also check the condition of city-owned trash cans to ensure people have functional options for disposing of trash.
PEMO’s expanded efforts built upon a 2024 collaboration in the Gateway Service District, with the City developing the concept and managing contracts. A three-year partnership between the City of Portland, Multnomah County, and TriMet funds the work in Gateway, with each partner contributing $100,000 a year for its initial duration. Primary funding for the augmented cleanup area, including Montavilla, comes from PEMO’s $1.7 million annual budget allocation by the Portland City Council.
CCC crew member Charlie Smelser crossing NE 82nd Ave at NE Glisan St
Collecting litter is an endless cycle, but without regular cleanings, well-traveled locations show signs of neglect. This city service can help keep visible areas of Portland cleaner and more welcoming, while supporting small businesses that often lack time and funds to clean the public spaces. Funding for this expanded cleanup depends on Portland Solutions’ budget and support. However, its perceived success could encourage the adoption of a sidewalk cleaning program as a permanent City service, much as a Jade district trial program led to the 2020 expansion of public trash cans across Portland. People can expect to see cleanup crews in the City’s business districts performing basic sidewalk cleaning into 2026 as the program continues to develop.
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Starting in the middle of December, Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) maintenance crews will return to the Montavilla area to grade and re-gravel unpaved residential streets as part of the City’s Gravel Street Service enacted in 2018. The program rotates crews on a three-year cycle between areas of the city, working from November through February, mostly on weekdays, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. PBOT last restored the gravel streets in this area during the 2022-2023 season. However, this time, workers have one less street to service since contractors working for PBOT paved NE Everett Street from NE 76th Avenue to NE 78th Avenue, reopening the roadway and new sidewalks in September 2023.
Portland has over 50 miles of gravel streets, which the City is not obligated to maintain because they were never built to the required standards for transfer of responsibility. Those neglected streets are in poor condition but remain part of the public right-of-way. PBOT offers the service without cost to adjacent residents. This program aims to keep the street grid connected without forcing the costly paving of streets that often require property owners to contribute substantial funds to a Local Improvement District. The Fixing Our Streets program is funded by a voter-approved 10-cent-per-gallon gas tax that Portlanders renewed for an additional four years in the May 2024 election. Residents living along the unmaintained gravel roads will receive a letter informing them when road crews will start work. City staff will drop off door hangers and “No Parking” signs a few days before work begins. Parking in the work area may be limited, and traffic restrictions are often necessary.
PBOT’s Gravel Street Service crews will fill ruts and potholes or completely regrade and gravel streets to create a smoother surface. In severe cases, workers need to remove the top layer of gravel down below the potholes. Then lay and compact new gravel on the flat base just created. However, project leaders will assess each street’s need and may not place new gravel. Most segments take about two days, but could take longer depending on the length and condition of the road. Nearby residents should prepare for dust and noise at times. However, people will always have access to their homes during the project. Crews will start the 2025-2026 graveling season in the Richmond, Hosford-Abernethy, Buckman, and Sunnyside area, before moving northward to Southeast neighborhoods north of Division Street, including Montavilla.
PBOT asks residents and drivers to look for crews working in the roadway and obey instructions on signs and from flaggers while they are re-graveling. Although the project is scheduled during business hours, in some cases, they may need to do some weekend work. Despite any short-term inconvenience, the outcome is a more functional street that should hold up for another three years until crews return in 2028.
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Sadie Veterinary Urgent Care at 8037 SE Stark Street will expand into the adjacent storefront that most recently hosted Union Rose before it relocated to the Plural Collective in Sellwood. Pending building permit approval, renovation work on the neighboring space will begin in the first half of 2026, with an anticipated completion in the summer. The frequently busy care center for cats and dogs will remain open during renovations, with minor disruptions as staff reorganize the facility to make better use of the significantly larger space.
Front desk and entrance to hallway that will extend into the new space
Sadie Veterinary co-owner Dr. Cindy Galbreath explained that this expansion was needed almost from the time the clinic opened in November 2022. “Honestly, we were busy from day one. We’ve had a consistent caseload over the last three years, serving about 25 to 30 patients per day between two doctors.” The team was already maxed out on reasonable operating hours, with little room to expand them for greater capacity during the times patients needed them most. As an urgent care facility, they do not schedule visits weeks in advance except for follow-up treatments. They are open every day of the week except Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., with pet owners calling to schedule a visit for the day or have staff place them on a wait list.
Signature Sadie Veterinary mural by Alex Probain waiting room
With a predictably full wait list, the three owners of Sadie Veterinary Urgent Care jumped at the chance to expand into the neighboring 1,400-square-foot space at 8029 SE Stark Street. They currently work within a 2,400-square-foot space that includes four exam rooms, the reception desk and waiting room, treatment area, onsite lab, x-ray room, short-stay kennel, and other administrative and staff-only spaces. The expansion will focus on adding exam rooms, doubling the available space for patient visits by building five rooms and a second shared hand-washing station. Towards the end of the renovation, they will have a small amount of demolition at the front of the building. “Our lobby is very small. Part of our expansion will be taking out exam room one and expanding our lobby so that we can have more people comfortably up here,” said Galbreath.
Image showing empty Union Rose storefront with adjacent Sadie Veterinary location on SE Stark St
People and animals will continue to use the current corner entrance, even though the expanded footprint includes another sidewalk-accessible doorway. Galbreath explained that a second entrance would require an additional reception desk and disrupt operational flow. “We’re going to snake this hallway around the back of the building, and we’ll have essentially a giant U hallway that will be accessible to clients,” explained Galbreath. “All of our exam rooms will be off that U-shaped hallway.” The central connector will need to curve past one of their two existing restrooms in the back, and the architectural design incorporates adding an existing restroom on the other side of the dividing wall for the expansion, giving them three total. The work will require moving the water heater, along with other significant alterations to the space. However, the renovation design will minimize impact to essential operations and shift the office flow around the now central treatment and surgical rooms. This approach will improve the working environment for the 20 to 25 staff who constantly need to shuffle animals and their owners throughout the facility for treatment.
Treatment room
The new leased space came with one extra vehicle stall in the lot behind the building, and expanded parking capacity for the animal urgent care to six spaces. When completed, they anticipate adding more doctors beyond the six veterinarians already employed to increase their daily capacity. Galbreath, along with her partners Dr. Jenica Wycoff and Dr. Malia Goodell, considered options to expand the business but has remained committed to the historic Montavilla downtown. “We really love being a part of Montavilla. We’re sad to see Union Rose go, but we really like this location and this building,” said Galbreath. “We feel really fortunate to have landed in this space originally.” She noted they could have opened a second location or relocated to a larger space, but felt expansion was the best option. “I think the location works really well for our clients. This is an accessible area, and we serve a lot of people in Montavilla as well. Additionally, we have good relationships with the primary care vets in this area, with a lot of referrals from the local veterinarians,” explained Galbreath.
Short stay kennel space
Construction timelines for the expansion are far from firm, but they anticipate six months for building permit approval and another two or three months for construction. That should put them at the back half of the warmer months, which is a critical time for their work. “Summer is our busiest time. Across the board in veterinary medicine, it tends to be,” said Galbreath. “I think in part because animals are more active, the weather is better, people are out and about with their pets, who are more susceptible to traumatic injuries.” She noted that people are also more observant of their animals during that time. “People are home with their pets more in the summer, and when people are home, looking at their pets, they’re more prone to discover issues.” However, if the building timelines take longer than hoped, Galbreath says they will appreciate its completion at any time. “We have other times of the year that are busy, and we generally tend to just stay pretty consistently busy throughout the year.”
One of the four existing exam rooms
Sadie Veterinary’s owners hope people will bear with them during construction. Galbreath explained they anticipate the improvements will ultimately provide a better care experience. “We’ll all feel better not feeling like we have to rush people out of exam rooms. I feel like we outgrew this space within our first few months of operation.” With more rooms, the care team can minimize juggling patients in and out of rooms, resulting in a lower-stress visit. Additionally, they can serve more pets quickly and say yes to urgent requests. “We all want to be able to say yes to these cases, to these sick animals,” said Galbreath. “Being able to tell people yes instead of putting them on a wait list. I think it’s gonna feel really good for everyone.”
Sadie Veterinary owners’ departed dogs with namesake in the center
Update December 9, 2025: Added muralist name Alex Proba to photo
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