The owners of the six-tenant strip Mall along SE 96th Avenue are seeking a buyer for their Mall 205 adjacent property. Called Prime 205, the single-story bar-shaped structure at 1026 SE 96th Avenue recently secured Carrington College as a new anchor business occupying 64 percent of the building with a ten-year lease. Past owners of the 1971-era strip mall renovated it in 2008. The building currently houses T-Mobile, GolfTec, Fixoid, and L&M Hair Company, with one vacant storefront.
Overhead image of Prime205 from Portland Maps with MV News illustrations
The retail building is located steps away from a TriMet MAX Green line station and offers 94 parking spaces. This area is in flux as new chain restaurants open in the vicinity, but shopping activity remains inconsistent. The unbuilt parcel could represent a development opportunity for urban housing with light ground-floor commercial uses. This parcel is part of a rezoning effort to build density in the Gateway District. Housing in this area would place residents within walking distance of grocery stores, retail establishments, medical services, and public transportation. Properties like Prime 205 can remain on the market for several years, and a buyer will likely want to retain lease tenants, so people will not see any significant change at this site in the coming years. However, owners listing this property could be an indication that they perceive renewed interest from buyers in the Gateway area, and any sale brings an opportunity for future site improvements.
Update: Changed link to SE 96th Ave & Access Dr info after host site took down original page.
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In early May, East Glisan Pizza Lounge, located at 8001 NE Glisan Street, reopened after a six-week closure with a new staff and an updated menu that retains many favorites, along with new options focused on continuing the 11-year-old establishment’s legacy in the Montavilla neighborhood. On March 17th, the restaurant and bar closed, posting on its Instagram page that it would temporarily halt service for an unspecified period. During that pause, owners Todd Dennis and Kristen Brown worked with a restaurant coach to rebuild a profitable business while retaining the community-centric environment that had kept the partners interested in working into the next decade of operation.
Fans of the NE Glisan Street pizza location were shocked that their favorite neighborhood spot showed any signs of trouble as it appeared busy with locals and attracted citywide accolades. Behind the scenes, the operators felt consumed by a daily struggle to maintain high food quality and prevent rising costs from inflating their prices beyond reason for their regular customers. “To be frank, we have not been profitable in the last several years,” said Brown. However, raising the prices alone would not solve their problems. Advisers had encouraged the owners to eliminate table service and adopt a counter-only model, similar to many other area pizzerias, along with other changes that would alter the establishment’s character. That advice did not sit well with Brown and Dennis, but they knew something would need to change. “We were talking about different options for a little bit, but there were a couple of events that happened in the last couple of days before we closed,” explained Dennis. “We just said, ‘We’ve got to do it now.'” Brown added the analogy that they had been trying to “fix an airplane midair, and we need to land it, or it’s going to crash.”
Brown and Dennis informed the staff that they had no idea when they would reopen and stated that all employees, except for the front-of-house lead Beth McClintock, had decided to take work elsewhere. That rotation of staff led the owners to reevaluate the business, starting with the question of why they wanted to remain open. They initially discovered the location in Montavilla during a region-wide search and were unfamiliar with the neighborhood when selecting the building. Dennis had worked as a bartender for 15 years in Tualatin, and Brown had some work history at Jake’s Grill and the Heathman but had since developed her career as a mortgage broker. “We both had a lot of front-of-house experience, no back-of-house experience, and very little management experience,” said Dennis. “We did our best, and I think that it went pretty well for quite a long time. It’s one of those things where the more you learn, the more you realize what you don’t know. After 10 years, it wasn’t running behind the scenes the way we wanted it to.” They felt that most guests did not notice the rough edges and appreciated how well their staff took care of customers; however, by the end of 2024, they knew that change was the only option.
What Brown and Dennis discovered is that some dishes were taking too much time to produce, and they were not selling enough pizza each week to cover payroll and material costs. They also felt that they could never take time away from the shop and their success depended on being there every day. “We were kind of becoming exhausted, and there were some staffing issues that were coming up. We decided that if we didn’t shut down on purpose, things would shut down without our control over it,” said Dennis. During that pause time, they removed specific items from the food and bar menus and sought replacement items that would require less labor and utilize more crossover ingredients. Sunday lasagna was a standout to remove from the recurring menu. “It’s very labor intensive. It’s both intensive to prep and labor-intensive to serve. It takes a whole other person during service just to handle that,” recalled Brown. They also changed the gluten-free crust to a Detroit-style instead of a thin rectangular polenta crust. “It was unique, kind of a big loss, but also very labor-intensive,” said Dennis. They removed the Spicy Eggplant and Capicola pizza, making room for a new tavern-style crust that they pre-make in a six-day process. “The tavern-style is a very thin cracker crisp cornmeal dusted pie cut into squares, very shareable,” explained Brown. These crusts keep well during the week, as they have a lower moisture content, making them an ideal option for streamlined preparation. The non-rising dough edge finishes slightly charred, making it crunchy.
They have remained committed to supporting a range of pizza options that cater to various dietary restrictions. “Vegan is something that we’ve expanded a little bit. We now have a Detroit vegan option. We’re using NUMU cheese, which is out of Brooklyn, New York. And we’ve got BE Hive pepperoni and BE Hive sausage,” said Brown. This option replaces the house-made vegan meat options, which required considerable cooking time, with a product that Brown and Dennis feel closely matches the flavor and quality. They have also added fresh pineapple to the menu. “We weren’t snooty about having pineapple,” Brown remarked, noting how a canned ingredient would not work. “But we have set up a process for the pineapple with as little waste as possible. So we roast the pineapple now.”
They also slimmed down the cocktail menu, focusing on bolstering longtime classics like the Old Glisan, Buffy Summers, and Yellow Submarine, but said that in most cases, they can still recreate an off-menu favorite if requested. Many of these changes came from seasoned professionals hired to guide the relaunch of East Glisan Pizza Lounge, including new chef Adam Maxwell, who came to us from Ranch Pizza and other acclaimed eateries. “He’s opened seven restaurants, He’s opened three Ranches, and he’s got a long pizza resume, including Cellarmaker, a Detroit Pizza place in San Francisco,” said Brown. Before hiring strong leadership skills in the kitchen, the owners worked with pizza consultant Alastair Hannmann, who helped with dough recipes and developed the tavern pie.
During May, East Glisan Pizza Lounge operated in a soft-open mode to give the new staff time to perfect their food service and learn to work together. Recently, the restaurant began accepting online orders for pickup and will soon introduce additional online ordering options. This cautious approach to relaunching the business should bring the behind-the-scenes operation up to the standards that Brown and Dennis can be proud of and give them confidence that the place will operate profitably without constant oversight. However, they feel these updates are only necessary to support the true goal of the business, which they only recently verbalized to themselves. “We articulated what we intuitively knew, that our purpose has always been creating a space where people feel welcome as themselves and are seen. A space for people to connect,” explained Brown. Eleven years ago, they made roots in Montavilla, not knowing that the community would be a critical ingredient in their business. However, they can no longer imagine it any other way and feel certain that these recent changes will help them stay open for their customers for years to come.
East Glisan Pizza Lounge is open for dinner Thursday through Monday, starting at 5 p.m. Sundays and Mondays, they close at 9 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays, they close at 10 p.m., with Friday service extended to 11 p.m. As they ramp up operations, they expect to adjust times and possibly open seven days a week starting in mid-July. They feel ready to start seeing everyone again and look forward to showing customers the updated menu. Prices have risen slightly, and people may need to explore new options, but they are happy to offer the full table service that guests enjoy and return as a valued community place.
For just under $45 million, someone can purchase the iconic Gateway Shopping Center at the confluence of Interstates 84 and 205. The former Kohl’s building and parking lot are available together with the 24-acre retail complex or separately. The Key Bank parcel at 1205 NE 102nd Avenue is the lone carveout and is not part of the offering. This real estate listing features a significantly sized property anchored by the Gateway Fred Meyer store, with many national chain stores surrounding the expansive parking lot.
Fred G. Meyer built the Gateway Shopping Center in 1954, away from city centers, in what was unincorporated midcounty at the time. The development created the region’s first suburban-style shopping center, focusing on patrons who drove to meet their daily needs. Current structures date back to 1987, with owners reworking almost all the original post-war elements over the decades to meet the ever-changing demands of retail design. The multi-block offering contains six distinct properties with separate registered owners. However, outside of the now-vacant Kohl’s building, the listing focuses on selling the site as a whole.
Portland City Planners zoned this area as Central Commercial, allowing high-density commercial development similar to those found in downtown urban streetscapes. Sellers list the property as 96 percent leased, and a sale would not instantly change the commercial makeup of the shopping center. However, a new owner could repurpose the underutilized parking for redevelopment at the edges of the property, better meeting the urban design guidelines while retaining the existing profit center at the complex.
This listing joins other notable multi-block holdings now on the market in this area, including two whole city blocks and several half blocks to the south. The retail site also sits across from a 5.18-acre vacant property at the southwest corner of NE 102nd Avenue and Pacific Street that Prosper Portland bought last year to secure for future housing redevelopment. City leaders intended the Gateway Tax Increment Financing District to spur significant redevelopment, but few properties have transformed with the density required by the new zoning. Several nearby sites have had their structures demolished and are now fenced, awaiting future use. A buyer looking to expand the Gateway Shopping Center could become the catalyst for the district’s growth, much like Fred G. Meyer’s initial investment. However, it will require substantial funding and a vision that extends beyond its suburban past to meet the current demands of a district envisioned as an urban center.
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On May 15th, the Portland Design Commission provided its approval for TriMet’s placement of prototype Next Generation Bus Shelters on city streets. The presenters outlined the three classes of new bus stop weather protection that will use many interchangeable parts for more efficient maintenance. Oregon company GK Machine Inc. is manufacturing the test shelters, and project planners anticipate crews will begin installation at the end of June. After an evaluation period and some public engagement that could allow for modest design updates, TriMet planners intend to start replacing its approximately 1000 shelters with these new units as needed.
TriMet slide from May 15th Portland Design Commission presentation showing Pavilion XS rendering and size
The current shelter design received approval in the early 1990s, and decades of repair and upkeep experience have influenced these prototype designs. They also incorporate refinements based on the Bus Rapid Transit stations constructed for the FX 2 line on SE Division Street. Two of the three shelter size classifications use two or three vertical support poles at the back of the structure, with the roof cantilevered over its footprint. The smallest Pavilion XS design uses four posts with two in the back corner and the remaining vertical supports placed in the middle of the sidewall dimension. The roof uses a low-pitched asymmetrical hipped roof design that will direct most rainwater runoff to the front corners of the shelter.
TriMet slide from May 15th Portland Design Commission presentation showing Pavilion & XS on sidewalk placement
The three shelter types will all support sidewalls made from transparent two-foot-wide panels, but TriMet can also place the units without any walls, essentially floating a horizontal covering over the waiting riders with minimal vertical supports. The new design will structurally support glass panels if needed. However, due to increased glass breakage and growing material costs, TriMet is considering using decoratively etched polycarbonate panels protected with Vandal Guard coating for prolonged protection from graffiti.
TriMet slide from May 15th Portland Design Commission presentation showing Pavilion XL rendering and size
The Pavilion XS unit will likely become Portland’s most common varation as crews can mount them directly to a sidewalk that is at least 5.5″ thick, similar to existing shelters. Aditionally, is smaller footprint will fit more places in the streetscape with a roof that covers 5′-6″ by 10′-2″. The 8′ by 10′-10″ Pavilion and the 8′ by 14′-10″ Pavilion XL require more significant footing for their support posts. Unlike existing shelters with the underside of roof panels exposed, these new shelters will have ceilings, creating a sealed compartment protecting two battery units that can charge via roof-mounted solar panels. That power system will support integrated LED lighting, e-ink schedule reader boards, and pushbutton audio notifications of pending arrivals. Shelter seating is an updated design of current street furniture that will similarly mount to the sidewalk, independent of the shelter structure.
TriMet slide from May 15th Portland Design Commission presentation showing High-Capacity rendering and size
Although the Design Commission can exempt new shelters and associated amenities from future Land Use review, each shelter will require a permit authorized by the Portland Bureau of Transportation. Based on the sidewalk or platform space, the structures can face towards or away from traffic. TriMet plans to introduce larger shelters for high-ridership locations, but presenters did not include them in the May 15th request for approval. The High-Capacity Family of weather protection units will share many replacement parts with the Pavilion styles for a more cost-effective maintenance program. Riders could begin to see these prototype units installed this summer, and TriMet will continue to evaluate the Next Generation Bus Shelters’ performance over time before moving to full production.
Disclosure: The author of this article serves on the 82nd Avenue Transit Project Community Advisory Committee (CAC) but had no involvement with Next Generation Bus Shelter design.
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Starting May 13th, crews will close East Burnside Street from 94th Avenue to 99th Avenue for weeknight roadwork. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) advises drivers to detour around this section of East Burnside on Tuesday through Thursday nights from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.. The closures will prevent drivers from using the Interstate-205 overpass, requiring motorists to cross the freeway at NE Glisan Street or via the SE Stark-Washington Street couplet.
The overnight work schedule includes completing traffic signal upgrades and other improvements to crossing points along this street. Crews working with PBOT previously installed new signal equipment at 97th Avenue’s crossing of East Burnside Street as part of theNE 97th Avenue Phase II and Couch/Davis StreetLocal Improvement District (LID). The old signal equipment is still active, and crews must remove it so PBOT can activate the new traffic lights and pedestrian signals.
This LID project uses City and property owner funds to add sidewalks and create new road segments, restoring the city street grid in an area that previously had long, uninterrupted blocks and little pedestrian infrastructure. Project planners say this work will improve streets and sidewalks for existing residents while facilitating future housing growth in the Gateway area.
PBOT provided graphic
Closures will disrupt the Line 20 bus service. TriMet will close eastbound bus stops on E Burnside at SE 94th (Stop ID 822) and SE 99th (Stop ID 12934). Westbound line 20 buses will similarly bypass stops on E Burnside at NE 97th (Stop ID 8745) and NE 94th (Stop ID 823). Riders should consult TriMet’s website for further alerts and to plan trips around the construction. I-205 Multiuse Path users can travel through this worksite. However, they should use caution and follow detour instructions as crews work to enhance the walking and rolling corridor.
PBOT will work to maintain local access to residences and businesses during the project. People should anticipate delays and obey instructions on signs or from the crew on site. When completed, all users of the intersection will have new high-visibility crosswalk markings and new signals for safer navigation of this mixed point of nearly all modes of ground travel — at East Burnside Street and 97th Avenue, light rail, car, bicycle, bus, and pedestrian traffic intermix, creating a uniquely complex crossroads in the best of circumstances. During construction, people are encouraged to remain aware of work in the roadway and changing traffic patterns.
Carrington College recently relocated its Portland operations to 1010 SE 96th Avenue, Suite 1052, vacating its Lloyd Center classrooms. The private, for-profit school offers Medical Assistant, Dental Assistant, or Veterinary Assistant programs from this East Portland campus. The California-based organization was formerly known as Apollo College before its 2010 name change.
Carrington College’s Portland campus occupies the ground floor and basement of the former Unitus Community Credit Union location, left vacant since the branch’s relocation in November 2023. The approximately 16,700 square foot facility offers a reception area, administrative offices, and student services with two lecture rooms and one computer lab. The website describes the classroom design as representative of the professional environments students will encounter in their careers, such as hospital rooms, doctor’s offices, and dental offices. The lower level features lab spaces for students enrolled in the Medical Assisting, Veterinary Assisting, and Dental Assisting programs.
This campus is across from a TriMet MAX Green Line station and offers significant on-site parking, providing students with similar access options as its previous Lloyd Center location. The school is open weekdays and offers some evening classes.
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Starting Wednesday, May 7th, SE Washington Street will close to traffic so crews can install a sedimentation system at the SE 84th Avenue intersection. For the remainder of the week, eastbound drivers and TriMet buses will need to route around the closure between SE 82nd and 86th Avenues. Although the contractor intends to complete work by Friday, May 9th, crews may need to extend construction into the following week.
The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) intends to rebuild the four sidewalk corners at this intersection as part of a future project to add a bike lane and enhanced pedestrian infrastructure to the street. Road markings recently applied in the area show where crews will install new corners featuring Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant ramps and curb extensions on the north side. The extended sidewalk corners bulb out into the parking lane of Washington Street, shortening the crosswalk distance and increasing visibility for people waiting to cross at the sidewalk’s edge.
This week’s project is in the center of the street and requires a full road closure for worker and street user safety. These improvements support a more robust stormwater system and other enhancements planned for SE Washington Street. Eastbound TriMet line 15 riders who rely on the SE Washington at 82nd (Stop ID 6166), 86th (Stop ID 6167), and 88th (Stop ID 6168) bus stops will need to use a alternate boarding location from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Drivers who use SE Washington Street should detour to SE Division or East Burnside Streets for eastbound travel. During construction, motorists should keep an eye on posted signage and reader boards for information about any extensions to the work schedule that would prolong the road closure.
In April, crews began converting an adult entertainment venue into Portland’s first Chick-fil-A restaurant within city limits since the Lloyd Center food court location closed in 2003. This project dates back to May 2022, when the national fast food chain explored development at 9950 SE Stark Street, opting to renovate the original structure to maintain its nonconforming use of the existing site. The 1984-era structure previously hosted Rax Roast Beef, Tony Roma’s, and Hooters restaurants before converting to Mystic Gentlemen’s Club and later Venue Gentlemen’s Club.
9950 SE Stark Street stripped to its studs ahead of renovation (Jacob Loeb)
Complete demolition of the building would have required denser use of the rezoned property and prohibited the use as a single-story restaurant, so workers stripped the building down to its studs and repurposed existing structural elements in the new design. This property is in the Gateway Urban Renewal Area, which city planners hoped would become a second downtown. The Gateway District is predominantly zoned as Central Commercial (CX). City planners expect new developments in this area to maximize density and encourage urban activities. The CX zone allows projects with tall buildings placed close together. Developers working in this zone should create pedestrian-oriented structures that strongly emphasize a safe and attractive streetscape. To avoid the minimum density requirements in the CX zone, the Chick-fil-A on SE Stark Street must reuse the original building. Portland allows noncomplying use within a zone when the building predates the new standards and only expects zone compliance to occur when property owners significantly redevelop the site. The status of nonconforming structures is not affected by changes in ownership or tenants. The project’s initial demolition and drive-thru-oriented redevelopment plan would have needed to adhere to the CX standards. This renovation plan will create a Chick-fil-A that is different from most of the restaurant’s other locations without a drive-through option, but it will retain nonconforming status by maintaining the usage pattern of previous tenants.
April 2025 (Jacob Loeb)
January 2025 (Jacob Loeb)
An early morning fire at the location on January 4th almost hampered redevelopment plans. However, Portland Fire & Rescue’s quick response kept the damage to a minimum and preserved most of the structure. This event was just one of the obstacles this project faced over the years. Chick-fil-A remained committed to buying this property even as its storied history played out in court with a 32-year-old man found guilty this month for a deadly shooting at this location in April 2024.
Firefighters working outside the shuttered Venue Gentlemen’s Club entrance. Photo by Dennis Weis, courtesy PF&R.
Over the next few months, crews will rework the facade and roof to incorporate a new entry vestibule. Sidewalk improvements around the site will join updates to the parking lot and ramp additions to increase accessible entry to the restaurant. Workers will restructure the interior with an all-new layout, including restrooms, a play area, a sit-down dining room, and kitchen space to meet the Chick-fil-A standards. People should anticipate sidewalk and lane closures around the property as workers transform this site. After crews complete the renovation, area residents should expect increased traffic around the property border by SE Stark Street, Washington Street, and 99th Avenue. The chicken-centric fast food company tends to draw many patrons, and its lack of drive-through service may exceed its onsite parking capacity, diverting drivers into other area parking. However, the property will have a designated “Delivery Drivers” area for app-based service providers taking orders directly to customers offsite.
Although the building will mostly retain its original footprint and parking lot, people should soon see a different level of customer interaction at this site, and it has the potential to draw in new visitors from the adjacent Interstate 205 commuter looking for a quick meal. Increased visitors at one location can improve surrounding locations’ sales but may also draw customers from local competitors. Chick-fil-A’s impact on the Gateway District will take years to materialize. Still, people have expressed appreciation for the change in business at that location and will appreciate seeing the site more active.
Update January 1, 2026: Construction is nearly complete and the franchisee anticipates opening the location in early 2026.
By
Jacob Loeb
Correction: The article was updated to acknowledge the Lloyd Center food court location that closed in 2003.
At an April 17th community meeting, project planners announced that Do Good Multnomah will open a clean and sober sleeping pod shelter in the Multnomah County-owned property at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue. The 38 single-occupancy shed-style shelters will support people recovering from substance use disorder in an environment where residents and staff receive routine urine testing for compliance with the site’s drug and alcohol-free requirements. Six converted shipping container units will provide office space for staff, participant services, hygiene facilities, kitchenette amenities, and laundry facilities so the recently unhoused residents can focus on the first steps to finding stable housing.
Nicole Jackson from the Montavilla headquartered nonprofit Do Good Multnomah spoke to the meeting attendees about the plans for the site along SE Mill Street, located between two Portland Public Schools. She explained that they would screen residents before placing them at this shelter to verify sobriety and exclude applicants with sexual offender convictions. Although this site is not low-barrier like the Oak Street Village shelter down the street at 333 SE 82nd Avenue, it still removes obstacles for people transitioning into shelters. The primary difference between most other sleeping pod communities in Portland and this location is its sober requirement and that units are limited to one occupant. Jackson said the group hopes to support residents for around 90 days before finding them sober housing or other placement on the road to stable housing. However, she noted that recovery can sometimes include relapsing. If that happens, residents are not permitted to stay but can transfer to another location until they are ready to return to the program.
Feb 2025 Design – courtesy JOHS
As a safe location for people to recover from addiction, Jackson explained that it is essential for the other residents to follow the rules and not jeopardize others’ recovery efforts with their choices. She said that people they work with have requested a sober shelter option for years, noting it is hard to control an addiction while others around you are using. The site has a single entry and exit point for residents; staff search bags and request people empty pockets on reentry. Three staff will work onsite 24 hours a day, every day. Do Good Multnomah intends to have one of those team positions staffed each shift by a trained peer support person, helping people with recovery challenges from a position of personal experience.
In June or July, Multnomah County’s Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS) –soon to change names to Homeless Services Department (HSD)– intends to begin work on a Good Neighbor Agreement with the Montavilla Neighborhood Association and the 82nd Avenue Business Association among other stakeholders to determine responsibilities and communication practices around the operation of the site. Do Good Multnomah is currently working on finalizing its site rules but noted they have years of experience running these types of shelters to make them safe for residents and the surrounding community. For instance, Nicole Jackson said that all dogs living in the shelter with their owners must be leashed at all times when answering a meeting attendee’s concerns about loose and aggressive dogs. She also explained that they will implement a quiet hours policy from 9 or 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
1818 SE 82n Avenue seen from SE Mill Street with new sidewalk
At the meeting, some residents expressed concern about the lack of parking for residents at the site. Jackson said she anticipates few people living in the shelter will have cars. Staff have onsite parking, and any residents needing to park will need to use street parking, but Do Good Multnomah will make sure they are parked legally in the neighborhood. Others had concerns about camping around the site. JOHS staff at the meeting said that the Good Neighbor Agreement (GNA) could include an enhanced services Engagement Zone like the Oak Street Village GNA, where City service providers resolve issues with the highest priority allowed by law to clear the zone around the shelter site.
Work on 1818 SE 82nd Avenue has not yet begun. Demolition crews will remove the existing building before other workers install electrical and plumbing underground for the temporary structures. The site will receive new chainlink fencing around the perimeter with plastic privacy slats. On the east edge of the property, crews will build a seven-foot-tall cedar fence set in several feet from the property line to provide extra buffer between the shelter site and an adjacent residential property. The team will construct a new fence line set back five feet from the sidewalk on SE Mill Street to allow a green zone of trees and plantings. The JOHS anticipates residents could move in by November or December 2025.
On April 17th, Multnomah County’s Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS) will host its second community meeting, seeking public input regarding the alternative shelter planned at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue. The event will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in Portland Community College Southeast Campus’s Community Hall at 2305 SE 82nd Avenue. Attendees should pre-register for this open community meeting through the online RSVP form. Participants will learn more about the project and have opportunities to provide feedback to planners.
This proposed shelter site will have a capacity for up to 38 adults living in sleeping pods. Six converted shipping container units will provide office space for staff, participant services, hygiene facilities, kitchenette amenities, and laundry facilities. Residents and their pets will have onsite access to green space. The site will receive upgraded fencing with privacy inserts on all street sides and a wood fence between the adjacent residential property to the east. New designs from earlier this year also relocated the planned garbage recycling building and parking further away from the eastern property line.
Feb 2025 Design – courtesy JOHS
Dec 2024 Design – courtesy JOHS
Onsite parking offers eight spaces for staff and visiting service providers only. Operators will reserve two of those stalls for vehicles with accessibility permits. This configuration differs from the other county-owned shelter, Oak Street Village, which is located several blocks north of this site and features significant resident parking. Crews working for the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) began constructing new sidewalks on SE Mill Street east of SE 82nd Avenue. They have completed most of the work along the future shelter site’s Mill Street frontage and will soon work on the north side of the street before repaving. These sidewalks will be a welcome addition for the parents and students who often use SE Mill Street as a route to the two nearby schools.
The JOHS has yet to announce a service provider to offer 24-hour support for shelter residents. The County representatives have said they intend to open this location by the end of 2025. Presenters at the April 17th meeting will likely offer updated plans, more details about who will operate the site, and other operational information.
Note: On July 1st, the JOHS will take on its new name and be known as the Multnomah County Homeless Services Department (HSD)
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