Last Thursday night on June 20th, Fressen Artisan Bakery opened its seasonal Biergarten, offering beer, wine, and a dinner menu. At the start of summer, Fressen at 7075 NE Glisan Street runs nighttime service Thursday through Saturday every week until the end of the Oktoberfest season. Diners can enjoy pretzels, Schnitzel, and house-made spaetzle egg noodles alongside a selection of beers on tap. The traditional German bakery is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday during the summer, with the Biergarten operating a few of those evenings from 5 to 9 p.m.
Guests order from the counter and can find seating under the covered outdoor patio or one of several inside tables. Glass-paneled garage doors connect the two seating areas when open, and subtle German music heard throughout the restaurant adds to the cultural flavors of the space. The seven-item Biergarten menu offers two salads with shredded green and red cabbage or endives as its base. Their charcuterie board contains olives, house pickles, schiacciata salami, goat cheese, baba ghanoush, and a house-baked baguette. For a meatier option, Fressen serves the Nuernberger sausage board with sweet house mustard, house pickles, and pretzel. The house-made spaetzle noodles are served vegetarian with melted leeks, mushrooms, and garlic in a white wine sauce, or the chef combines the spaetzle with smoked gouda, caramelized onions, and garlic in a brandy sauce. The chicken schnitzel served with fried potato salad, red sauerkraut, and dill aioli is an impressive and filling option.
Many diners gravitate towards SE Stark Street when making evening plans. However, NE Glisan Street continues to build on its own collection of eateries and bars. People looking for a unique late-week experience should consider Fressen’s Biergarten while it is open and venture out on NE Glisan to experience the growing number of destinations along the street.
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Q – When did the Montavilla Park swimming pool open?
A – The public swimming pool in Montavilla Park formally opened on July 28, 1930, nine years after the park itself. In the park’s early years, other types of recreation took priority. Two baseball diamonds were built in 1921, a playground in 1925, and tennis courts in 1927.
Montavilla Pool 2023, photo by Jacob Loeb
Of course, a pool and accompanying building were more expensive, costing $30,000. They were designed by Portland architect Roscoe Hemenway (1899-1959). At the time, Hemenway was just beginning his architectural career, but later, he became a favorite of Portland’s elite. His original building has been added to and altered over the years, so the current Community Center and gym have a much different look.
Group of children at Montavilla Park Pool. August 16, 1935 (Portland Archives)
From the beginning, the Montavilla pool was extremely popular. Soon after opening, it attracted 2,200 bathers a day. Because of its heavy use, a new 1931 state health law required a filtration system to keep bacteria within safe limits. This improvement cost $10,300.
This is part of a new segment at Montavilla News called Montavilla History Questions Answered. 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 post on this page.
This Friday, June 21st, BoneJax will host a free literary event featuring authors reading excerpts from their recently published short stories collected in the “Defining Moments” anthology. From 7 to 8:30 p.m. people can gather in the vintage home furnishings store at 8040 SE Stark Street to listen to stories from LGBTQ+ lives and ask questions of the authors. Attendees can bring copies of the book purchased online or from BoneJax to the event for signing.
Six of “Defining Moments: Essential queer stories'” 15 authors will attend the event. The collection highlights short stories from writers of various backgrounds navigating societal challenges as they work towards self-acceptance and empowerment. The narratives offer insight into the complexities of LGBTQ+ lives at defining moments overlooked by mainstream accounts of those experiences.
Image courtesy Our Bold Voices
Since Montavilla’s branch library closed in November 1981, local literary events have become increasingly infrequent. However, Montavilla businesses have made space for authors over the years, allowing residents convenient access to writers and their work. Consider starting your weekend on SE Stark Street with dinner or drinks before heading to BoneJax for this engaging evening event.
Defining Moments: Essential queer stories – Authors List (* indicates June 21st speakers)
Montavilla Pool will not open on June 20th alongside Portland Parks & Recreation’s (PP&R) other outdoor pools. The seasonal public swimming facility requires the fabrication and installation of a new pool drain cover to meet federal safety compliance for pools and spas. The pool has been closed to the public since August 25th, 2023, when a young swimmer was found unresponsive in the pool and later died. Aquatic maintenance staff could not complete upgrades earlier due to an ongoing independent safety review instigated by last summer’s tragedy. The incident was PP&R’s first fatal drowning in nearly 40 years.
Drain cover crews will replaced seen in lower right
Work at the site will require an excavator and other heavy machinery to open up the pool’s concrete base, exposing the plumbing to maintenance staff. The contractor expects to complete the work at Montavilla Pool on or before July 22nd, 2024. The 2024 pool season concludes on August 23rd for all outdoor swim facilities, so this delay truncates Montavilla Pool’s available class capacity. People who have already registered for a Summer Session 1 lesson from July 1st to 12th can participate in the East Portland Community Center (EPCC) programs. Registrants could also receive a full refund if EPCC is not a suitable alternative. Montavilla Pool staff will temporarily transfer to EPCC pool to assist customers who have signed up for swim lessons and summer swim team activities at Montavilla and have shifted locations during the construction closure.
PP&R will launch a new Safe Swim hub on June 17th, featuring swim safety resources for indoor and outdoor swimmers. Parks leadership expressed a commitment to making the future swimming season safer through equipment upgrades and education. If crews complete pool construction before July 22nd, Montavilla News will update this article.
When Portland Public Schools close for summer on June 14th, families will need a way to fill the gap left in their children’s daytime schedule. For many kids, school offers activities and services beyond education. Some students rely on school as their only structured playtime with peers and depend on the free lunch program for a midday meal. Thanks to funds provided by the 2020 voter-approved Parks Local Option Levy, the Free Lunch + Play program offers children 18 years old and younger weekday activities without registration or cost. From June 24th to August 16th, kids can show up at 22 parks citywide for recreational activities and a nutritious lunch.
Montavilla Park at 8219 NE Glisan Street, Gateway Discovery Park at 10520 NE Halsey Street, and Lents Park at SE 92 Avenue and SE Steele Street will host Free Lunch + Play activities for Montavilla area residents. The Monday through Friday parks program runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with meal service times shifting based on location. Parks employees will organize games and other group activities throughout the four-hour sessions. The program staff will take July 4th and 5th off in observance of the national holiday.
Portland Public Schools, Centennial School District, Parkrose School District, and David Douglas School District will provide all the meal packs that adhere to the USDA Federal Lunch Program regulations. Youth must attend in person to receive meals and eat all the food on-site. Foodservice occurs only during stated mealtimes. For Montavilla Park, that is from noon to 1:30 p.m. At Lents Park, food is available from 11:30 a.m. through 1 p.m. Gateway Discovery Park has a shorter mealtime window of 11 to 11:45 a.m. Staff will require everyone to wash their hands before receiving food.
Free Lunch + Play is part of Portland Parks & Recreation’s (PP&R) Summer Free For All program. It also includes activities at PP&R outdoor pools, open from June 20th through August 23rd. Six outdoor pools will host a weekly free swim session in addition to regularly scheduled swim lessons, open play swims, and water fitness offerings. Montavilla’s pool offers free swim sessions on Tuesdays from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. People will find a complete list of Summer Free For All’s inclusive and family-friendly activities on the PP&R website. The programming celebrates Portland’s diverse cultures and local artists while providing fitness, food, and entertainment opportunities.
Last May, Rose City Reimagined purchased the 1925-era single-family residence at 604 SE 78th Avenue and the adjacent 50-foot by 50-foot lot that served as the home’s backyard. Development team Dallis Raynor and Antoine Dean began work to restore the original home, which had suffered years of neglect and damage from squatters. Crews will spend the next 45 days updating the 1,028-square-foot house as they prepare it for sale. The team will then create two new affordable homes on the unbuilt lot to the south.
Dallis Raynor explained that the house was in poor condition when they purchased the properties, and conditions at the site impacted area livability. “There was a lot of deferred maintenance, and it has been a real problem in the neighborhood for some years now. Portland police were present at the property pretty frequently. The squatters had taken over the home, and they’ve had ongoing problems with drug usage. It’s been a real nuisance for the community for quite some time now,” said Raynor. The previous owner left the site vacant for several years, allowing the corner lot to become overgrown and generating repeated Nuisance Complaints.
604 SE 78th Avenue before crews installed a new roof
Eventually, the previous owner contacted a real estate agent to help sell the property. The Realtor knew the owners of Rose City Reimagined and their experience rehabilitating similar properties. “We deal with a lot of homes that have been taken over by squatters or where owners have become somewhat of a hoarder,” said Raynor. That experience allowed the team to approach the project with an eye toward preservation. “I think a lot of people thought it was a likely teardown, but as bad as it looked on the outside, it actually was very straightforward with no real structural damage,” recalled Raynor. “But it was very gross. I mean, they’ve been living without water, sewer, or electricity in there for quite some time. We had a lot of cleanup to do.”
604 SE 78th Avenue after crews installed a new roof
After a deep cleaning, crews began restoring the nearly 100-year-old home. “We try to keep as much of the original finishes in the house as we can, so the floors will be refinished, and the floor plan will stay the same,” said Raynor. They will install new windows for higher heating efficiency and expect to replace the electrical panel in the home. Workers will completely refresh the bathroom and kitchen, modernizing the house in those critical spaces.
604 SE 78th Avenue seen from SE Washington Street
Raynor was impressed with the local support for this project. “The neighbors are really active in the community, and they’re thrilled that something is being done with the property.” Raynor said many people have visited the site to exchange information, offering to help keep an eye on the property until new residents move in. It seemed apparent to the developers that the community wanted this house alive again with active owners.
Portland Maps image with MV News illustrations. Blue box shows north property with original house. Red square shows site of future affordable homes.
In addition to new landscaping, crews will install a fence on SE Washington Street to give future residents some privacy from the active pedestrian walkway along that street. The development team will also erect a fence between the two lots, making space for a forthcoming housing project with modest density. “We’re hoping for two units, smaller, affordable starter homes that fit the landscape. We don’t want to overbuild on the area,” said Raynor. The team has not finalized any plans for the new homes; instead, they are concentrating on the restoration project. However, when that work is complete, they expect to begin the permitting process for the next development phase. Look for realtors to list the original home this summer and for construction crews to break ground on new homes in the near future.
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Starting June 10th, Portland trash haulers will collect appropriately contained batteries with curbside glass recycling. City residents with trash service at a house, duplex, triplex, or fourplex should place used batteries in a clear, sealed one-quart bag and set it on top of glass recyclables. Labeled alkaline batteries can go straight into the bag, while all others need the positive and negative terminals covered by tape to prevent fires.
Photo courtesy BPS
Used battery collection is a significant addition to the roster of curbside collectible waste. It can potentially reduce Battery-caused fires in garbage trucks and waste-processing facilities. Those dangerous conditions have increased dramatically in recent years due to expanded battery use, costing millions of dollars in damage and putting workers’ lives in danger.
Devices containing batteries and loose power cells should never go into the trash. Local nonprofits like Free Geek and some retailers make battery-containing e-recycling possible. However, many people have needed a low-barrier way to dispose of loose batteries at home. The Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability’s (BPS) new service provides a convenient method for residential trash collection customers. People in apartments and businesses will need to find a drop-off battery recycling option by contacting Metro’s Recycling Information Center Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 503-234-3000, or by visiting their website: www.oregonmetro.gov/askmetro.
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The new owner of a corner lot at 9144 SE Alder Street will construct three new townhomes on the backside of an existing 1947-era single-family residence. Each new townhouse will offer residents around 1,400 square feet of living space spanning three levels. The new homes will contain three bedrooms with two-and-a-half bathrooms. Units will face SE 92nd Avenue and receive addresses on that street.
Image from Portland Maps
The property’s owner, James Kosta, describes the new structures as two and a half stories tall, with the third bedroom in the standing-height attic area. Dormers looking out onto SE 92nd Avenue will provide additional upper-level floor space and scenic views. Kosta’s BW Construction company has built housing east of Interstate 205 for many years, and they are now expanding to areas west thanks to the zoning code changes implemented by Portland officials in the Residential Infill Project. That package of code updates allows additional housing on most lots in the City.
Property frontage along SE 92nd Avenue
Kosta has spent the last 50 years building homes and is a proponent of affordable housing construction. His company often utilizes Portland’s program that offers builder tax abatement incentives to create new homes priced in the middle of the housing market. The three units will sell to buyers earning at or below the median family income (MFI) level for a four-person household, which is $116,900 as of April 2024. The income restriction will adjust upward for larger families. The program also caps townhome prices at $455,000 as of 2024. However, units can sell for less based on market interest from qualifying home buyers. Income limits and the sale price cap adjust annually based on median home sales and Portland Metropolitan area income reports evaluated by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Existing 1947-era single-family residence
BW Construction is a family-owned company based in Oregon. James Kosta’s daughter is a partner in the housing development business. They do not plan on using Middle Housing Land division for this project at SE 92nd Avenue and Alder Street. The homes will sell as condominiums with a small Home Owners Association (HOA) covering shared property costs. Permit applications do not include additional on-site parking for this development, but the corner lot has curbside parking along both streets. Building permit approval timelines and other considerations will push the start of construction into 2025. When completed, the new homes will add family housing options just three blocks from a park and school while maintaining the existing house.
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After a two-year delay, the new owner of 37 NE 78th Avenue will continue the eight-unit townhome development first proposed in 2022. The new homes will span two buildings, flanking a shared center driveway. The six off-street units will stand three stories tall and have an attached single-car garage. The two street-facing units offer two floors of living space and will not include attached parking for residents.
In 2021, a previous developer purchased the 1890-era building, planning to construct several homes on the doublewide lot. After seeking Early Assistance for a rowhouse complex, the previous owner worked with an architect to develop building plans but then halted work on the project. In March 2024, Wasatch Credit Association took over the property and sold it to Mark Wilde of Wilde Properties, a frequent contributor to the Montavilla area housing market.
Portland Maps image of 37 NE 78th Avenue
Wilde explained that the lender contacted him about the townhouse project after the bank foreclosed on the property, offering him the land and plan sets for the project as a package. Mark Wilde does not often build townhomes, instead focusing on detached houses or apartment buildings. However, this project was ready to build and had other attributes Wilde felt would make a successful development. “I like projects that have off-street parking and garages. It’s getting harder to do that in the city of Portland. So I’m generally attracted to those kinds of projects,” said Wilde. He also intends to sell all units to buyers earning at or below the median family income (MFI) level for a four-person household. This buyer restriction is part of a Portland program offering builders incentives to create new homes in the middle of the housing market. Portland’s MFI annual income limit for incentives is $116,900 as of April 2024.
This development will use Middle Housing Land Division (MHLD) to create distinct properties for each home, avoiding the need for condo-style Home Owners Association fees. Wilde explained that MHLD simplifies the infill development process and creates a better housing product for buyers. “I think it’s a fantastic idea. It really makes the land use process more efficient. I think it’s going to help with housing affordability in Portland when we don’t have to spend as much time and money on simple land use.”
The six back units will offer around 1,400 square feet of living space with three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms. The two street-facing units will provide residents under 1,000 square feet of space and two bedrooms. Demolition crews will remove the existing single-family home and open-sided carport ahead of construction. Although it is a century-old home, many modern updates to the structure have removed most of its historical significance and past owners let it fall into disrepair. Mark Wilde hopes to start construction before the end of the year. Look for activity on the site to pick up this fall, with eight new homes coming to NE 78th Avenue next year.
Article and photos by
Jacob Loeb
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On Thursday, June 6th, Ranch Pizza will open its eighth location at 7940 SE Stark Street on Montavilla’s historic main street. That same morning, the pizzeria’s sister business, Loro Coffee, will welcome customers from its second location, which shares this storefront. Ranch Pizza owners intend to make the Stark Street location the home base for their growing organization, using it to develop new ideas for their local restaurant chain.
Over the last seven months, partners Eric Wood and Richard Corey have been in an expansion mode, opening Loro Coffee’s first location inside the new Beaverton Ranch Pizza shop in October 2023. They next completed their Hillsboro pizzeria in April. After a short rest, their team is at it again in Montavilla. All this work makes up for time lost to shutdowns and economic uncertainty. “Beaverton opened after a pretty long pause; it took extra long to build out, and we had some difficulty coming out of the pandemic,” recalled Wood.
Both Ranch locations’ openings this year developed out of two enticing opportunities that happened to occur at the same time. “Hillsboro and this one are both similar in that we were taking over existing restaurant spaces, which from a building build-out standpoint is always a lot easier. The one in Hillsboro happened to already be a pizza restaurant. That was super easy. It was relatively new, so we didn’t feel like it was in our best interest to pour a bunch of money into it if we didn’t have to, [just] for the sake of changing it,” said Wood.
Hillsboro could have been the only location opening in the first half of 2024 if not for Hungry Heart’s decision to consolidate operations to one location in January. “We had our eyes on Montavilla for a while, both myself and my business partner live in the area. It’s kind of a dream to have that home base location as an owner, and we didn’t feel like we have that where we’re at in the southeast,” explained Wood. With the other cafe location across the river in Beaverton, it has been a challenge for the owners to participate in new coffee tastings or coordinate the specials as much as they would like to. That prompted a search for a location in the Montavilla area with an eye on this SE Stark Street building. “I actually spoke to the landlord of this building about the space right next to ours, which is now a really great board game shop,” recalled Wood. However, adding another restaurant was not ideal for the building’s owner. “But when Jax [Hart of Hungry Heart] approached the landlord about selling their business and scaling back, the landlord reached out to us first, and we were very happy they did. So that’s kind of how that all fell into place.”
Ranch Pizza and Loro Coffee co-owner Eric Wood at the espresso machine
Wood and Corey met Jax Hart through the restaurant transfer process and will carry Hungry Heart Bakery items through the Loro coffee shop, serving many of Hungry Heart’s classic baked goods. In addition to incorporating some of the previous shop’s menu items, Ranch Pizza’s owners kept the existing kitchen and the entire restaurant’s infrastructure, only swapping out a few pieces of equipment. Past visitors to the space will see the same general layout with a complete refresh of the dining room and front counter area. Over the last few months, crews have replaced the casework and lighting and repainted the customer-facing zone.
The Montavilla Ranch Pizza has a unique design that pulls nostalgic inspiration from the pizzerias of people’s childhoods. “We worked with a great design team that goes by the name Each Other and a fantastic woodworker contractor called Context Woodworking. That team also designed the refresh of Yaowarat‘s place across the street,” explained Wood. This project was the first full Ranch Pizza build-out with this design team. Each Other provided branding concepts for Loro Coffee and interior design consulting for the Beaverton Ranch location. For this project, Wood and Corey gave the designers a chance to develop the project from beginning to end while meeting the company’s need to host two distinct businesses. “The challenging part, I think, is keeping it neutral but allowing it to still be an interesting space combining the vibe from the two different brands. They did a great job with it; we’re happy with how it turned out. I feel like this is definitely the template we want to move forward with,” said Wood.
The new seating area supports around 50 guests inside and 40 people outside. The wide sidewalks in front of the building provides a portion of that dining space, but they also wanted to keep the on-street seating. That space needed updates before Portland officials would grant its continued use. “We had to bring that structure up to code, which were new City codes,” said Wood. Crews rebuilt the covered curbside seating space, keeping the original frame but adding new compliant elements. Extra seating is important for the business but comes at the cost of a few on-street parking spaces. Wood acknowledges parking will be challenging, particularly for food delivery drivers, who comprise 25 to 30% of Ranch’s business. However, Wood and his partner are excited about the City’s new dedicated bike parking in front of their shop and its location on the 70’s Greenway that crosses SE Stark Street on 80th Avenue. Wood looks forward to people visiting the new location by various transportation modes.
Ranch Pizza locations offer the same regular menu items at all locations. Wood explained they like to streamline the food selection on the pizza side. With the chain adding locations, he expects the pizza menu to become fully unified between all locations, even synchronizing the rotating special that, up to now, staff independently selected at each location. “Coordinating the ordering and recipes for eight specials is a lot for our operations person to handle,” remarked Wood. However, Loro has more flexibility. They are considering bringing the breakfast focaccia that Beaverton customers have enjoyed to the Montavilla location at some point. Wood describes it as a breakfast pizza made from the Ranch crust. They have not decided on that and will gauge the local tastes before updating the selection.
Starting on June 6th, Loro Coffee’s menu is available from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekends. Ranch pizzas are available every day from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. They could extend coffee service hours if they see customer interest. Wood said they will have a simple Grand opening on the first day and “business as usual from there.”
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Neighborhood news site focused on buildings and changing businesses
