Business Relocating, Food and Drink, New Business

Dollhouse Espresso Opens on SE 82nd

In Late March, Dollhouse Espresso opened its bikini coffee stand at 1133 SE 82nd Avenue and has served caffeinated drinks to drive-through customers every day since. Owner Jessica Cody bought the cart with donations from supporters interested in seeing a woman-owned stand that would create a safe space for the people working there. Although barista attire is a theme of the cart, Cody and her staff strive to deliver well-made coffee, tasty food, and friendly service for all customers.

Jessica Cody has worked as a dancer and bartender for several years. She continues to do that work to help support this new business, some days working from 6 a.m. to 3 a.m. the next day. However, it was her work abroad that gave her a true passion for coffee service. “I used to live in Australia before the pandemic on a working visa. I lived there for about two years, and I managed a really great coffee shop in Perth. That’s where I learned how to make good, authentic coffee,” Cody recalled. That experience and an Australian influence shape some of the drinks on the menu. “I’m bringing a little bit of my experience there, out here, with the style of coffee that I make,” said Cody. “I have normal coffee, and I also do things like Aussie iced coffee, which is iced coffee with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. That’s a staple drink in Australia.”

The Aussie iced coffee is not the only sweet thing on the menu. “I also have real cotton candy and cool candies, different things to make our drinks a unique and cool experience. It’s a lot of fun,” said Cody. The shop also offers traditional breakfast items, including muffins and a French toast breakfast sandwich. On the savory side, Dollhouse Espresso can sell guests egg and cheese, ham and cheese, or sausage breakfast sandwiches. Cody is particularly proud of their feta cheese and spinach brioche wraps. Because of the limited space and a need for fast service, all food is prepared by a partner kitchen in Washington State and heated to serve in the stand on SE 82nd Avenue.

Bikini coffee has a varied history in the Pacific Northwest, and Jessica Cody was an early employee in that industry before moving to Australia. Through that tumultuous experience, she developed her idea for a respectful woman-run business. “I had a very bad experience working at a bikini coffee stand when I first did it years ago. It was called Dream Girls,” recalled Cody. The former owner of Dream Girls now faces charges of sexual abuse and rape, along with other crimes reportedly committed against some of his employees. Cody felt Dollhouse Espresso was an opportunity to come back to bikini coffee from that experience and create a safe place for this type of service. Many of the people working there are her friends, and she operates the stand similar to an employee-run shop.

Part of Cody’s vision for Dollhouse Espresso is to make people feel respected inside and outside the cart. “I feel like we are friendly and welcoming enough for everybody, any part of the community. I try to hire women of all different shapes, sizes, and colors,” said Cody. The organization is LGBTQ-friendly, and Cody says families come through often. “I try to make it exciting for everybody,” explained Cody.

The path to opening this new business has not been without issues and false starts. Dollhouse Espresso opened last year in Vancouver, Washington, operating for just three months. Cody said the landlord raised the rent on her with little notice and caused property damage when she did not pay the increase. In 2024, she had to relocate and regroup. Having lived in the Montavilla during her youth and working in some nearby businesses, this location on SE 82nd felt appropriate for the stand’s long-term home. “The demographics seem great for what I’m trying to do here, especially for girls being in bikinis,” said Cody. So far, customers are responding well to the new location, and Dollhouse Espresso is seeing consistent business. Expanding to more areas is not out of the question for Cody. However, she will focus on building this location into its best version before considering taking on more work.

The shop is currently open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day, but Cody is considering plans to start opening early at 5 a.m. on Monday through Saturday in the near future. The stand can support two drive-through windows, and Cody hopes to reconfigure the cart’s placement to open up that second window. Walk-ups and bicyclists are welcome, but the staff recommends drive-through visits for the safest experience because the stand is in a parking lot.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Infrastructure

NE Halsey Lane Reconfiguration Underway

On April 8th, road painting crews begin work to reconfigure NE Halsey Street between 68th and 81st Avenues. Truck-mounted equipment scrubbed the existing travel lane markings from asphalt while workers affixed temporary plastic reflectors to the removed paint’s location so drivers could continue to use the street. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) expects the contractor to return within a few days to restripe the street in a new configuration. Drivers will lose one travel lane in each direction between NE 68th and 81st Avenues but gain a center turn lane, aiding in safer left turns. Cyclists will receive bike lanes on both sides of NE Halsey Street from NE 68th 81st Avenues.

Construction drawing of NE Halsey Street and 76th Ave, Illustrations courtesy PBOT

PBOT representative Hannah Schafer explained that their pavement marking contractor is waiting for dry weather to restripe the street. Earlier this year, project managers delayed work on a 70s Neighborhood Greenway-related improvement that will create protected crossings at NE 76th Avenue and Halsey Street. Two pedestrian refuge islands and a small raised concrete median on NE Halsey Street will reside in the center turn lane at this intersection. However, cement masons could not begin that work until crews created a center lane by reducing the travel lanes. Crossing improvement work can occur after the contractor completes the street marking work.

Crosswalk closed at NE 76th Avenue and Halsey Street, directing people to the two others that will have protective islands

Residents challenged by the current conditions on this dangerous roadway have advocated for improvements for nearly a decade. Its old four travel lane configuration drops to two lanes west of NE 71st Avenue and east of NE 81st Avenue, creating an odd section of greater vehicle capacity that induces speeding. Reduced travel lanes and better crossings are just some of the updates aimed at making this a safer stretch of road. A new mini roundabout, flashing beacons, and high visibility crosswalk markings will help people cross the street in this area with reduced worry that a driver will not see them.

NE 76th Avenue and Halsey Street crossing that will have a protective pedestrian island

Drivers on NE Halsey Street should expect construction delays as crews paint the asphalt over the next few days and workers begin constructing the in-road safety infrastructure. Pedestrians and cyclists should use extreme caution around incomplete safety improvements and note that traffic pattern changes could distract motorists.

Update: On April 11th, crews with Hicks Striping & Curbing returned to NE Halsey to paint the streets with a new lane configuration and add marked crossings at NE 76th Avenue.

Update: Soon after crews restriped the roadway, cement masons returned to install two pedestrian refuge islands and a small raised concrete median on NE Halsey Street at NE 76th Avenue.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Community, Event

Pet Food Fundraiser for Storefront Repair

On April 13th and 14th, Personal Beast Pet Supply invites people to shop at the store to help fund significant storefront repairs after a person smashed most of their windows. Since January 2024, staff have had to progressively cover the storefront in plywood at 8119 SE Stark Street, replacing broken glass from the acts of a vandal. Artistic pet images decorate the wood panels, while a handwritten sign assures people that the boarded-up shop is open. The store’s owner, Sara Philbrook, is now working to restore the glass and protect it with expensive polycarbonate coverings. This project is more than the shop’s budget can cover, even with support from the building’s owner. So, they worked with local supporters and vendors to develop a fundraiser with multiple ways to participate.

Personal Beast works with family-owned pet food companies and other vendors who regularly support the independent stores selling their products. Some of those brands will donate to the storefront repair for each pound of food sold on April 13th and 14th. Other vendors and supporters have donated goods for baskets that people can try to win in a raffle. Those without a pet can buy pet food to donate to a charity partner or contribute through the GoFundMe campaign.

Many Montavilla businesses have suffered broken windows. Sometimes criminals smash glass during a burglary, but this recent string of damage comes from vandalism, and its frequency is a dramatic change from what the Personal Beast has endured during its fourteen years. “This is the first time we’ve felt the financial burden of vandalism. Specifically, our door was broken the first time last summer,” recalled Philbrook. Other businesses had the same experience in June 2023. Glazers came out and replaced the door glass, and business returned to normal. However, in January 2024, a person was seen on camera breaking the windows next to the door. Then, over the next few months, the person smashed two more windows and the door. Philbrook says the video shows what looks to be the same person throwing rocks. Not all the rocks break the windows on each attempt, and the person never enters the building after breaking the glass.

Personal Beast owner Sara Philbrook sitting in front of plywood covered windows

Although these attacks span months and seem focused, this is not the only store facing similar vandalism. “Unfortunately, I think it’s location. I don’t think that we’re being targeted. I don’t feel like there’s anything that we’ve specifically done that makes us more likely to get hit than another business. I think it’s just that we are in proximity to a major artery,” explained Philbrook. The store is one of the closest storefronts to SE 82nd Avenue and next to the McDonald’s parking lot. Philbrook said they have witnessed several drug-related crimes around the block and feel that their proximity to that behavior may contribute to the recent string of trouble.

Regardless of the issues, this pet store has served the community since 2008, and its owner is committed to remaining in Montavilla. “We’re really happy to be here regardless of what’s going on. As frustrating as it is, knowing that it’s just one person, it’s not like it’s something that we have to look forward to forever, and hopefully she can get some help,” said Philbrook. “Obviously, we’ll be pressing charges, but I understand that mental illness is a real crisis here, and my parents struggled with drug addiction. So, I have a lot of empathy for people who are in active addiction and can’t get services. I hope we can find a way to get her some help and move on from this situation.”

For Personal Beast, the first step in moving forward is replacing the glass panels. However, to protect the windows, they will install Riot Glass® on the outside of existing frames, creating a flexible barrier designed to take the impact of rocks without breaking. Other Portland stores have used this product, and it offers other benefits over cheaper solutions. “It’s one of the only polycarbonates that doesn’t yellow with direct sun exposure, which is why we chose it,” explained Philbrook. “We have this lovely southern exposure here, and any other polycarbonate would discolor so quickly that it wouldn’t be worth it.”

Sara Philbrook and the staff at Personal Beast have maintained a good attitude about the situation and hope the community’s support will help them restore the shop they love. People able to support the storefront improvements should shop there on April 13th and 14th, buy a raffle ticket, or contribute to the GoFundMe campaign. Personal Beast’s renowned shop cat will appreciate any help repairing the windows so they can return to watching over Stark Street again.

Correction: An earlier version of this article had an incorrect event date.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Community, Event

Jade District Planters Project

On April 6th, Jade District organizers will host a series of interactive workshops focusing on greenspaces in East Portland. The two-part workshop takes place from noon to 3 p.m. on April 6th and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 20th. People should sign up online for the free in-person events held inside the APANO Community Space at 8188 SE Division Street. In May 2024, teams will distribute the mosaic planters designed at the workshops and invite local businesses and community members to help fill their planters with new plants.

The Jade District Planters project allows community members and small businesses to learn about inequities in green infrastructure and join efforts to address this issue in East Portland. Attendees will learn how green spaces impact health for all residents, particularly those near busy roads like 82nd Avenue, SE Division Street, and the Interstate-205 freeway. This community art project will create unique mosaics placed on planters around the Jade District. Planters alone will not address higher temperatures seen during heat events. However, this initiative will spotlight the positive effects of adding greenery to the streetscape and possibly encourage more investment in future green spaces in the area.

The first workshop focuses on plants’ role in keeping neighborhoods happy and healthy. Groups will get an introduction to mosaic creation and meet to create their unique mosaic designs. The second workshop provides open studio time for community members to meet and work on making their mosaics. Participants can come to work on the project at any time during those hours. People are encouraged to learn about how communities benefit from access to trees, parks, and gardens. Attendees will hear about the work planned that addresses missing greenspace and discover how they can get involved in community efforts.

By

Jacob Loeb

Construction, Infrastructure

Post Construction Gateway Green Improvements

Starting in early April, Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) will begin restoration and enhancement work at the Gateway Green Park. Construction crews working on the MAX Red Line expansion closed a southern portion of the off-road cycling and outdoor recreation area in September 2021. The now completed TriMet transit bridge and track placement required significant earth-moving work, creating the opportunity to completely rebuild this section of the park and create an accessible entrance that should attract new park users.

Pedestrian and bike access from the Gateway Transit Center

Crews will work through autumn 2024, creating park amenities and reconnecting existing trails. Improved access starts with a pedestrian and bike access bridge from the Gateway Transit Center, leading to a new entry plaza with benches and way-finding signage. The new bridge, shared with southbound trains, allows parkgoers direct access from transit and parking. However, the path’s width also allows emergency vehicles to drive into the remote park. The plaza will connect to an existing path through the park with no more than 5% grade, allowing young riders and other people easy access through the otherwise steep terrain. Mountain bikers will also receive an additional 1,000 linear feet of new bike trails that utilize the condors of the hill.

New MAX Red Line Platform at the Gateway Transit Center

The Gateway Green project began in 2016 with a vision of dedicated hiking and off-road cycling pathways. It now features a diversity of trails and pump tracks. This current work improves access and amenities while restoring the natural oak tree habitat. After years of rail construction on this site, landscapers and arborists will have to creatively reintegrate this land back into the park.

Gateway Green Park is isolated from the neighborhoods by the Interstate-84 and Interstate-205 interchange. Before these updates, people could only access the park from the I-205 Multi-Use Path. This isolation made it hard to discover, leading to limited usage. With the southern entrance at Gateway Transit Center, a new group of park users can walk into this large wooded area and use it for a range of unexplored activities.

Rendering curtesy of TriMet, subject to change

PP&R plans to host a grand opening celebration on October 5, 2024, coinciding with the annual Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day. Funds collected from developers to expand park capacity provided $308,000 towards this project. Commissioner Dan Ryan directed PP&R to use the restricted Park System Development Charges for this project, avoiding using General Fund tax dollars. This funding method ensures that Portlanders continue to have convenient access to green space as the city grows without burdening the already stretched Parks budget. The northern sections of Gateway Green Park remain open during construction.

Article and phots by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Community, Crime, Infrastructure

Mt. Tabor Path Officially Opens

On April 1st, Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) officially opened a new paved bike path and pedestrian accessway leading to Mt. Tabor Park from SE 64th Avenue and SE Division Street. Many parkgoers received a preview of the accessway during the weekend of March 23rd before crews reinstalled temporary fences for the week of March 25th. The April sunny weather attracted numerous residents of the adjacent Courtyard at Mount Tabor Senior Living Community to experience the new park amenity alongside people from all over the area who appreciated the new pathway.

New “Bikes Use X-walk” sign at SE 64th and SE Division near enhanced crossing

The late March temporary opening provided contractors unobstructed access to the multiuse pathway while installing the finishing touches for this project. Workers added new bollards to keep motorized vehicles off the pedestrian and bicycle route during that period. Crews also installed a “bikes use x-walk” sign at SE 64th Avenue and SE Division Street near a new enhanced crosswalk with high-visibility markings and a temporary pedestrian island. One contractor added metal skate stops to the concrete benches to dissuade people from skateboarding along the smooth edge. PP&R Public Information Officer Mark Ross explained that these devices are part of many projects where skateboarding could interfere with the intended use of park amenities. “The skate stops were part of the base scope of work the contractor needed to complete prior to opening the path to the public. This is a standard item installed at parks across the City.”

skate stops installed on northernmost bench

A recent indecent report on social media illustrated, in part, an argument for skate stops where site managers prohibit that use. Based on the site’s progress shown in the post’s picture, the purported incident occurred weeks before the site opened while it was fenced off. The illustrated image shows a skater performing a slide or grind trick on the northernmost concrete bench before contractors installed the preventative metal bumps. The unconfirmed description of the conflict described an unreasonable level of hostility towards the skaters from an area resident. Although PP&R uses anti-skating devices, the Bureau supports skateboarding activities in designated areas. Within two years, Berrydale Park will host a new skatepark less than two miles from this path. PP&R will also create a partially covered skateboarding facility 1.5 miles south of Mt. Tabor Park at Creston Park. The Parks Department lists eight parks that have skateboarding areas. However, Mt. Tabor Park is not on that list, and skaters have few public options in the area until PP&R creates the new skateparks.

Extra bollards added to path entrance to prevent unauthorized vehicle access

With the new pathway open and complete, people can reliably access Mt. Tabor Park from SE 64th Avenue and SE Division Street. Crews are still working on other improvements to the PP&R Maintenance Yard property, creating a modern facility to support the network of public green spaces. Park architects designed the fully illuminated walkway for users of all abilities, providing continual access to the park through a direct path while creating several places along its length where people can enjoy a landscaped view away from traffic.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Community, Construction, Demolition, New Business

Upcoming 82nd Ave County Shelter Meetings and Vote

On March 20th, the Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS) held its first widely attended public meeting regarding shelter plans for the Multnomah County-owned property at 333 SE 82nd Avenue. The second County run meeting on April 3rd will continue the community conversation with JOHS staff, City of Portland representatives, and site operator Straightway Services in attendance. On April 8th, the Montavilla Neighborhood Association (MNA) will dedicate a significant portion of its meeting to the  Good Neighbor Agreement (GNA) for this site in cooperation with the Montavilla East Tabor Business Association (METBA). Then, on April 11th, the Multnomah County Board of County Commissioners plans to vote on authorizing funds to demolish the existing RV sales office on the site and construct the required trash enclosure, plumbing, and electrical connections for the modular structures.

JOHS officials began working on a usage strategy for the shelter site in 2022, giving it the working title Montavilla Community Village. Multnomah County purchased the former RV sales lot and another site several blocks south to create shelter services along 82nd Avenue. Resident selection for Montavilla Community Village will prioritize unhoused individuals with passenger vehicles from the Montavilla area. Shelter operators will then accept people living unsheltered on the nearby streets, working with established services groups to locate potential residents with ties to the neighborhood. The site’s design provides space for 29 Pallet shelters, 33 onsite parking spaces, trash services, showers, restrooms, laundry, and a communal kitchenette. Montavilla Community Village could house up to 40 people with 24-hour wraparound support from Straightway Services staff.

KGW’s coverage of Multnomah County March 20th community meeting

At the March 20th meeting, Montavilla residents asked questions and voiced concerns. Comments focused on the proposed shelter’s location and effect on the surrounding blocks. Some attendees expressed support for the project, while the most vocal in the group asked for more consideration for the impact on neighboring businesses and residents. Leaders of JOHS and Straightway Services clarified some assumptions about the site operation, saying that they have no intention of bringing in new unhoused people to the neighborhood. They explained that they intend to support those people already living unsheltered in the area who want to come in from the streets. They recognize that not everyone wants to follow site rules or join the community. Instead, they will concentrate on people looking to change their current living situation by providing supportive services and access to stable housing opportunities.

Montavilla Community Village site rendering courtesy Multnomah County

The site is on SE 82nd Avenue next to a McDonald’s restaurant and a new day services provider. Six single-family homes share the block with the 333 SE 82nd Avenue property, and one of the homeowners in attendance at the March meeting expressed concern over site orientation with the trash enclosure abutting her property. The JOHS has not submitted permits for this project to the City of Portland, and they will provide an opportunity at the April 3rd meeting to hear suggestions for the final layout. Some community members asked questions to JOHS leaders on March 20th that did not have immediate answers. Staff notetakers at the meeting recorded those questions so presenters could provide answers at the April meeting or through the Montavilla Community Village Newsletter. People who want to attend the Wednesday, April 3rd meeting should RSVP. The in-person event runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Montavilla United Methodist Church at 232 SE 80th Avenue.

The following Monday, April 8th, residents and business people can attend the MNA meeting to hear the latest information on the project and receive updates on the JOHS’s timeline. MNA leaders will provide an overview of GNA focus points already identified, and the community will have time to provide feedback. METBA members involved in the GNA joint committee will attend the meeting for the conversation. The Montavilla United Methodist Church will host this MNA meeting. Organizers plan to offer online access to the meeting, but they encourage in-person attendance.

Julia Brim-Edwards, Multnomah County Board Commissioner for District 3, speaking at March 20th Meeting

On December 7th, the Multnomah County Board of County Commissioners unanimously voted to postpone the two agenda items related to Montavilla Community Village, asking JOHS for more community engagement before breaking ground on the SE 82nd Avenue site. District 3 Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards endorsed the initial pause due to requests from her Montavilla constituents requesting better communications from JOHS. Four months and several meetings later, those agenda items are in front of the Board of Commissioners again. The county already owns the land but needs Board approval to spend money demolishing the 2,328-square-foot office building and constructing sufficient power, sewer, and water to support the new residents. The 29 shelter pods are surplus from a Creating Conscious Communities with People Outside (C3PO) site decommissioned in 2021. Each shed-style shelter has electricity, heating, and air-conditioning. Even with those project cost savings, the County staff need $2,273,611 to redevelop this site and will seek authorization for those funds at the April 11th Board meeting.

The JOHS and MNA meetings are open to the public, and organizers encourage community members to participate in the GNA process. Anyone interested in watching the Multnomah County Board of County Commissioners vote can view the live stream via the MultCoBoard YouTube channel. People intending to provide comments before the vote can testify in person or virtually by completing a request form. Even if County Commissioners approve the funding, residents will not move into Montavilla Community Village until late December, allowing months of continued work on the multi-party GNA.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Disclosure: The author of this article serves on the 82nd Avenue Business Association Board which will be an invited signer of the GNA

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Business Relocating, Community, Construction

VOA Oregon Seeks Input on NE Glisan Campus

On Wednesday, April 3rd, Volunteers of America (VOA) Oregon will hold its second public meeting to present preliminary designs for the group’s six-acre campus at 8815 NE Glisan Street. People planning on attending should RSVP for the event and then arrive at the Multnomah University President’s Dining Room at JCA Student Center by 4 p.m. for the start of the event. The University is located near the future VOA site at 8435 NE Glisan Street.

Article originally published on March 7th, 2024

On February 24th, Volunteers of America (VOA) Oregon held its first town hall meeting, where organization leaders and architects presented preliminary designs for the group’s six-acre campus at 8815 NE Glisan Street. Over the coming years, VOA Oregon intends to consolidate its administrative services and some of its substance use, behavioral health, and childcare services onto this former church property. Project designers with Opsis Architecture explained that the multi-phased project would utilize the site’s sloped topography to hide increasing building height and borrow inspiration from residential rooflines to match nearby structures. A second meeting is scheduled for April 3rd from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Multnomah University in the President’s Dining Room.

Looking Northwest at future site. All renderings by Opsis Architecture provided courtesy VOA Oregon

Designers structured the proposed campus with external functions in buildings adjacent to NE Glisan Street and internal services in the site’s northwest half. VOA Oregon buildings will stand two stories tall along the site’s southern edge, increasing to three levels as the land slopes downhill, presenting a consistent scale along its frontage. Crews will reconstruct the existing parking lot to include 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 17 curbside parking spaces to the street’s western edge.

Image looking north, courtesy VOA Oregon

VOA Oregon’s schedule for development is dependent on fundraising efforts. Construction will occur in phases, and the nonprofit will reuse existing site attributes, such as the main parking lot’s location, to save on costs. The first phase will prepare the site to host future buildings. The second phase will construct the NE Glisan adjacent administrative building and one of the residential treatment structures. Additional buildings will follow as funding allows. VOA Oregon also owns property across NE 90th Avenue. That site will allow for future multi-use development on the northeast corner of NE Glisan and 90th. Crews will construct a secure storage facility for company vehicles and supplies north of that building after demolishing the church’s storage structure, which is currently serving that purpose.

Opsis Architecture will design all buildings to serve distinct uses and complement VOA Oregon’s support programs. The main building will contain offices and community space with outward-facing uses, including a cafe and meeting rooms. Two L-shaped buildings will offer short-term units for the Women’s Residential Treatment program, where people and their children can stay between three and six months while receiving care. Each housing building can support 50 residents, meaning up to 100 people will reside on campus when fully occupied. Staff will work all hours of the day, year-round, making this formally dark and underutilized property consistently more active. Other structures will support community clinic services and childcare for employees and program participants.

Site map showing all phases, by Opsis Architecture provided courtesy VOA Oregon

In 2022, VOA Oregon President Kay Toran spoke with Montavilla News about the group’s hopes for the property. Since then, Toran has worked with the organization’s Board of Directors, staff, and designers to create a facility that she expects will provide the positive change that Portland’s behavioral health crisis requires. For 125 years, VOA has worked to rebuild lives after experiencing substance use and behavioral health issues. This campus will bring operational efficiencies to the organization and expand some offerings. However, they will maintain many other locations throughout the Portland Metro area and Oregon. They operate in an environment that has a nearly endless need for services as people transition out of addiction, incarceration, or trauma and into stable lives. VOA Oregon invites the community to attend the April 3rd meeting to receive more information, ask questions, and provide feedback.

By

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Community, View of Montavilla

Pacific Market Fire Complete Loss

Just before 2 a.m. on March 26th, emergency dispatchers sent Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) crews to the Pacific Market complex at 6750 NE Broadway. Arriving firefighters reported smoke visible from the structure’s roof above the closed Thai Binh restaurant storefront occupying a third of the 20,120 square foot strip mall. Before long, the fire spread through the roof and into the adjoining Pacific Market grocery store. The fire expanded throughout the building, prompting a three-alarm response. PF&R crews extinguished the fire, protecting the surrounding homes and a neighboring storage facility. However, the building and its contents are likely a complete loss.

Image from Portland Maps

The family-owned Asian grocery opened in the late 1990s to become a place for people “to stop and shop for their traditional foods and groceries all in one place,” according to a now offline company website. Situated between NE Halsey Street and NE Broadway, the store was an early provider of culturally specific imported foods in this area. It also provided convenient grocery access for many people living around the Rose City Golf Course. Residents in the neighborhood will instead need to travel to the Fred Meyer store at 6615 NE Glisan Street for basic needs.

The building, restaurant, and grocery store shared similar ownership, leading to the possibility of rebuilding. Google Maps only lists the Pacific Market as temporarily closed. However, the level of damage indicates this location will be unusable for a significant length of time. Additionally, the owners may decide not to rebuild and instead look to sell the property for development. The building shares the block with a new self-storage facility completed in 2022, and at nearly an acre, this site could attract interest from builders. Losing a neighborhood grocery is a detriment to the community. Fortunately, PF&R reported no injuries during this incident, and firefighters managed to confine all damage to the one building. Expect to see fencing around the site and the eventual arrival of demolition crews to remove all or part of the building within the coming months.

Firefighter continuing to dowse building 12 hours after fire broke out

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscribers or sponsors. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Infrastructure

New Name for the Same Gravel Streets

On March 20th, the Portland City Council approved minor code updates to change a term the City uses for streets the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is not obligated to maintain. Formally called unimproved, the amended City code in Chapter 17.42 now calls these streets nonmaintained. The City of Portland’s policy is that abutting property owners maintain streets until street improvements bring them up to PBOT standards and the City accepts the street for maintenance. This policy has left many streets in poor condition, with only a center strip of asphalt or a full-width gravel street full of holes. In most cases, these streets also lack the required sidewalks and curbs.

Portland has an interactive map showing pavement maintenance responsibility where residents and developers can check a property’s frontage for added road maintenance obligations. According to Portland’s Property Owner Maintenance Code, it is “the exclusive duty of the abutting property owners to construct, reconstruct, repair and maintain nonmaintained street in a condition reasonably safe for the uses that are made of the street and adjoining properties.” This policy puts a financial cost and liability on the homeowners and, in some cases, limits development rights that require a property to have frontage on a street maintained by the City of Portland or the State of Oregon.

From Portland’s map showing pavement maintenance responsibility in Montavilla. Red lines are privately maintained

There are several ways a street can become the City’s responsibility. A developer can improve the roadway to minimum PBOT standards to be accepted. However, in most cases, the improvement must extend an entire block from intersection to intersection before Portland will begin maintaining it. Property owners on a nonmaintained street can form a Local Improvement District (LID) with the City. That cooperative method requires people to pay for their portion of repairs. The City bureaus often contribute to the project funding and replace or service underground utilities as part of the project. The SE 80th Ave and Mill Street LID is an example of such a project. On some rare occasions, Portland will reconstruct a street as part of a larger mobility project. Recently, that occurred on NE Everett Street from NE 76th Avenue to NE 78th Avenue. The replacement of that unimproved gravel road is part of the 70s Neighborhood Greenway project that is nearing completion.

People living on unpaved roads are not entirely left without support from the City. In 2018, PBOT started the Gravel Street Service to repair Portland’s over 50 miles of nonmaintained gravel streets. That program is on a three-year cycle, with crews focusing on different sections of the City each year. Aside from that program, property owners on nonmaintained streets must pay to keep their roads usable. This code change does nothing more than clarify wording, making it unmistakable that the City is not responsible for these streets’ upkeep.

Article and photo by

Jacob Loeb

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