Category: Construction

Community, Construction, Government, Infrastructure

Montavilla Picnic Shelter Added to Budget

On May 20th, at the end of a marathon budget session, the Portland City Council approved an $8.5 billion city budget for fiscal year 2026-2027 with a $755,000 line item for a replacement Montavilla Park picnic shelter. Portland City Council Member Tiffany Koyama Lane’s amendment to the budget came back to consideration at the tail-end of the proceeding after a quick revision to specify Parks Local Option Levy money as the intended funding source. This budget addition passed seven to five at the end of an evening Council session that saw many failing amendments with 6-6 ties as city leaders addressed a $160 million revenue shortfall.

A construction site showing the partial demolition of a building, with scattered debris and a bulldozer in the foreground.
Montavilla Park picnic shelter demolition October 2021, photos by Weston Ruter

Political interest in funding a replacement picnic shelter ramped up recently; however, the community’s desire for its replacement began years before. In October 2021, demolition crews removed the aging picnic shelter at Montavilla Park and installed new grass turf rather than preparing the site for an already-designed replacement structure. Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) postponed the planned modern 2,000-square-foot open-walled replacement shelter due to a department-wide budgetary shortfall. Before its removal, the area was fenced off for safety concerns. Earlier this month, a community group began circulating a petition to build that Montavilla Park structure.

Architectural drawings of a picnic shelter, including a floor plan and elevation views from the east/west and north/south. The design features a metal roof, wood rafters, and a concrete foundation.
Proposed Montavilla Park Picnic Shelter from 2021

The petition effort, led by members of the Hope & Bread Street Church who gather in the park for Sunday service, gained community interest, with ABC Television affiliate KATU and MV News covering the campaign. On May 17th, Councilor Koyama Lane from Montavilla’s District 3 included shelter funding as part of her seven proposed budget amendments, later receiving expressed support from other elected officials, including Multnomah County Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards and Oregon Representative Thuy Tran.

Votes for the Montavilla Park picnic shelter did not fall strictly on Portland City Council District lines with District 3 and District 1 residents having local access to the park. District 3 Councilor Steve Novick voted against the funding due to reservations regarding project priorities, given the City staff reductions and program cuts necessary to balance this year’s budget. He expressed support for the project but worried about the potential to overlook other needed projects without an evaluation process to rank community needs. “I would love to be able to vote for this. This is important, but I think that we should make all of these decisions in the context of considering trade-offs, and parks as a huge maintenance backlog,” said Novick, preceding the vote. “I just can’t make this decision out of context. Maybe if we took a long look at all the things that communities have been promised in the maintenance backlog, this would rise to the top. But I can’t say that I’ve done that work, so I can’t support this today.”

Black and white photograph of NE 82nd Street at NE Glisan Street, featuring a mix of storefronts and residential homes, with a wet road and power lines visible.
1933 Portland Archive image. 82nd Ave roadwork looking north from NE Glisan St. A previous Montavilla park shelter is visible at the right but is not the one removed in 2021

Some petitioners supporting replacing Montavilla Park’s picnic shelter had been watching the proceedings since early afternoon and had to wait until nearly 9:30 p.m. for the session’s final budget amendment vote. The Tax Supervising and Conservation Commission will conduct a legal review of the amended budget. The council can make further adjustments to the approved budget, provided that no individual fund is adjusted by more than 10%. In June, the Portland City Council must formally adopt the budget ahead of July 1st, when the new fiscal year begins. At that point, Parks planners can begin project planning for the return of a Montavilla Park picnic shelter, restoring a nearly 100-year run of having a covered outdoor gathering space at this location.

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Portland City Council District 3 members and Representative Thuy Tran are up for reelection in November 2026. Julia Brim-Edwards is seeking the Multnomah County Chair position. Montavilla News does not endorse individual candidates or ballot measures.

Update: Portland Archive image description expanded to note that the shelter shown in 1933 photo is not the one demolished in 2021. It was removed at an unknown date.

Community, Construction

Midland Library Closes for a Two-week Update

The Multnomah County Midland Library at 805 SE 122nd Avenue will remain closed for repairs after the Monday, May 25th Memorial Day holiday closure, reopening on June 7th. Crews will use surplus funds from past upgrade projects to modernize the building’s original sewer line and enhance finishes inside and out. The Midland Library reopened on October 26th, 2025, after an extensive remodel that was part of the voter-approved 2020 Multnomah County Library Capital Bond.

A modern restroom with a large sink featuring multiple faucets, mirrors reflecting two restroom stalls with doors, and tiled walls.

Unused contingency funds from the library capital bond projects are the primary source of money for this next round of work. Library representatives explained that attentive financial stewardship during the system-wide facilities upgrades enabled this phase of work, which includes Midland Library sewer repairs and improvements to the original sewer line, as well as several enhancements that will extend the life of public-facing amenities and make the site more accessible. Crews will upgrade the community gallery, including picture rails and tack-friendly panels that will protect walls. They will also add a more durable finish to the “Gathering Circle” wood floor and update outdoor benches with durable materials. Workers will install chair rails in the community rooms to protect the freshly painted walls. Three Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)- compliant bathrooms will receive updates that include touchless wave-to-open automatic door operators.

An empty classroom with rows of tables and blue chairs, large windows letting in natural light, and a modern decor featuring a wooden ceiling.
Large community meeting room

The Albina Library closed for similarly funded updates on May 18th and will remain closed through May 25th. Midland Library users can visit the Holgate Library at 7905 SE Holgate Blvd., the Gregory Heights Library at 7921 NE Sandy Blvd., or the Rockwood Library at 17917 SE Stark Street during the closure. During the work dates, library staff will extend due dates, and items on the holds shelf will receive extra time. People do not need to change their holds location and can direct questions about due dates and holds to library staff.

A modern building entrance featuring colorful, floral murals and geometric designs on the exterior. Prominent orange and yellow sculptural elements add artistic flair to the pathway, surrounded by landscaped areas.
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Construction, Demolition, New Residence

Fire Damaged Home on SE 87th Razed for New Development

Deconstruction crews will remove the burned remnants of a dilapidated 1926-era home at 3015 SE 87th Avenue to make way for a housing development. The former single-story structure suffered multiple fires over several years, rendering the property uninhabitable. Dez Development and partners purchased the 182-foot-deep property in December 2025 and will work with designers to build multiple single-family homes.

Abandoned house with significant damage, including a partially collapsed roof and debris. Overgrown shrubs surround the property, and a speed limit sign is visible nearby.
3015 SE 87th Ave November 2024

The building at the site sustained damage from people living there without permission and minor burns from an adjacent fire. However, on July 17th, 2025, a significant fire damaged the property, necessitating its removal for safety reasons. This month, the developer submitted applications to deconstruct the structure, remove the concrete slab, and cap the sewer. The driveway curb-cut will remain for this phase of development. There is a mandatory 35-day demolition delay for this work.

Map showing residential properties with a highlighted area for property number 3015, located between SE 87th Ave and SE Brooklyn St.
3015 SE 87th Ave Portland Maps

While waiting to clear the site, Dez Development owner Slavik Dezhnyuk explained that they are working with their design team to determine the best way to increase housing density on the 8,736-square-foot site while matching the single-family home footprint of the surrounding properties. “We hope to develop this property with several detached cottage homes,” remarked Dezhnyuk. Design and permitting will take months to complete. However, neighbors can anticipate the dilapidated building’s removal as soon as feasible.

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Construction, New Residence

Eight Off-82nd Townhomes on NE Holladay

Work is underway on eight attached townhomes on NE Holladay Street with views of NE 82nd Avenue across the Don Pedro restaurant’s parking lot. This housing project dates back to 2022, when Riverside Carpentry purchased 8225 NE Holladay Street and demolished the 100-year-old single-family residence and detached garage. Most of the new two-story units will provide around 904 square feet, with one unit offering 1003 square feet of living space.

Construction site with a fenced area, featuring concrete foundations and construction materials, surrounded by trees and blue sky.
View of project from NE Holladay St

In 2023, the land’s owner transferred the property several times from his Riverside Carpentry business before it was transferred to his Kalen Development company in 2024. In April 2026, crews completed the foundation for the new homes on the 114-by-67-foot parcel. The land is zoned Commercial Mixed Use 2 (CM2), which has a minimum density requirement. Title 33 of Portland’s Planning and Zoning code states the Minimum Density for CM2 is 1 unit per 1,450 square feet, requiring at least 5 units here. The added homes exceed the required density but do not come close to the maximum allowed for this property within the 82nd Avenue commercial corridor.

A construction site featuring a concrete foundation with walls partially built, surrounded by a fenced area and a residential house in the background.
Concrete foundation showing doorway indents and drainage pipe around the footing.

The developer will need to close an existing driveway approach that once led to the now-demolished detached garage. Future residents of the one sidewalk-adjacent townhome will have a door opening onto NE Holladay Street, and the seven back units will share a paved path on the western edge of the property that leads to their front doors. Work has taken years to break ground after the initial removal of the old house, but crews should increase work activity at the site in the coming months. When completed, the site will have walkable access to the area’s highest ridership bus line and a MAX light rail station.

  • 8223 NE Holladay Street
  • 8225 NE Holladay Street
  • 8227 NE Holladay Street
  • 8229 NE Holladay Street
  • 8231 NE Holladay Street
  • 8233 NE Holladay Street
  • 8235 NE Holladay Street
  • 8237 NE Holladay Street
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Construction, Infrastructure

Repaving NE 87th from I-84 to NE Glisan

On April 22nd, crews with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) begin grinding down the old asphalt pavement along NE 87th Avenue from the dead-end section near Interstate 84’s sound wall north of NE Hassalo Street and progressing south towards NE Glisan Street. This follows work started last summer to update sidewalk corner curb ramps to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. That sidewalk infrastructure upgrade and this repaving work underway will create a mostly accessible path through a section of Montavilla with inconsistent pedestrian infrastructure. The northeast section of the neighborhood’s connectivity is constrained by two freeways bordering it to the east and north, along with heavy traffic on NE 82nd Avenue and NE Glisan Street along the other edges of these blocks, inhibiting travel. NE 87th Avenue is part of the city’s low-traffic Neighborhood Greenway for walkers and people rolling to their destination.

Map showing pavement moratorium and planned paving projects in the Montavilla neighborhood of Portland, highlighting Multnomah University and surrounding streets.
Image from Portland Maps showing paving of NE 87th Ave in purple

In August 2025, cement masons reconstructed eight sidewalk corners along NE 87th Avenue and added a mid-block curb ramp on the south side of NE Glisan Street across from the northeast corner of 87th Avenue at the NE Glisan intersection. This project creates an opportunity for a near-continuously paved north-south pedestrian path between NE Hassalo Street and NE Glisan Street. However, missing paved sidewalks on the northern edges of 8631 and 8636 NE Holladay Street will require pedestrians to walk across the lawns of these homes to reach the new ADA curb ramps and the existing paved sidewalks. Future redevelopment of those properties could require installing new sidewalks to complete the pedestrian connection.

A large Wirtgen W 210 Fi milling machine parked on a roadside, featuring an extended conveyor and a modern design, surrounded by grass and trees.
PBOT pavement grinding equipment parked along 8631 NE Holladay Street’s frontage without a sidewalk

PBOT will continue grinding down the road surface and then transition to repaving NE 87th Avenue from NE Glisan Street to just north of NE Hassalo Street. The maintenance paving crews will work on one travel lane at a time from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays. Drivers should expect delays and obey all crew instructions. The sidewalks will remain open. PBOT intends to complete work by Thursday, April 30th. Funding for this project comes from the voter-approved Fixing Our Streets tax, paid by heavy vehicle users and a 10-cent-per-gallon gas tax.

A residential street ending at a dead end, with construction materials and signs indicating road work. A blue delivery vehicle is parked nearby, and there are several trash bins along the curb.
Dead-end section NE 87th Avenue north of NE Hassalo St

This work, along with the curb ramp improvements and repaving happening on NE Glisan from NE 82nd to 92nd avenues, will strengthen pedestrian and bike infrastructure for the Neighborhood Greenway network. The NE Glisan Street repaving and repainting project will provide space for bike lanes, and its intersection with NE 87th Avenue has a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) to help people cross the busy NE Glisan roadway. People traveling outside a car should soon feel more comfortable navigating the neighborhood on NE 87th Avenue, thanks to these transportation bureau investments. Drivers should also enjoy a smoother street with brighter painted markings.

A residential street with bicycle lanes marked on the pavement, a warning sign for bumps ahead, and parked cars along the side. Trees and houses line the street.
NE 87th Avenue looking north from NE Glisan St

Update May 1, 2026: Crews completed principle repaving work on April 30th. Replacement speed bumps and on street markings should return within the follow weeks as weather and scheduling allows.

Post-repaving on NE 87th Ave looking south past NE Hassalo St
Post-repaving on NE 87th Ave looking north from NE Hassalo St towards the I-84 soundwall
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Construction

Fire at Youth Recover Center Under Construction

An overnight fire at the youth-focused 4D Recovery center off NE 100th Avenue will likely delay construction timelines for the currently unoccupied facility. The nonprofit organization bought the 1980-era office building at 180 NE 100th Avenue in July 2025 and began transforming the structure into a new treatment center with onsite living space for inpatient care.

A fenced construction site featuring a gray building with graffiti and a sign indicating professional services near a suburban sidewalk.
Construction fence erected at 180 NE 100th Ave August 7, 2025

A social media announcement at the time of the building’s acquisition explained that the site would “become Oregon’s first Adolescent and Family Recovery Campus.” It went on to say the site would host 4D Recovery’s youth detox, residential inpatient treatment, outpatient care, mental health services, family therapy, and a recovery community center. The organization has roots back to 2012, when it began providing a safe place to hang out and socialize for young people seeking recovery, offering a drug- and alcohol-free environment. It has grown to support a variety of youth recovery services operating in over half a dozen Oregon locations.

View of a black building and a white building surrounded by a chain-link fence, indicating a construction or renovation site on a cloudy day.
Construction fence post fire at 180 NE 100th Ave April 12, 2026

The fire that broke out before 10:45 p.m. on Saturday, April 11th, already had visible flames when Portland Fire & Rescue’s Engine 19 arrived at the scene. According to reports, construction fencing initially inhibited access, but crews quickly began addressing the fire, working to keep the flames contained to the single-story portion of the nearly 18,000-square-foot building. Additional alarms called by first responders brought in more firefighting resources, and the fire was mostly contained by midnight. The source of the fire is still under investigation.

A view through an open door revealing extensive fire damage inside a building, with charred structures visible. A warning sign on the wall advises against trespassing and other activities.
A burned building with charred wooden walls, missing sections, and remnants of a roof; surrounded by a fence and overgrown vegetation.

The new Adolescent & Family Campus was set to open in the first half of 2026. This fire will set back those plans for a nonprofit that planned to serve youth ages 14 to 17 from this location. Fire officials report there were no injuries, and no one was displaced as the building was still under construction. People interested in supporting this organization’s efforts or interested in learning more can visit its capital campaign page at 4drecovery.org/capital-campaign.

A fenced-off area with damaged buildings, one partially burnt, in a parking lot under cloudy skies.

Update April 13, 2026: Fire officials have determined through their investigative practices that the April 11th fire at 180 NE 100th Avenue was an act of arson. Investigators do not have evidence to suggest the youth recovery facility was specifically targeted, but they are seeking a person of interest in connection with this arson event.

Update April 20, 2026: The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) arrested a suspect in connection with this fire. The person is suspected of starting other fires that day, include two dumpster fires on NE 102nd Avenue and an incident of burning cardboard near an occupied building on NE 99th Avenue. Police say the individual in custody had outstanding misdemeanor warrants, including a Reckless Burning charge from January 2026.

There is a GoFundMe campaign to help bridge the gap between what insurance will likely pay and the cost to rebuild. 4D Recover also has a direct donation link in its website 4drecovery.org.

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Construction, New Business

Tool Building Readying for Tenants

The owners of the single-story Tool Building at 7131 NE Glisan Street are working behind the decoratively painted window coverings to create seven to eight divided spaces for future tenants. With the help of listing agent JJ Hewitt, they are seeking creative businesses for the space that will complement one another while serving the community with active frontage along a historic streetcar commercial district.

Rendering of a modern commercial building with large windows, featuring a sign reading 'TOOL', surrounded by a tree and pedestrians on the sidewalk.
Rendering of the Tool Building at 7131 NE Glisan St courtesy Bill Neburka EAO

Architect and one of the project owners, Bill Neburka, explained that he wants to pay tribute to the 1926-era building’s commercial laundry origins by supporting businesses that produce their products on-site. “I think that’s the only model for retail anymore, where the value add actually happens in the space,” said Neburka. He notes that stores that resell items made by others and sold to customers at a slight markup are often put out of business by their online competitors. He feels that this is contributing to the empty retail space across the city. “It’s a little bit of a hard nut to crack within that model, what is the ground floor habitation in a city anymore, because you walk anywhere and we’ve just got acres of empty storefront.” Instead, he thinks successful shops will have a modest showroom for customers but dedicate significant floor space to creating those products in the back.

An old industrial window with multiple glass panes, set in a weathered brick wall, showing signs of age and neglect.
Steel-casement windows

The Tool Building team has some experience with supporting tenants on this street. Since 2022, they have owned the commercial building two blocks east at 7323 NE Glisan Street, which extends the full width of the city block and has frontages on NE 73rd and 74th Avenues. Neburka says that space hosts a community of fabricators who often support one another and benefit from being in the same space. They hope to similarly find complementary tenants for the Tool Building and are taking a thoughtful approach to signing leases. “We want to find—not in a snobby way—the right group of people that elevate each other,” explained Neburka. “That’s one of the things we found up the street, having a bunch of fabricators [in one building]. It’s nice to have that community. It’s not borrowing a cup of sugar but borrowing a saw blade, bringing value out of those human connections.”

A modern workspace featuring wooden tables and shelves, with two people engaged in conversation. The room is brightly lit by hanging light fixtures and has large windows that let in natural light.
Rendering of the Tool Building unit courtesy Bill Neburka EAO

Despite the leasing success at their other locations, the Tool Building owners see value in having a more customer-facing activity at this site with a wider definition of “makers.” Tool Building co-owner Michael Quinn is also the primary owner of Sparrow Salon’s building at 7243 NE Glisan Street. That location hosts a longtime local business, which adds value on-site and brings the community into the space. The Tool Building team suspects that the same community-serving, gathering-space model could do well down the street. “We’re focusing on creating a nucleus for the neighborhood, I think that’s really where things are at now,” said Neburka. “I think that these buildings begin to become more than just themselves, more than just one space, a place where people can come and interact with people who are making their stuff or food, and it becomes a real collecting spot for our neighborhood.”

A weathered interior wall featuring an old metal door with a small window, surrounded by partially obscured glass windows, and exposed wooden framing and panels nearby.
Pre-restoration Steel-casement windows and door seen in rendering above

Inside the building, the space is still raw, with just a few stud-framed walls built to show divided space for prospective tenants. The design team wants to preserve much of the century-old building’s character. They will clean and repair the commercial steel-casement windows along the NE 72nd Avenue frontage that give the building its industrial character. They will then create new wood-framed storefront glazing in the existing openings facing NE Glisan Street, with a centrally located atrium containing an American with Disabilities Act (ADA)- compliant entry ramp. That covered opening will have direct access to two storefronts and a central hallway that leads to additional units and shared three-stall restroom facilities. The 7,139-square-foot building features several skylights, making internal spaces naturally bright during the day.

A floor plan diagram for the transformation of a building into a multi-tenant retail space, detailing various suites and exterior work areas.
Floor plan courtesy Evident Architecture Office (EAO)

The southwest corner was the historic laundry’s old mechanical room, and still features the ceiling-mounted line shaft power-driven rotating pulleys that provided mechanical power transmission to the commercial washers. The building owners think this space would be an ideal location for a food or bar service establishment. It has two skylights and a large roll-up door at the back that could open to a secluded outdoor seating area.

A modern interior space with wooden furniture and pendant lights, featuring several people interacting and a large window that allows natural light in, showcasing greenery outside.
Rendering of the Tool Building food or bar unit courtesy Bill Neburka EAO

The team has developed a tenancy vision for the space, but must carefully consider the impacts of Change of Use or Change of Occupancy. Those adjustments can trigger substantial Systems Development Charges (SDCs) to the property owner. Portland collects these fees to offset the impact a project may have on the City’s streets, water, storm runoff management, and sanitary sewer systems. They can also add funds for parks and recreation facilities. In 2025, the Portland City Council temporarily exempted newly created housing units from paying SDCs to encourage more construction in that market. However, that does not apply to commercial projects like the Tool Building, and any potential tenant who wants to use the space in a way that triggers SDC fees would need to pay rent at a rate sufficient to cover those charges.

Interior view of an empty industrial space with white brick walls, exposed ceiling beams, and large windows allowing natural light in.
Pre-restoration Tool Building food or bar unit seen in rendering above

Commercial property owners can not simply rent space to any tenant. They often need to consider the long-term viability of the business to fulfill its lease and whether it will significantly change the building’s use in a way that requires them to pay the city’s SDCs. Neburka said they recently had to reverse course due to such a fee. “We got hit when we changed the front space in the building up the street. We changed that to retail, and the development charges from PBOT (Portland Bureau of Transportation) were huge. It’s onerous, to the point we’re changing it back,” explained Neburka. “At the City… there is a thirst for money, and nobody’s getting the message that it doesn’t work. It literally doesn’t work.” In this case, SDC charges can create a situation where a prospective tenant’s business could drive up property expenses to the point that the leased rate is no longer affordable to the operator or the building owner has to forgo revenue. “The charge is enough that it would be our entire profit off a three-year lease, so at what point does it make any sense for us to do it?” Neburka said.

View of a metal rod with a rusty pulley and a cylindrical weight hanging from a ceiling structure with white beams and exposed brick wall.
Historic laundry ceiling-mounted line shaft power-driven rotating pulley

With that recent change in occupancy experience, the Tool Building team will favor certain business types but remains flexible and open to hearing from a variety of groups. “I think we’re interested in talking to anybody right now, especially fabrication, especially art-focused. I mean, it’s close to our heart, it’s what we see the building being part of, but we’d love to hear from anybody who wants a space to do something,” Neburka explained. “I think that the design is going to be a blue-collar building. We’re just trying to be smart about it, and we’re hoping that the way we approach it will be attractive to the community.”

View of an unfinished interior space with wooden framing and bare walls, showcasing open doorways and a concrete floor.

The team is working on building permits and bank financing for the project. Interested prospective tenants can contact JJ Hewitt with Cloud City Realty via email at jj@cloudcityrealty.com or by phone at 971-339-1456.

Exterior view of a modern building labeled 'TOOL Building', featuring large windows, wooden panels, and a person approaching the entrance.
Rendering of the Tool Building entry courtesy Bill Neburka EAO
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Business Relocating, Construction, New Residence

Affordable Housing Rising Above Methodist Church

Recently, the members of Montavilla United Methodist Church voted to demolish all their buildings at 232 SE 80th Avenue to create three stories of affordable housing above a new ground-level worship space that will also share resources with support organization Rahab’s Sisters. Reverend Heather Riggs explained that this site transformation will embrace the faith-based group’s efforts to provide resources it sees needed in the community while reducing its operational burden of maintaining an aging building. The project is in pre-development with a target completion date of 2030. Until the city approves permits, parishioners and users of the midcentury building will continue to gather there.

Riggs said they plan to maximize housing options on the site while respecting the neighborhood’s scale and preserving on-site parking for the gathering space. The 0.88-acre property occupies nearly a full block and is shared with only one single-family residence. The Residential Multi-Dwelling 2 zoning of the site allows up to four stories and has a three-to-one Floor Area Ratio through bonus provisions for affordable housing.

Interior of a church decorated for Christmas, featuring a large cross, Christmas trees, and festive lights.
Montavilla United Methodist Church December 2024

Riggs explained they are in a pre-development phase and working to formalize a relationship with a prospective developer who will take ownership of the property and rent back the ground floor to the congregation at a discounted rate. The agreement will target an Area Median Income (AMI) restriction for future residents of 30 to 60 percent for the anticipated 72 units of regulated affordable housing. The Methodist Church wants the property to remain affordable for at least 60 years. “We would like to be in the 30 [AMI] range because that’s what’s affordable for our local baristas and for our local restaurant workers,” said Riggs. “This is not free housing. This is housing for people who work, who cannot afford to live in the city where they work.”

The final configuration of units and income targets depends on the funding available at the time of construction. Riggs noted that affordable housing projects require specialized skill sets to fund and manage. That is why the congregation and regional Methodist leadership are planning to transfer the land to another group rather than keeping it under church control. “Honestly, one of our priorities has been to get out of the business of building management so that we can focus on ministry,” said Riggs. The older property, built between the 1940s and 1950s, takes considerable funds to maintain. The building also sits empty more often than it is occupied, attracting unwanted attention and vandalism. Church leadership feels that having people living above the worship space will make the property more active and safer for the surrounding community.

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

Demolishing the building could seem like a loss of history, but Riggs explained it is part of the site’s tradition to adapt to changing needs. Initially, a large wooden structure painted white served as a place of worship at this site. That was torn down to make way for the larger facility that accommodated a growing congregation in the 1950s. Now the faith community sees the mission changing again. The city needs housing, and the younger members of the church started the conversation around adapting the site’s use to address both faith and service to Portland’s needs.

A committee of knowledgeable members will take on preservation work, identifying the precious items that need to become part of the new facility. “We have plans to incorporate a lot of things into the new building. We want to incorporate some of the stained glass into the new building, but we’re thinking of placing it on interior walls, lighting hallways,” said Riggs. “We would like to preserve at least one of the upside-down boat arches in our worship space, and we’d like to preserve the bell, creating a small bell tower.” The “Precious Team” will work right up to demolition, preserving everything that matters to the congregation’s history. “We will be going through that process of honoring the history of those who came before us and celebrating that history,” remarked Riggs. Part of that celebration will be the opening of a time capsule on the front of the building.

Map showing buildings and structures with numbered addresses in a grid layout, highlighting a specific area outlined in blue.
Portland Maps image showing 232 SE 80th Ave

During the demolition and construction phases, church members will share space with the Tabor Heights United Methodist Church, less than a mile away at 6161 SE Stark Street. Before work begins, the design team will hold public meetings to gather community feedback on the project’s design. Riggs wants this site to meet the faith organization’s goals of serving those most in need while still playing a positive role in the wider community. As a community advisory committee member for the nearby Oak Street Village shelter, Riggs feels it is important for working people transitioning back into stable housing to have a place to move into. The church members also know this property is central to the neighborhood and asked the developer to include a garden and green space to keep it an attractive element of Montavilla’s historic downtown.

Reverend Heather Riggs hopes to speak to the Montavilla Neighborhood Association about the project at a future meeting. When the developer is formally secured for the housing, the design phases will begin, and community members can expect to learn more and provide input. Riggs wants people to know these changes will create a safer, more secure site that remains a useful resource for Rahab’s Sisters to build on its over 20 years of community support, and for the church to add to its 100-year history.

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Construction, Infrastructure

Months of Roadwork Begins on NE Glisan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

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

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Construction, New Residence

House and Two ADU Condo on NE Multnomah

A novel condo project is nearing completion at 6909 NE Multnomah Street, where developer Neil Heller added two Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) next to a 1,234 square foot 1951-era home. This approach seems similar to other infill housing projects, but its focus on reducing city-paid fees and lessening infrastructure buildout should produce a more affordable product for buyers, according to Heller.

As a resident, living just blocks away from his worksite, making space for more neighbors without upsizing the cost of entry to home ownership in the community is important to Heller. “I live here in the neighborhood, and I take my daily walk or two over to the project. It’s about seven blocks away from where I live,” remarked Heller. He also mentioned his commitment to keeping the original house on the site, which had been the home to Robert and Suzanne Matney, longtime residents who were central to the surrounding community. “They were the original owners, from what I understand. The guy even planted that big cedar tree that’s on the corner. When you see how big it is, you realize that they’ve been there a long time. They raise their kids there, and I guess they were a staple in that part of the neighborhood,” said Heller. “People just loved them, and so when they heard that we weren’t going to tear the house down and we would take good care of it, they were happy about it.”

A blue house with a porch shaded by a large tree, surrounded by a small fence and green grass.
Original 1,234 square foot 1951-era home at 6909 NE Multnomah St with tall cedar tree

The existing home spanned several lots but was massed near the corner, leaving plenty of yard space for the two 800-square-foot detached ADUs. “We removed some sheds and gazebos,” recalled Heller. His Heller Development Company then followed the condo plat process to create a micro three-unit condo he is calling “Cedar Corner Cottages.” Each of the new homes the contractor created has two bedrooms and a full bathroom on the top level. The main floor has a kitchen, a living area, and a half bathroom. Heller explained that people may recognize the construction style from other area homes created by Rees Bettinger Properties. “Rees Bettinger is my general contractor on this, and sort of my development advisor.”

Heller says this is his maiden project in which all the homes on the property are intended for individual sale. “This is the first project where we are not using owner-occupied finance strategies. We have investment partners, and this is the first time we don’t have to live in the construction dust.” He is not new to the housing creation process. He has tested out his work at his own property. “I added a basement apartment and an ADU out back so we turned our single-family lot into three households,” Heller said. Additionally, he spends a considerable amount of his professional life thinking about housing supply and its impact on communities. “I have an urban planning consulting firm, and I work with cities around the country to update their zoning codes. I’m [also] faculty with the Incremental Development Alliance. It’s a national nonprofit. And we teach local people how to invest in real estate and contribute to their communities.”

Front view of a modern two-story blue house with a wooden fence and walkway.
Street facing unit has a zero-step entry with an accessible bathroom but the lack of a sidewalk creates a step at the property’s edge

This condo project is Heller’s way of bringing his philosophy and professional experience close to home. “It’s nice being able to invest into the neighborhood that I live in, bring more affordable, diverse housing options to help people looking for homes,” Heller admits that there is a limit to how much of his style of infill housing is possible in the area, but he is committed to local contributions to the housing market. “I would ideally like to stay in Montavilla and continue to contribute to the vitality here. But I know that’s not always possible because deals do pop up elsewhere.”

These new homes are designed to be naturally affordable, without income restrictions. Heller accomplished this by building the units as ADUs rather than using some of Portland’s modern lot-division tools that do not require a condo Home Owners Association (HOA). “I did consider the middle housing land division. We felt like the ADU was going to be a bit more cost-effective. Right now there’s an SDC (System Development Charges) vacation, but at the time [we started] there was not. To not have to pay those SDCs, $25,000 per unit, that’s a lot of savings. And when you permit ADUs, the [city won’t] require you to improve the right-of-way,” explained Heller. “That would have been cost-prohibitive, either requiring us to build larger homes and sell them for more, or potentially leading to a project that just wouldn’t even pencil.”

Exterior view of a blue two-story house with a covered porch, surrounded by a small garden and fence.
Back unit with large patio and yard space. Each ADU has a 44-square-foot storage room with external door

In the case of this property, NE Multnomah Street is not fully improved, with gravel parking lanes on both sides and no sidewalks. Adding that infrastructure and the rainwater management required when you fully pave a street would have significant financial consequences. “Stormwater could be a $150,000 cost, which these small projects can’t really support,” said Heller. The original home received updates to the kitchen and bathroom, but Heller said it was in great shape, just a little outdated, until crews refreshed it. It also retained its single-car garage for onsite vehicle parking.

This smaller infill project joins others on this block, both by developers and by existing property owners. That scale of housing development pleases Heller, as it aligns with what the Incremental Development Alliance teaches. “We say ‘nobody’s coming to save you.’ If you’ve ever looked at a building and said ‘you know what that could be…’ then you’re probably that person who needs to figure out how to make it become that thing,” said Heller. “The idea here is to embolden and strengthen a whole swarm of local small-scale developers that can invest in their neighborhoods.”

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

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