Wednesday, March 15th, crews began demolishing the 1949-era cinderblock home at 235 SE 80th Avenue, making way for a three-story apartment building. The new structure will support 11 units of housing. Eleay Properties bought the house in 2019 and started the permitting process to build the multifamily development. Schumacher Custom Homes is the builder on this project.
In addition to the new housing, the developer will plant a new street tree and construct a carriage walk – a small cement path in the furnishing zone that bridges the planted gap between the sidewalk and curb, allowing people to exit a vehicle without stepping on the grass. An Early Assistance application for the project scoped 12 units and seven parking spaces. However, the submitted permit application text does not mention parking and proposes one less apartment. Expect to see demolition work complete at the site sometime next week, and construction should begin this summer.
By
Jacob Loeb
Update July 20th, 2023. Crews have nearly topped-out on the three-story building, offering people a view of the structure’s massing. This is one of the tallest buildings in the surrounding area and represents a high-water mark for buildings in Montavilla.
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Etruscan Ventures recently purchased the 25-foot-wide undeveloped lot next to 118 NE 74th Avenue. The development group plans to build a 1,330-square-foot two-story single-family dwelling on the property. Crews will construct the new 15-foot-wind home to the south of a 1925-era house that once used the property as a garden. That recently remodeled original building is for sale and includes a basement suitable for an ADU or extra living space.
This infill housing development should squeeze another home between the established residences without the need to demolish an existing home. Look for construction to start in the next six to eighteen months, and interested buyers can schedule a tour of the nearly 100-year-old home by contacting Smira Group by phone at 503-935-2560 or email at michael@smiragroup.com.
By
Jacob Loeb
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In September of 2022, the new owners of 319 NE 75th Avenuedemolished the 122-year-old home. Now, crews are building a pair of single-family residences. Cement masons will soon pour the concrete foundation walls into the forms already in place at the worksite. Building permits 22-142935 and 22-142840 each call for a two-story house with an attached single-car garage. The homes will occupy two 25-foot-wide parcels recently created by a lot division.
Image from Portland Maps
The architect designed the new residences at 323 NE 75th Avenue and 321 NE 75th Avenue as mirror duplicates, with their entrances closest to one another. Each building is free-standing and fifteen feet wide at the front. The homes will join several other skinny houses built on this block. Look for construction to continue through summer and real estate listing for both properties appearing towards the end of 2023.
319 NE 75th Avenue prio to September 2022 demolition319 NE 75th Avenue in October 2022 after demolition321 NE 75th Avenue under construction March 2023
By
Jacob Loeb
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In the next few months, the mobile phone network operator Verizon Wireless will deploy a temporary Cell-tower on Wheels (CoW) to 432 NE 74th Avenue. This device will support the wireless network during the demolition and reconstruction of the site’s equipment room. The existing cell tower will remain on NE Glisan Street and return to operation after demolition crews raze the former TV broadcast facility where the network equipment is currently located.
Last December, Verizon Wireless filed a permit to create a new equipment area within a ten by twenty-foot fenced area on the residentially-zoned southern portion of the property. The enclosure will house equipment cabinets and a generator associated with cell phone antennas on a utility pole in the NE Glisan Street right-of-way. Crews will construct a fully sight-obscuring eight-and-a-half-foot tall wood fence around the equipment shed and standby power generator. The wireless support staff will access the space through a four-foot gate on the north side. Landscapers will provide plantings around the outside perimeter to further blend the structures into the residential streetscape.
Plan set from 2019 Cell Site upgrade showing equipment room being demolished
The new weather enclosures installed behind the fence will replace the existing three racks full of batteries, power management devices, and radio equipment stored in the northeast corner of the former TV studio. Crews will deconstruct the building to make way for the site’s two future low-income and supportive housing developments. Verizon Wireless will deploy the portable cell tower to maintain cell phone coverage during construction. It includes a cellular antenna, transceiver device, battery, and other necessary equipment required to provide a stable wireless mobile network. The transition to the temporary equipment should be seamless for users. Expect new equipment to arrive on site later this year ahead of demolition work.
By
Jacob Loeb
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In an effort to embrace design transparency, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) released a Draft Concept for the 82nd Avenue Critical Fixes project. They want public participation in the design process and created a survey to gather comments on the proposed upgrades. These near-term critical safety and maintenance repairs on 82nd Avenue will break ground in 2024, with crews working through 2026. Although repair work will span the entire stretch of 82nd Avenue, these specific projects focus on NE Fremont Street to NE Schuyler Street and SE Mill Street to SE Foster Road.
The enhancements could include medians with street trees, signal reconstruction, and sidewalk reconstruction or infill. The current draft concept maintains some center turn lanes but also create new dedicated left turn lanes. In some cases, pedestrian islands could prevent east-west automotive traffic from crossing 82nd Avenue at NE Klickitat Street, NE Schuyler Street, SE Clinton Street, SE Lafayette Street, and SE Center Street. PBOT intends to repave much of the project area, and the limited sidewalk construction will provide pedestrians with safe travel to one of the many new signalized crosswalks.
Image from PBOT’s March 2023 Draft Concept Design
Montavilla will receive only a handful of updates as part of this current round of proposed projects. Both sides of SE Mill Street could receive 200 feet of new sidewalk east of SE 82nd Avenue. PBOT also wants to reconstruct 300 feet of sidewalk on the east side of 82nd Avenue between SE Division Street and the mid-block crosswalk to the north, near the Portland Community College Southeast campus. The draft concept contains raised concrete medians on 82nd Avenue south of SE Harrison Street to SE Division street and beyond. Several breaks in the median allow for designated left turns and driveway access. PBOT will attempt to plant street trees in the raised medians where possible.
The two main project sites will cover a 2.5-mile stretch of 82nd Avenue that Portland now maintains. Last year, the Oregon Department of Transportation transferred seven miles of the State highway to the City. Funds acquired during that jurisdictional transfer are supporting these projects. The draft concept released alongside the survey represents an early proposal, and people reviewing it should expect changes based on comments submitted by the public. PBOT’s project team wants feedback from businesses, property owners, and residents on the draft concept design. The survey is open until April 15, 2023, and available in Chinese: 中文, Russian: Русский, Spanish: Español, and Vietnamese: Tiếng Việt.
By
Jacob Loeb
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Update (October 25th, 2024): Work is nearly complete on three townhomes at SE 89th Avenue and Market Street. The developer connected two new two-story townhomes to the existing single family residence at 8905 SE Market Street, creating a three unit structure. The north-most home at 1680 SE 89th Avenue has an attached garage. The center townhome at SE 1682 SE 89th Avenue connects to the original 1952-era house by a small protrusion at the back of the building. The architect staggered the building’s frontage, creating a visual distinction between each home.
8905 SE Market St February 2023
The new owners of 8905 SE Market Street intend to attach three new townhomes to the existing single-family residence at this corner lot. Sunset Bridge Inc. bought the 1952-era home last October and plans to create additional housing on the property after demolishing the detached garage. Each proposed two-story unit will offer around 1,100 square feet of living space.
The four residences will all share the same lot, with the new homes likely fronted on SE 89th Avenue in an area of the property currently covered in tall hedges. The new structures will not contain garages. However, the curb cut and parking pad used for the old garage may remain. The existing 1,466-square-foot home has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The three new townhouses will likely contain two bedrooms.
Building permits in Portland take several months to approve, and those delays could push this project’s start date into the latter half of this year or 2024. Expect constriction to begin sometime after demolition crews deconstruct the single-car garage. When complete, this project will accommodate more homes while preserving the existing housing.
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Portland real estate investor Antoine Dean recently purchased a thin 24-foot-wide lot on the NE side of E Burnside Street. The site contains a detached garage used over the last several decades by residents of 4 NE 72nd Avenue. Later this year, after demolition crews remove the existing structure, the site will host a new two-story single-family residence fronted on E Burnside Street.
Antoine Dean is a Portland real estate agent and investor who often looks for unique development opportunities. When he discovered the 1904-built home on the market, Dean saw potential in the detached building. The single-car garage and attached shed were not part of the original home but joined the adjacent property later. The lots remained separate parcels over the years, and Dean was able to purchase the garage’s land independently from the house.
Image from Portland Maps
The site will require creativity in its construction, being one-foot skinner than most infill houses. “It is a relatively small lot compared to everything else,” remarked Dean. Residential buildings in this zone require a five-foot setback from the property line. Consequentially the architect had to take a standard 15-foot-wide split lot plan set and shave an extra foot from the design. This proposed house is 14′ wide by 38′ long. However, it fits many amenities in that 1016-square-foot space. Each of the two bedrooms has an attached bathroom. That leaves just enough room on the second floor for a stacked washer and dryer closet at the top of the stairs. The main floor features an open-plan living room, kitchen, and dining area. Under the staircase is a small main-floor powder room.
Floor Plan courtesy of Antoine Dean
This home targets the affordable side of the housing market. Dean explained that a home in a high-traffic location with a modest floor area is ideal for those working with a constrained budget. “Whoever purchases it is going to have to feel comfortable being right there on Burnside,” said Dean. He expects the single-family residence to list anywhere from $375,000 to $415,000, depending on the market conditions at the time of sale. Providing finically accessible housing is important to Dean. He sees it as one of the top challenges in the country, and he hopes his work will help mitigate the national housing shortage.
The demolition permit for the garage is approved, and work should begin soon after workers clear the property. Expect to see crews working the site throughout the summer. Dean hopes to keep to a tight building schedule and have the property listed before the end of the year.
Update October 14th, 2023: Cement masons completed foundation work at 7225 E Burnside Street outlining the new skinny structure. Look for principal framing to progress over the next few months.
By
Jacob Loeb
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Soon, four new homes will join the existing single-family residence at 8404 NE Holladay Street in a cottage cluster configuration. This multi-structure project represents one of the first cottage cluster developments in Montavilla and adds housing inventory while retaining the 1931-era home. This new form of permissible development became legal in July 2022 as part of the Residential Infill Project 2 (RIP2) after City Council adopted the zoning code changes in June.
Portland’s embrace of cottage cluster lot configurations stems from a 2019 update to Oregon State law. The Housing Choices bill describes cottage clusters as “groupings of no fewer than four detached housing units per acre with a footprint of less than 900 square feet each and that include a common courtyard.” Each residence is detached from the other units making them distinct from row-house developments or other middle housing options. This building arrangement permits irregularly shaped lots and forgoes spacious private yards for larger common open areas shared by the clustered homes. It is permissible for the structures to share one property, or they can each reside on small individual lots, as they will in this NE Holladay Street development.
8404 NE Holladay Street Image from Portland Maps
The new two-story homes proposed for this property will surround the existing house, with half the units addressed on NE 84th Avenue and the others fronted on NE Holladay Street. Demolition crews will likely remove the detached garage to the south of the home. However, the new property owners have yet to file for that permit. All work applications are currently under review, with construction likely months away. When completed, this project will become an example of the newest housing infill method in Portland and could represent a trend in density development.
By
Jacob Loeb
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Update (August 22nd, 2023): The People’s Courts will open on August 25th. The doors open daily at 8 a.m. and close at 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday. On Friday and Saturday they extend hours to midnight.
This summer, a new family-friendly causal sports complex will open in the former Lumberyard Bike Park at 2700 NE 82nd Avenue. The People’s Courts is a recreation destination featuring eleven pickleball courts, ten corn hole stations, ten ping pong tables, and five indoor bocci courts. Patrons will have access to two restaurants on the property, serving pizza and grilled foods along with various other menu items.
AMF built the 50,000-square-foot building in the early 1960s as a multilane bowling alley. Dave Schrott and his partners purchased the building in 2011 as an investment property and leased the space to the Lumberyard Bike Park, who transformed the space into an indoor and outdoor BMX practice track. That business closed after a decade in operation, presenting the property owners an opportunity to reimagine the space. Instead of seeking a new tenant for this location, Dave Schrott, Robert Sacks, and Dave Sacks decided to pursue a passion project centered around a shared enthusiasm for pickleball.
Workers will construct five pickleball courts inside the building, with the remaining six outside. Three shade structures next to the outdoor courts provide covering for seating. The interior arrangement will have some flexibility, adjusting to customer demand for particular games. All the games center around a theme of group play on a court. The business’s name originated from that concept. “It’s kind of a play on words because all of our games are, you know, court-based,” explained Schrott. He sees The People’s Courts as a return to the building’s bowling alley past, where all ages can gather together and participate in approachable sports.
This project is a shift for the partners. Most of their work centers on development. They were the original owners of the Ace Hotel in Downtown Portland and are involved with Coopers Hall on SE 6th Avenue. “Our primary business is real estate and property development. We mostly do adaptive reuse of older buildings.” Said, Schrott. Although this is another reuse project, it is more personal for them and leans heavily on their interests. The partners are excited to share this vision of family-friendly entertainment with the community. They plan to work with neighboring McDaniel High School, seeing an opportunity to engage those students in constructive after-school activities.
Currently, crews are preparing part of the parking lot for the new outdoor pickleball courts and other amenities. Work inside the building will continue over the next few months in time for a summer opening. They intend to operate seven days a week with daytime hours that stretch into the evenings.
By
Jacob Loeb
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An unnumbered vacant lot east of 8505 SE Yamhill Street could soon host four new townhomes. Each proposed unit is around 1075 square feet and two stories tall. Last summer, real estate investors split the lot from the adjacent home, selling it to Ernie Jette Construction in December 2023. Permit applications do not appear to include onsite parking for this project.
Ernie Jette Construction is responsible for other projects in Montavilla, including a skinny infill home at 947 NE 74th Avenue. Photos from that home’s 2020 real estate listing could provide insight into what this developer has planned for the Yamhill townhomes. Building permit approvals in Portland are still taking several months to process. Consequentially, work on this project could be a year away from breaking ground.
Image from Portland Maps
By
Jacob Loeb
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