Category: Montavilla

Montavilla

Montavilla Sheet Metal Name Returns to NE Glisan

Montavilla Sheet Metal & Stainless Steel Inc., a family-owned metal fabricator, relocated to the area after purchasing a three-building complex at 8101 NE Glisan Street. The Milwaukie, Oregon, founded company supports sheet metal needs ranging from small residential projects to large commercial customers. Although the ownership and company are different, this marks the return of a nearly 100-year-old business name to the area.

The original Montavilla Sheet Metal opened in 1927, offering metal roofing, gutter, and heating components alongside general sheet metal fabrication services. The owner moved the business from its 5736 NE Glisan Street building in 2010, relocating outside Portland. A July 16th, 2010, Oregonian/Oregonlive article detailed Laura Mixer’s move of her family’s company to Clackamas County. The article indicated the relocation was partially motivated by the City’s changing land use zoning and the company’s need for more space. The area around the former shop is now Commercial Mixed Use 2 (CM2) zoned, and those blocks have experienced significant housing creation via several multi-unit developments. However, the 1912-era former sheet metal shop space remains standing and now houses a physical therapy provider.

Former Montavilla Sheet Metal location at 5736 NE Glisan St from Google Maps 2007

Laura Mixer’s Montavilla Sheet Metal ceased operation around 2021, and Ilya Zagaryuk, who owned an established sheet metal business, purchased most of the metalworking equipment from Montavilla Sheet Metal. Zagaryuk grew up in the neighborhood near NE Glisan and knew of the company’s history from working in construction with his father. Zagaryuk created a new business called Montavilla Sheet Metal & Stainless Steel out of respect for the former company and a wish for it to return to Montavilla. With his Milwaukie site’s lease ending in a year and business growing beyond that location’s capacity, he found a suitable facility at 8101 NE Glisan Street that offers 33,750 square feet of usable space, nearly double what he had.

The new property met all Zagaryuk’s needs. It is centrally located to the company’s existing client base and near major roads for easy freeway access. The property offers two metal-clad fabrication warehouses behind a single-story office building. The entire site is fenced, and Zagaryuk intends to extend the fence to the front property line. He will also install a covered roof between the two metal buildings to create a dry storage yard. Zagaryuk remarked that the property’s location in Montavilla and on NE Glisan Street was ideal for his plans, fulfilling his desire to return the name to his childhood community.

During March, Zagaryuk will relocate the Montavilla Sheet Metal & Stainless Steel offices to the new building. The NE Glisan building will also house his construction company, UKA Construction, which Zagaryuk inherited from his father. He explained that his family moved from Ukraine when he was four years old, and his father started the company several years later, in 1996. Zagaryuk UKA intended the abbreviation to stand for Ukraine Construction in America, but his father’s burgeoning knowledge of English caused him to make a “k” versus “c” spelling error. Zagaryuk said keeping the business name as his father first registered it was important because it was an endearing part of his family’s American story.

Zagaryuk’s expansion from construction into sheet metal work arose from a practical need. He found excessive delivery times for flashing and chimney caps were holding construction timelines back. With an investment in equipment, he could make most of the metal needed to complete his buildings and deliver his projects on time. After years of doing his in-house metal work, friends in the industry began to request that he do the same for their projects. He started ProFlashCo to take on the outside projects and grew the business to include railings and other custom metal work. Years later, the company expanded to include the Montavilla Sheet Metal & Stainless Steel brand and now employs around ten people.

The extra business required that they find new space beyond its location in Milwaukie. They will operate two shops for now, shifting all the administrative and railing work to NE Glisan. As the lease for the old location ends later this year, Zagaryuk will decide if all activity will move to the Montavilla property. The company hopes to have a grand opening celebration for its customers later this summer and will commence with property upgrades as soon as Portland approves its permit applications. People should expect more activity at the site over the coming months as the staff ramps up production work, creating essential building components.

Article and phots by

Jacob Loeb

Exterior view of Montavilla Sheet Metal & Stainless Steel building, featuring prominent signage in red on a black facade, located at 8101 NE Glisan Street.
New sign added June 2025

Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Storied Vintage, a furniture restoration and sales shop at 7850 SE Stark Street. We thank them for their support.

Montavilla

SE Thorburn and Washington Update Design

The Portland Bureau of Transportation’s (PBOT) design for bike lanes on SE Thorburn and Washington Streets will remove a lane of travel in each direction to add bike lanes while retaining much of the existing street parking on both sides of SE Washington Street for a critical two-block segment. The road striping plan will replace removed curbside parking on SE Washington with bike-lane-adjacent parking from SE 76th to 80th Avenues to create a protected buffer for the five-foot-wide curbside cyclist route. Driving lane reductions on SE Thorburn Street and parts of SE Gilham Avenue will create space for a painted bike lane on the northwest traveling side of the road and a raised concrete traffic separator-protected bike lane on the southeast traveling side with space for an on-pavement pedestrian track where missing sidewalks have previously challenged pedestrian access.

  • Updated graphic courtesy PBOT
  • Original graphic courtesy PBOT

On February 28th, PBOT updated the Jade and Montavilla Multimodal Improvements Project‘s website page to reflect the current designs that reduce the extent of previously indicated south-side street parking removal. The project will add over 20 marked parking spaces on SE Washington Street, replacing the southernmost travel lane. The recreated parking capacity offers slightly fewer spaces than the parking spaces removed. Still, it is a significant benefit for area businesses and residents living in housing on that street that do not have onsite parking options. Its design also offers cyclists a physical buffer between fast-moving downhill traffic. The project will likewise reconfigure SE Stark Street west of SE 76th Avenue. The existing bike lane will transition to replace curbside parking, making room for a short opposing direction bike lane that will take riders from SE 75th Avenue east to SE 76th Avenue, where a new traffic signal will help those cyclists turn south. At the new signal, the southernmost lane of SE Stark Street will transition into a left-turn-only lane, and the one remaining through lane will direct drivers onto SE Thorburn Street. Crews working with PBOT will reconstruct the southwest corner at the intersection to create a curb extension that will close the northbound pedestrian crossing. Instead, people will cross SE 76th Avenue to the east and SE Stark Street from the southeast corner.

SE Stark reconfiguration will convert left lane to turn only and add a short bi-directional bike lane at the right

SE Washington Street Bike lanes east of SE 80th Avenue will use a mix of concrete traffic separator-protected bike lane cycling infrastructure and shared bus-bike lanes up to SE 92nd Avenue. Striping plans show TriMet bus drivers will have a consistent bus lane from SE 80th Avenue past SE 90th Avenue, with motorists having right-turn-only access to that bus lane at intersections. PBOT will enhance the crossings of SE Washington and Stark Streets at SE 84th Avenue for north-south traveling pedestrians. The Stark crossing will receive a mid-road crossing refuge island similar in design to the island two blocks to the east at SE 86th Avenue. On SE Washington Street, new corners will offer Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant curb ramps, curb extensions on the north side will shorten the crossing distance, and high visitability crosswalks will signal drivers to yield for pedestrians.

SE Washington Street with MV News created illustrations showing approximate lane configuration (not to scale)

The Jade and Montavilla Multimodal Improvements Project also addresses underdeveloped infrastructure between SE Division Street and SE Powell Boulevard near SE 82nd Avenue. Together, the collection of enhancements costs $9,094,000 but should not impact general fund shortfalls expected in Portland’s budget for the next fiscal year, which starts in July. Money for these improvements comes from $3,200,000 in Federal funds, with an additional $4,900,000 from the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocations. PBOT will source the remaining $994,000 from System Development Charges (SDCs) paid by developers. This work should significantly improve biking and pedestrian access through the center of Montavilla while better connecting the surrounding neighborhoods. PBOT expects construction to break ground in spring 2025.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Otter Wax, a neighborhood producer of small-batch specialty goods handcrafted in Portland. Using only natural ingredients, they make modern care products that are steeped in tradition. We thank them for their support.

Construction, New Business, Top 2025

99 Ranch Construction Resumes

After a long permitting and planning process, construction is beginning again on East Portland’s first 99 Ranch Market location at 10546 SE Washington Street. The highly anticipated Asian grocery store’s progress slowed after the property owner made exterior modifications to the storefront and installed new demising walls to create smaller storefronts flanking 99 Ranch’s entryway. The Plaza 205 buildout created a larger floor plan for the grocer at the back of the space while making room for complementary businesses along the shopping center’s frontage.

Since 1984, 99 Ranch has grown from its Westminster, California, origins to become one of the largest Asian grocery chains in the country. Store designs prioritize vibrant interior signage and constant display themes. Visitors can find an array of imported or domestic packaged food, freshly prepared dishes at the deli, and grocery staples that support most Asian culinary traditions. Since the company revealed this location’s planned opening in 2023, many Montavilla News readers have expressed their excitement for its arrival and have lamented the build schedule’s length.

Recently, crews began cutting trenches in the concrete floors to run electrical, water, and drain lines for the new food display and storage equipment. Workers are erecting metal stud walls separating the backroom operations from the large sales floor with its exposed wood-beam ceiling. Crews will polish and seal the concrete flooring throughout the store, adding a stone element that complements the darker color pallet used in many of the company’s grocery stores. When completed, this location will offer up to four sub-tenant spaces for restaurant and retail vendors within the entryway area. Each space has full-height walls between units, and 99 Ranch Market provides all utilities.

Eight standard conveyor-belt-fed registers and four self-checkout lanes near the front of the store separate the vendor area from the grocery operations. Along the west wall of the market, designers placed the hot deli, extensive meat department, and seafood area with live seafood tanks. Produce displays will occupy the frontmost half of the eastern edge of the store, and coolers will wrap around from the produce department’s east wall along the back wall.

Applicant Illustration of sign size increases included as part of LU 24-073292 showing 99 Ranch sign would increase from 60 SF to 150 SF

The Plaza 205 property owners adjusted the exterior design of the building to promote 99 Ranch Market as the anchor tenant, raising its entry arch to become taller than the adjacent parapets. This increased wall space allowed for a larger store sign but required a Design Review approval to allow the 99 Ranch Market sign to exceed the 100 square feet of maximum area per sign standard and increase the allowable sign sizes for the new tenants taking over the other retail areas around the grocery store. LU 24-073292‘s reviewing Staff Planner concluded, “The proposed signs are designed to be well integrated with the building as well as the neighborhood. The addition of signs identifying the building occupants will strengthen the relationship of the building with the neighborhood and enhance the visual interest of the streetscape while bringing a greater sense of identity to the area. The proposed signs do not produce a negative effect to the pedestrian environment in the adjacent sidewalk rights-of-way and adds visual interest to the building, both day and night.” The building sits over 300 feet back from the street, and the increased sign area should improve visibility for people passing the shopping center on SE Washington Street.

Crews will continue to work on this new grocery store over the coming months. Businesses interested in becoming a sub-tenant at this store can contact TAWA Leasing by calling 714-521-8899 or emailing leasing@tawa.com. Shoppers can expect to hear more about opening dates by following 99 Ranch’s social media or the company’s website.

Article and Photos by

Jacob Loeb

Note: Title image digitally edited by MV News to show 99 Ranch sign as originally proposed in permit drawings. Finale store signage will differ and include FRESH PRODUCE, LIVE SEAFOOD, HOT DELI, and BAKERY under the 99 Ranch Market logo based on LU 24-073292 DZM documents

Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Otter Wax, a neighborhood producer of small-batch specialty goods handcrafted in Portland. Using only natural ingredients, they make modern care products that are steeped in tradition. We thank them for their support.

Community, Top 2025

Changes at Multnomah Campus

In fall 2025, the Multnomah Campus of Jessup University will cease offering traditional undergraduate classes, athletic programs, and its Master of Arts in Counseling at the Portland-based campus. The University announced these changes on January 13th, highlighting a renewed focus on Seminary, Graduate, and online education. In November 2023, Multnomah University announced they would join Jessup University, transitioning the 8435 NE Glisan Street facility into the third campus for the California-based Christian school. This partnership delivered financial stability to the Portland-based education institution, which is now rightsizing its program to meet current demands while remaining an active community resource.

At the start of the following curriculum year, the Portland Campus’s in-person education will focus on seminary, graduate, and certificate programs. They will no longer offer student housing or athletics programs, opening up the existing facilities for community benefit uses that align with the educational institution’s mission. Volunteers of America Oregon (VOA) is already using two campus dormitories for its residential treatment for women with children, and the soccer field is supporting the youth sports group Inter PDX, which removes the “pay to play” barrier that can keep some kids from participating in the sport.

Multnomah Campus of Jessup University Chancellor Jessica Taylor is committed to using the institution’s educational resources for positive community uses that also support student needs. “Our goal is to always utilize the campus for a community benefit. I don’t want anything shuttered, boarded up, and not being utilized,” said Taylor. However, the University is not interested in becoming a landlord renting space to any tenant. Student safety and support will remain top priorities when considering partner uses of the property. Taylor explained that the organization supports behavioral health services and other critical resources. Its VOA Oregon partnership is a prime example of auxiliary uses for excess campus resources fitting their goals. However, they would not consider programs with drop-in services that could disrupt their educational work or the wider community. “We want to care about the [partner’s] community, but of course balancing that with both safety and operational functioning,” remarked Taylor.

The University’s course reduction in Portland will significantly impact students and staff. At the end of the 2024-2025 academic year, the Multnomah Campus of Jessup University will eliminate over 70 percent of staff and faculty positions. Students continuing in-person classes have various options based on degree path, including transferring to the Rocklin California Campus of Jessup University if the program is supported. Alternatively, George Fox University‘s Newberg and Portland campuses, as well as Corban University’s Salem campus, will offer a teach-out option to enrolled Multnomah undergraduates. Western Seminary University and George Fox University will support Master of Arts in Counseling transfers. This path allows students to stay in Oregon and complete their work towards a degree. Students can also transfer to other higher education programs outside the teach-out options.

Online education is an option for some students due to a new offering from the University dubbed Jessup Global. In the Fall of 2024, the Portland Campus began headquartering that international online education platform for the organization. Chancellor Taylor explained that Jessup University did not offer a seminary education program and that its partnership with Multnomah University added that expertise to its course catalog. Taking the programs online lets the West Coast-based organization reach everyone seeking an Association of Theological Schools (ATS) accredited Seminary degree, regardless of location.

The reduction in courses and campus community has been difficult for Chancellor Taylor. However, this change secures a future for the school, which faced economic challenges with declining enrollment made worse during the last few years. The campus has dropped from a 1000-student maximum enrollment to a few hundred, with half the remaining students graduating this spring. Jessup University’s support gave the Portland campus enough time to reorganize and find its sustainable path. “Without the support and this partnership, Multnomah would have had a sudden and abrupt closure in the fall of 2023,” said Taylor. “The community’s been through so much change, but they are most resilient.”

The NE Glisan Street Campus will remain open to the community during its transition, and University leadership still welcomes people visiting Roger’s Cafe. Taylor said they are open to partnering with complimentary groups for facility uses and look forward to remaining an active part of the Montavilla neighborhood.

Food and Drink, Renovation, Restaurant, Top 2025, View of Montavilla

Fire at Future Chick-fil-A Restaurant

Portland Fire & Rescue responded to an early morning fire inside the shuttered Venue Gentlemen’s Club at 9950 SE Stark Street. The national chain chicken sandwich company, Chick-fil-A Inc., owns the approximately 7,012 square-foot building. Firefighters arrived just before 3 a.m. on January 4th, reportedly observing heavy smoke coming from the structure. Upon entering the building, crews found signs of a ceiling fire and called in a second alarm assignment. Within 20 minutes, crews had the fire under control and found no signs of injury within the building.

Firefighters working outside the shuttered Venue Gentlemen’s Club entrance. Photo by Dennis Weis, courtesy PF&R.

Chick-fil-A Inc. completed the purchase of this property in November 2024, less than a month after the adult entertainment company leasing the space ceased operations on October 26th. This building is located between SE Stark and SE Washington Streets on SE 99th Avenue, just across SE Washington Street from the Mall 205 complex that new investors purchased in January 2022. Several real estate and commercial property interests are investing in properties within this formerly bustling retail center in the Gateway District. Chick-fil-A joins other national chains like Chipotle Mexican Grill, which are continuing efforts to reestablish this area as a commercial corridor for East Portland. Despite the big-name brands moving into some storefronts in this area, the new owners of Plaza 205 are courting a cohort of Asian American owned businesses blocks east of the future Chick-fil-A location, offering more retail diversity to the area’s revival.

North side smoke damage and signs of firefighter efforts to cut power (Jacob Loeb)

Based on visible damage, the fire at 9950 SE Stark Street is unlikely to change plans for the Chick-fil-A project significantly. The building’s overhaul includes substantial renovations while maintaining the general shape of the 1984-era building. Motorists will maintain parking lot access from the two existing SE Washington Street and SE Stark Street driveways. However, guests will need to park their vehicles at this fast food location as the building will not offer a drive-through window. Crews will rework the facade and roof to incorporate a new entry vestibule. Sidewalk improvements around the site will join the parking lot and ramp additions to increase accessible entry to the restaurant. Workers will restructure the interior with all new restrooms, a play area, a sit-down dining room, and kitchen space to meet the Chick-fil-A standards. The existing free-standing sign by each entrance will lose its lower panel letter boards, and contractors will refresh them with Chick-fil-A branding. Illuminated channel letter signs spelling the restaurant’s name will adorn the sides of the building. Permit plans indicate this store will display a “Delivery Drivers” sign directing the app-based service providers to a designated area for pickup, perhaps signaling an anticipated elevated demand for that option.

Venue Gentlemen’s Club post closing October 2024 (Jacob Loeb)

Fire investigators are still working to determine what sparked the blaze. If Portland Permitting & Development approves plans currently under review, crews could begin construction at this property in 2025. However, fire damage could further complicate this project, which has taken years to develop.

By

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Otter Wax, a neighborhood producer of small-batch specialty goods handcrafted in Portland. Using only natural ingredients, they make modern care products that are steeped in tradition. We thank them for their support.

Montavilla

Mt Tabor Villas for Sale after 4 years

The owner of Mt Tabor Villas at 475 NE 74th Avenue recently listed the twelve-unit apartment building for sale. Completed in September 2020, the three-story multifamily structure was briefly the tallest building in the vicinity before the affordable housing complex under construction across the street topped out.

Since the Mt Tabor Villas completed construction behind the Candle Light Restaurant on NE Glisan Street, developers have built four townhomes to the south and seven townhomes to the west, replacing single-family residences. This apartment building, with many high-end finishes, once looked out of place on the block but now matches the growing density of the area. Property owner John Olson took over this development from another group that had started the project but failed to break ground. Progress on the project stalled after the city approved building permits, and Olson was able to purchase the property and plans.

Without the ability to significantly alter the project from the approved plans, Olson opted to improve the finished product with quality materials and fixtures. Wide door molding and base trim outline the rooms throughout the apartment. Bathroom vanities with linear tile mosaic backsplashes are wall-hung, allowing a continuous tile floor. Kitchens feature stainless steel appliances and subway tile extending from countertop to cabinetry. No carpet is installed anywhere in the building. Instead, Olson selected woodgrain composite planks. The aesthetically pleasing and durable material prevents most tenants from incurring cleaning charges after moving out.

The apartment building does not offer onsite parking, and 74th Avenue has limited parking on one side of the street. Many of the newer buildings on the block rely on on-street parking, further limiting availability. However, the complex across the street has a garage, and this building is well-situated for bus and bike commuters. The TriMet 19 bus line runs along Glisan with stops nearby. A secure bike room on the first floor has direct outside access to the side yard, where bike commuters can safely enter the building away from the street. A second door from the bike room leads into the interior hallway.

Each apartment has in-unit laundry facilities, and some residences have full laundry rooms. During the day, natural light illuminates the stairwell and the upper floor’s hallways, allowing residents to avoid the claustrophobic feelings people may feel when accessing their units from fully interior hallways.

Marcus & Millichap currently lists the building at $3,410,000 with a per-unit apartment value of $284,167. The 10,211-square-foot building offers two one-bedroom units and ten two-bedroom apartments.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

New Business, Top 2025

Storied Vintage Opening on SE Stark

On August 21st, Storied Vintage opened its new Montavilla location at 7850 SE Stark Street after relocating from a 1,000-square-foot space at the Brooklyn Mall on NE Sandy Boulevard. This leap into a dedicated storefront reflects three years of business growth for store owner Jana Fulop. The family-run shop is still developing its hours during this soft launch, but Fulop anticipates hosting an official opening in early September.

Store owner Jana Fulop

Jana Fulop grew her furniture restoration career from a 20-year-long hobby that has roots in her childhood. She grew up outside Portland near Mt. Hood, where pre-owned furniture was more abundant and cost-effective than new furniture. That foundational experience and a desire to reduce consumer waste led Fulop on a life-long effort to rescue quality furniture that is difficult to find in contemporary stores. During her downtime from her marketing and interior design profession, Fulop would put on music and restore furniture for private resale or on commission. However, when the pandemic left her without a job, she made the leap to full-time refinished furniture sales. With the encouragement of Fulop’s spouse, the business grew from 100 square foot space to 1,000 square feet.

Not long after the Brooklyn Mall relocated from SE Milwaukie Avenue to NE Sandy Boulevard, curiosity prompted Fulop to look at a dedicated space where she could bring in her own partner creators and grow the company’s offerings. She was interested in the storefront recently vacated by Endure Vintage. However, she soon learned that Flipside Hats was moving into that smaller storefront, making their larger space with a 1,200 square foot showroom available. It was a tough choice to leave the comfort of her current situation and take on a larger, dedicated space. However, the location won them over. “The minute I walked in here, I’m like, ‘Yep, this is my store.’ It just works,” said Fulop. Even in the short time since she opened the doors, it has seemed like the right choice. “It’s been amazing, honestly, and the community has been fantastic. It’s just been really great, you know, some places you don’t get that,” remarked Fulop.

Although furniture and housewares are still arriving in the shop, Fulop has already filled the showroom with reconditioned items and new products that use reclaimed materials. Fulop tries to make sure she has reasonable prices on her items. Thinking back on her upbringing, she hopes people find essential items they can afford in her store alongside the higher-end showpiece furniture on display. The shop features a mix of styles spanning years of durable and creative furniture. “I’m not a purist in the sense that I have to stick to one style. I sell a little bit of everything. I do a lot of mid-century. I carry a lot of antiques and primitive pieces, such as art deco when it’s a good piece,” explained Fulop.

People can also find mixed animal prints on parchment from Whatif Creations. “Jesse is a local Portland artist, and she has all these funky animal prints. She was a social worker working with kids, and she’d draw little things for them to engage with. They would ask, ‘What would happen if you mixed a turtle and a giraffe? What would that look like?’ So she started making these [drawings], and then it turned into a full-time business for her,” said Fulop. Shoppers will find a collection of jewelry made from vintage 1970s tiles alongside other adornments on display next to the sales counter. Throughout the store, visitors will discover hardwood products made by Tropical Salvage. For nearly 30 years, that company has imported discarded wood from Indonesia to build furniture and homewares.

Managing a business will be a balancing act for someone like Jana Fulop, who is primarily interested in doing restoration work and needs that production time to ready items for sale. Fortunately, her niece watches the shop a couple of days a week, allowing the shop owner to work in the back, refinishing furniture or working on operational issues. However, she will also bring in more per-owned items that do not require refinishing. Additionally, partnering with environmentally friendly companies like Tropical Salvage is another way for the store to have inventory on the floor that does not require constant sourcing like the pre-owned items.

Fulop is happy with her move to Montavilla and looks forward to adapting the shop to meet local tastes and interests. The shop’s name comes from her desire to share stories through the pieces on display. With the large windows and skylights filling the sales floor with natural light, each classic piece of unique furniture can show its history and its refreshed potential to continue life in another home. Storied Vintage is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Jana Fulop and her husband are Seventh-day Adventists and do not work during the day on Saturdays.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

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

Community, Infrastructure, Montavilla, Services

Montavilla Pool and Free Lunch + Play

On Wednesday, two significant Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) hosted summer programs will return to Montavilla Park and other locations throughout the city. On June 21st, the outdoor public pool at 8219 NE Glisan Street will open to guests daily through August 27th. That same day in June, the Free Lunch + Play program begins its weekday distribution of USDA Federal Lunch Program approved meals from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. Group play opportunities run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

As it has for decades, the outdoor pool at Montavilla Park will reopen for seasonal swimming and lessons. Day users of the swimming facility under the age of 18 must pay $3.75 to swim, while adults pay $4.75. Those over the age of 60 receive a $0.25 discount. PP&R sells passes at a discount for repeat visitors and offers a free swim option on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Open swim is available on weekdays from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Weekend swimming starts earlier with Family Swim time from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Then weekend Open Swim runs from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.

To fill a gap left by the school system’s summertime closure, the Free Lunch + Play program offers a place for kids to play in groups and have a healthy meal. Program staff distribute free meals to children ages 18 and under. The meals must be consumed at the event by the child. Adults can pay $5.00 cash for a lunch, and children wanting more food can eat items from the “No Thank You Table,” where other children put unwanted parts of lunches. Portland Public Schools, Centennial School District, Parkrose School District, and David Douglas School District provide the free meals distributed during the summer to help feed children who have relied on the Free and Reduced-Price Meals program during the school year. However, the summer program is available to all children. Free Lunch + Play will be unavailable on Tuesday, July 4th but otherwise accessible throughout the summer.

PP&R partnered with over 24 other groups to expand Free Lunch + Play, including Multnomah County Library, Portland Opera, and Rose City Rollers. Those partnerships allow for special programming on certain days. Three of those events take place at Montavilla Park. The Parks Local Option Levy, passed by voters in 2020, funds many of the free summer activities, including the free swimming option on Tuesdays. These park activities ensure that most kids have an opportunity to enjoy a healthy and active summer.

Montavilla Park Special Event Schedule

  • Friday, June 30th 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Portland Opera
  • Friday, August 4th 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. SMART Reading
  • Tuesday, August 15th 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. Friends of Baseball

By

Jacob Loeb

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

Bar, Entertainment, Event, Food and Drink, Montavilla

Montavilla’s Saturday Winter Celebration

Two events will attract visitors to Montavilla’s commercial corridors this Saturday evening. Winter Wassail along NE Glisan Street features festive beverages, snacks, carolers, and holiday lighting. Participating stores and restaurants between 82nd and 68th Avenues will remain open for last-minute holiday gifts and festivities. People are invited to Wassail (Go from location to location caroling and/or drinking in merriment) on Glisan from 4 to 8 p.m. this December 17th.

Promotional image provide by event coordinators

That same night, SE Stark Street businesses will host the Montavilla Soiree & Pub Crawl from 6 to 9 p.m. The Montavilla East Tabor Business Association (METBA) organized this winter celebration in the historic downtown to support neighborhood businesses as they enjoy the best parts of the colder months.

Promotional image provide by event coordinators

Drinkers, shoppers, and anyone looking for a fun Saturday night can explore the collection of holiday-themed cocktails, food specials, live music, and late-night last-minute shopping in one big evening event. No matter where you reside, some part of Montavilla will have an activity to warm your spirit on a cold night.

These are some of the participating businesses on Glisan Street:

These are some of the participating businesses on Stark Street:

Rahabs Sisters will be collecting gloves, hats, jackets, blankets, and tents. Drop off locations will be Union Rose and Wink Vintage.

By

Jacob Loeb

Disclosure: The author if this article serves on the Montavilla/East Tabor Business Association (METBA) board. METBA sponsors some of these events.

Bar, Community, Construction, Food and Drink, Montavilla

Montavilla Street Fair Returns Sunday

After a two-year hiatus, the Montavilla Street Fair returns this Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with family-friendly entertainment. Event organizers will block automotive access to SE Stark Street from 82nd Avenue to 76th Avenue on July 31st, making way for the expected 10,000 visitors. Attendees can eat, drink, and shop at 122 vendor booths. Nine music acts span two stages, and a pair of beer gardens offer adult beverages.

Since 2011, the street fair has welcomed Portlanders from all over the city to the historic Montavilla Downtown. Organized by theMontavilla/East Tabor Business Association (METBA), this yearly event highlights the unique businesses and groups in the neighborhood. This year’s Montavilla Street Fair is presented by Adventist Health Portland and Mr. Plywood, with sponsorship by over a dozen other businesses.

METBA invites everyone to stop by throughout the day and take in all that Montavilla has to offer. Organizers will provide public portable restrooms in mutable places along SE Stark street, and food vendors will offer many options to eat at the event. Drivers should expect detours starting at 6 a.m. on July 31st and continue through the evening up to 8:30 p.m. Anticipate crowded street parking in the surrounding area and plan for extended walking to and through the event.

Plaza Stage Music Schedule:

  • 10:00 AM – Tallulah’s Daddy (for kids!) – Matt Lynch (Tallulah’s Daddy) is a children’s music entertainer active in the Kindie Music scene in PDX.
  • 11:30 AM – Mo Phillips (for kids!) – Mo Phillips is a teaching artist and a fun time maker who teaches songwriting in schools and shreds ukulele for the people.
  • 1:00 PM – Norwester Sky – Original tunes that feel timeless while making the Americana songbook feel new again. These fellas take great pride in their craft and love to jam.
  • 2:30 PM – Jermaine – Hailing from gospel choirs in the midwest, Jermaine’s charismatic energy and passion for music is reflected in all of his solo and group efforts.
  • 4:00 PM – Friends of Noise – Friends of Noise provides resources, support and mentorship to youth that have something to say.

Main Stage Music Schedule:

  • 11:00 AM – Hiroki – Hiroki is a force of friends focused solely on grooves, vibes, the result is something smooth; something tasty.
  • 12:30 PM – Five Letter Word – Mix three singer-songwriters, several stringed instruments, and a variety of percussive techniques, and you get Five Letter Word.
  • 2:00 PM – Reb & the Good News – Rebecca Conner’s heart-centered, velvet vocals are delivered with a vulnerability that unravels listeners down to their core.
  • 3:30 PM – Moorea Masa & Friends – “Irresistible and staggeringly beautiful, Masa displays a delicate balance of restraint and raw power.”- The Oh Es Tee

By

Jacob Loeb

Disclosure: The author of this article servers on the Montavilla/East Tabor Business Association, 82nd Avenue Business Association, and Montavilla Neighborhood Association Boards. All three groups have booths at this year’s street fair.

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