Deconstruction crews will remove the burned remnants of a dilapidated 1926-era home at 3015 SE 87th Avenue to make way for a housing development. The former single-story structure suffered multiple fires over several years, rendering the property uninhabitable. Dez Development and partners purchased the 182-foot-deep property in December 2025 and will work with designers to build multiple single-family homes.
3015 SE 87th Ave November 2024
The building at the site sustained damage from people living there without permission and minor burns from an adjacent fire. However, on July 17th, 2025, a significant fire damaged the property, necessitating its removal for safety reasons. This month, the developer submitted applications to deconstruct the structure, remove the concrete slab, and cap the sewer. The driveway curb-cut will remain for this phase of development. There is a mandatory 35-day demolition delay for this work.
3015 SE 87th Ave Portland Maps
While waiting to clear the site, Dez Development owner Slavik Dezhnyuk explained that they are working with their design team to determine the best way to increase housing density on the 8,736-square-foot site while matching the single-family home footprint of the surrounding properties. “We hope to develop this property with several detached cottage homes,” remarked Dezhnyuk. Design and permitting will take months to complete. However, neighbors can anticipate the dilapidated building’s removal as soon as feasible.
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.
Work is underway on eight attached townhomes on NE Holladay Street with views of NE 82nd Avenue across the Don Pedro restaurant’s parking lot. This housing project dates back to 2022, when Riverside Carpentry purchased 8225 NE Holladay Street and demolished the 100-year-old single-family residence and detached garage. Most of the new two-story units will provide around 904 square feet, with one unit offering 1003 square feet of living space.
View of project from NE Holladay St
In 2023, the land’s owner transferred the property several times from his Riverside Carpentry business before it was transferred to his Kalen Development company in 2024. In April 2026, crews completed the foundation for the new homes on the 114-by-67-foot parcel. The land is zoned Commercial Mixed Use 2 (CM2), which has a minimum density requirement. Title 33 of Portland’s Planning and Zoning code states the Minimum Density for CM2 is 1 unit per 1,450 square feet, requiring at least 5 units here. The added homes exceed the required density but do not come close to the maximum allowed for this property within the 82nd Avenue commercial corridor.
Concrete foundation showing doorway indents and drainage pipe around the footing.
The developer will need to close an existing driveway approach that once led to the now-demolished detached garage. Future residents of the one sidewalk-adjacent townhome will have a door opening onto NE Holladay Street, and the seven back units will share a paved path on the western edge of the property that leads to their front doors. Work has taken years to break ground after the initial removal of the old house, but crews should increase work activity at the site in the coming months. When completed, the site will have walkable access to the area’s highest ridership bus line and a MAX light rail station.
8223 NE Holladay Street
8225 NE Holladay Street
8227 NE Holladay Street
8229 NE Holladay Street
8231 NE Holladay Street
8233 NE Holladay Street
8235 NE Holladay Street
8237 NE Holladay Street
Article and photo 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.
On Friday, April 24th, Multnomah County’s Homeless Service Department (HSD) and site operator Do Good Multnomah invite the public to preview Harrison Community Village Shelter from 2 to 4 p.m. The newly completed sober-shelter site at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue will soon host 38 shed-style sleeping quarters for adult residents.
April 24th Harrison Community Village Shelter “Sneak Peak” invite courtesy Multnomah County
Multnomah County purchased the former recreational vehicle dealership at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue in December 2022 for $2 million. This 34,000-square-foot parcel was the second Montavilla location the County bought that year for temporary shelter services. The other shelter, Oak Street Village at 333 SE 82nd Avenue, opened in February 2025 and is currently operating at full capacity. The Joint Office of Homeless Services—now renamed the Homeless Services Department—has held several community meetings, including one in February where the nonprofit Do Good Multnomah staff elaborated on the site’s sober shelter model that aims for people to stay onsite from 90 days to three months as they work towards stable housing in a recovery supportive environment. Presenters explained that residents and staff are subject to drug testing, and policy strictly prohibits the possession of non-prescribed intoxicants on the property. Selecting a sober format meets community desires for the county-owned site, which is near two Portland Public Schools. Do Good Multnomah will conduct background checks on potential residents looking for past criminal history, and those with a record of abuse of vulnerable populations are directed to another, more appropriate shelter or resource. The site is also a weapons-free zone.
HSD will contract with the operator to staff the alternative shelter site at all hours of the day. The residents will receive a private sleeping pod made by Portland-based LIT Homes, each offering an 8 by 10.5-foot room with heating and cooling. 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 on-site access to a modest 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. The site intends to offer more than short-term shelter. People in the program will have access to dedicated housing case management and abstinence-based recovery services to help with long-term substance use recovery and housing stability.
Kitchenette with refrigerators, microwaves, and a sinkPet relief area for residents with dogs
People staying at Harrison Community Village will have access to a kitchenette with refrigerators, microwaves, and a sink, along with dining space. The site offers a pet relief area for residents with dogs, and residents are expected to keep their animals on leash in public spaces. However, not every person can have a pet. The site operator tries to limit the shelter to a total of five dogs and five cats. People can seek outdoor leisure away from the elements in a covered carport-style outdoor seating area. There are laundry facilities, shower rooms, and bathrooms in separate structures. All shared amenities are accessible to people with special mobility requirements, and select units are Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)- compliant, with ramps and platforms, providing no-step entry.
Enhanced privacy slats installed in the fence
The site is completely fenced, with a new chainlink barrier on three sides of the property using enhanced privacy slats installed in the fence. Unlike some other installations, these plastic inserts have wings on the side that better fill the gaps where the wire links connect, providing significant visual obstruction. Site designers also planted greenery along the SE Mill Street frontage to provide additional buffer between the newly updated sidewalk and the shelter space. The eastern edge of the property, abutting a residential lot, was fenced with wood. That neighbor had previously expressed concern because the County’s southern fence only follows the property line, leaving a gap between existing fences. The construction crews received permission from adjoining landowners to work beyond the property line and filled that gap.
Gap between fences beyond the county’s property line filled at neighbor’s request
HSD estimates it will cost $107 per night to house and provide supportive services to each resident. This number includes utilities and staff time. This location is opening at a time when the City of Portland and Multnomah County are looking to reduce shelter space due to budget concerns. The two Montavilla shelters along SE 82nd Avenue are not under threat of closure, but other smaller shelters in the County are concerned about possible closure.
Planting buffer alon SE Mill St
The Harrison Community Village Shelter Preview may be the only opportunity some residents will have to see inside the shelter, thanks to the enhanced privacy fence. It is one of many public outreach efforts by HSD to involve the community, including a Good Neighbor Agreement that was crafted with input from Do Good Multnomah, the 82nd Avenue Business Association, African Youth & Community Organization, APANO, and the Montavilla Neighborhood Association. People wishing to attend the April 24th event should complete an online RSVP form.
Promotion: Check out East Portland News as it continues to advocate for and report on outer East Portland. You will find frequently updated articles and an archive of more than 5,000 stories written over the past 20+ years alongside a robust Community Calendar of events.
Recently, the members of Montavilla United Methodist Church voted to demolish all their buildings at 232 SE 80th Avenue to create three stories of affordable housing above a new ground-level worship space that will also share resources with support organization Rahab’s Sisters. Reverend Heather Riggs explained that this site transformation will embrace the faith-based group’s efforts to provide resources it sees needed in the community while reducing its operational burden of maintaining an aging building. The project is in pre-development with a target completion date of 2030. Until the city approves permits, parishioners and users of the midcentury building will continue to gather there.
Riggs said they plan to maximize housing options on the site while respecting the neighborhood’s scale and preserving on-site parking for the gathering space. The 0.88-acre property occupies nearly a full block and is shared with only one single-family residence. The Residential Multi-Dwelling 2 zoning of the site allows up to four stories and has a three-to-one Floor Area Ratio through bonus provisions for affordable housing.
Montavilla United Methodist Church December 2024
Riggs explained they are in a pre-development phase and working to formalize a relationship with a prospective developer who will take ownership of the property and rent back the ground floor to the congregation at a discounted rate. The agreement will target an Area Median Income (AMI) restriction for future residents of 30 to 60 percent for the anticipated 72 units of regulated affordable housing. The Methodist Church wants the property to remain affordable for at least 60 years. “We would like to be in the 30 [AMI] range because that’s what’s affordable for our local baristas and for our local restaurant workers,” said Riggs. “This is not free housing. This is housing for people who work, who cannot afford to live in the city where they work.”
The final configuration of units and income targets depends on the funding available at the time of construction. Riggs noted that affordable housing projects require specialized skill sets to fund and manage. That is why the congregation and regional Methodist leadership are planning to transfer the land to another group rather than keeping it under church control. “Honestly, one of our priorities has been to get out of the business of building management so that we can focus on ministry,” said Riggs. The older property, built between the 1940s and 1950s, takes considerable funds to maintain. The building also sits empty more often than it is occupied, attracting unwanted attention and vandalism. Church leadership feels that having people living above the worship space will make the property more active and safer for the surrounding community.
Demolishing the building could seem like a loss of history, but Riggs explained it is part of the site’s tradition to adapt to changing needs. Initially, a large wooden structure painted white served as a place of worship at this site. That was torn down to make way for the larger facility that accommodated a growing congregation in the 1950s. Now the faith community sees the mission changing again. The city needs housing, and the younger members of the church started the conversation around adapting the site’s use to address both faith and service to Portland’s needs.
A committee of knowledgeable members will take on preservation work, identifying the precious items that need to become part of the new facility. “We have plans to incorporate a lot of things into the new building. We want to incorporate some of the stained glass into the new building, but we’re thinking of placing it on interior walls, lighting hallways,” said Riggs. “We would like to preserve at least one of the upside-down boat arches in our worship space, and we’d like to preserve the bell, creating a small bell tower.” The “Precious Team” will work right up to demolition, preserving everything that matters to the congregation’s history. “We will be going through that process of honoring the history of those who came before us and celebrating that history,” remarked Riggs. Part of that celebration will be the opening of a time capsule on the front of the building.
Portland Maps image showing 232 SE 80th Ave
During the demolition and construction phases, church members will share space with the Tabor Heights United Methodist Church, less than a mile away at 6161 SE Stark Street. Before work begins, the design team will hold public meetings to gather community feedback on the project’s design. Riggs wants this site to meet the faith organization’s goals of serving those most in need while still playing a positive role in the wider community. As a community advisory committee member for the nearby Oak Street Village shelter, Riggs feels it is important for working people transitioning back into stable housing to have a place to move into. The church members also know this property is central to the neighborhood and asked the developer to include a garden and green space to keep it an attractive element of Montavilla’s historic downtown.
Reverend Heather Riggs hopes to speak to the Montavilla Neighborhood Association about the project at a future meeting. When the developer is formally secured for the housing, the design phases will begin, and community members can expect to learn more and provide input. Riggs wants people to know these changes will create a safer, more secure site that remains a useful resource for Rahab’s Sisters to build on its over 20 years of community support, and for the church to add to its 100-year history.
Promotion: Check out East Portland News as it continues to advocate for and report on outer East Portland. You will find frequently updated articles and an archive of more than 5,000 stories written over the past 20+ years alongside a robust Community Calendar of events.
In July 2025, Oregon Metro purchased a 1.46-acre property at the intersection of SE 90th Place and SE 89th Avenue for planned Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). For over a decade, community advocates have envisioned the large, sloped property as a neighborhood park and are now seeking support for that project ahead of Metro’s RFP (Request for Proposals) this summer. Residents and interested parties can complete an Online Form to endorse a call for the City to purchase the lot from Metro and to direct Portland Parks and Recreation to create public green space for the expanding community in this area.
Park Rendering from the 2018 EPA Greening The Jade project document
Metro’s TOD team plans to introduce new affordable housing at the site with help from partner developers. The early concepts included open neighborhood greenspace, but not at the scale documented in the 2014 Jade District community visioning plan or the 2018 EPA Greening the Jade project. The community outreach recorded in those documents showed a desire and expressed need for green space across all groups in the neighborhood. The Metro-owned property at 2815 SE 90th Place is in the center of a community surrounded by busy city roadways, a State highway, and a freeway. Harrison Park is the closest park to this location, at over half a mile away, and often serves as an extension of the adjoining school’s campus rather than a neighborhood park.
2815 SE 90th Placeproperty with fence
Andrea Pastor, Metro’s Senior Development Project Manager of Housing and TOD, explained in a September 2025 interview that Metro purchased the land along SE 89th Avenue using an allocation provided by the Oregon State legislature for a revolving acquisition fund around 82nd Avenue. “With all of the improvements happening on 82nd, including the planning of the new transit, we wanted to prioritize the area. So we made a specific legislative ask back in 2023 for some funds to buy land near 82nd,” said Pastor. “We have been basically looking and making offers on properties in the area for the last couple of years.” She notes that Metro has often owned land around transit with the intention of developing it. “We are trying to think of ourselves as a regional land bank specifically aimed at building affordable housing near transit.”
The Jade District advocacy organizers seeking support for the park say Metro TOD is willing to sell the parcel, but City of Portland support must be secured before Metro releases an RFP to potential developers in August or September 2026. The park space is across from The Jade apartments, which are currently under construction and will offer 15 units with family-sized accommodations, including three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The workforce housing development will also create 14 one-bedroom and 11 two-bedroom flats. The expanded pool of families on this street would benefit from a new city park with a safe crossing to a play area. The site can also amplify existing green space that is not publicly accessible but protected by Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services, which owns the lot to the south of this property. It serves as a natural stormwater detention area where plants and soil help absorb the area’s rainwater. It also contains a sewer pump facility that requires 24-hour security for community safety and asset protection. Depending on the City’s flexibility, designers could extend park space into some of the stormwater detention area land without compromising security.
Image from the 2018 EPA Greening The Jade project document
Park designs and amenities presented in the visioning materials are illustrative only and do not constitute final design options. If the idea receives community support through the Online Form and city officials adopt the property for a new park, future community outreach from park planners will drive the development of the green space. Whether the land serves as a public park or affordable housing, this large, underdeveloped property will become a needed community resource as housing density brings more people into the Jade District.
A novel condo project is nearing completion at 6909 NE Multnomah Street, where developer Neil Heller added two Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) next to a 1,234 square foot 1951-era home. This approach seems similar to other infill housing projects, but its focus on reducing city-paid fees and lessening infrastructure buildout should produce a more affordable product for buyers, according to Heller.
As a resident, living just blocks away from his worksite, making space for more neighbors without upsizing the cost of entry to home ownership in the community is important to Heller. “I live here in the neighborhood, and I take my daily walk or two over to the project. It’s about seven blocks away from where I live,” remarked Heller. He also mentioned his commitment to keeping the original house on the site, which had been the home to Robert and Suzanne Matney, longtime residents who were central to the surrounding community. “They were the original owners, from what I understand. The guy even planted that big cedar tree that’s on the corner. When you see how big it is, you realize that they’ve been there a long time. They raise their kids there, and I guess they were a staple in that part of the neighborhood,” said Heller. “People just loved them, and so when they heard that we weren’t going to tear the house down and we would take good care of it, they were happy about it.”
Original 1,234 square foot 1951-era home at 6909 NE Multnomah St with tall cedar tree
The existing home spanned several lots but was massed near the corner, leaving plenty of yard space for the two 800-square-foot detached ADUs. “We removed some sheds and gazebos,” recalled Heller. His Heller Development Company then followed the condo plat process to create a micro three-unit condo he is calling “Cedar Corner Cottages.” Each of the new homes the contractor created has two bedrooms and a full bathroom on the top level. The main floor has a kitchen, a living area, and a half bathroom. Heller explained that people may recognize the construction style from other area homes created by Rees Bettinger Properties. “Rees Bettinger is my general contractor on this, and sort of my development advisor.”
Heller says this is his maiden project in which all the homes on the property are intended for individual sale. “This is the first project where we are not using owner-occupied finance strategies. We have investment partners, and this is the first time we don’t have to live in the construction dust.” He is not new to the housing creation process. He has tested out his work at his own property. “I added a basement apartment and an ADU out back so we turned our single-family lot into three households,” Heller said. Additionally, he spends a considerable amount of his professional life thinking about housing supply and its impact on communities. “I have an urban planning consulting firm, and I work with cities around the country to update their zoning codes. I’m [also] faculty with the Incremental Development Alliance. It’s a national nonprofit. And we teach local people how to invest in real estate and contribute to their communities.”
Street facing unit has a zero-step entry with an accessible bathroom but the lack of a sidewalk creates a step at the property’s edge
This condo project is Heller’s way of bringing his philosophy and professional experience close to home. “It’s nice being able to invest into the neighborhood that I live in, bring more affordable, diverse housing options to help people looking for homes,” Heller admits that there is a limit to how much of his style of infill housing is possible in the area, but he is committed to local contributions to the housing market. “I would ideally like to stay in Montavilla and continue to contribute to the vitality here. But I know that’s not always possible because deals do pop up elsewhere.”
These new homes are designed to be naturally affordable, without income restrictions. Heller accomplished this by building the units as ADUs rather than using some of Portland’s modern lot-division tools that do not require a condo Home Owners Association (HOA). “I did consider the middle housing land division. We felt like the ADU was going to be a bit more cost-effective. Right now there’s an SDC (System Development Charges) vacation, but at the time [we started] there was not. To not have to pay those SDCs, $25,000 per unit, that’s a lot of savings. And when you permit ADUs, the [city won’t] require you to improve the right-of-way,” explained Heller. “That would have been cost-prohibitive, either requiring us to build larger homes and sell them for more, or potentially leading to a project that just wouldn’t even pencil.”
Back unit with large patio and yard space. Each ADU has a 44-square-foot storage room with external door
In the case of this property, NE Multnomah Street is not fully improved, with gravel parking lanes on both sides and no sidewalks. Adding that infrastructure and the rainwater management required when you fully pave a street would have significant financial consequences. “Stormwater could be a $150,000 cost, which these small projects can’t really support,” said Heller. The original home received updates to the kitchen and bathroom, but Heller said it was in great shape, just a little outdated, until crews refreshed it. It also retained its single-car garage for onsite vehicle parking.
This smaller infill project joins others on this block, both by developers and by existing property owners. That scale of housing development pleases Heller, as it aligns with what the Incremental Development Alliance teaches. “We say ‘nobody’s coming to save you.’ If you’ve ever looked at a building and said ‘you know what that could be…’ then you’re probably that person who needs to figure out how to make it become that thing,” said Heller. “The idea here is to embolden and strengthen a whole swarm of local small-scale developers that can invest in their neighborhoods.”
Promotion: Check out East Portland News as it continues to advocate for and report on outer East Portland. You will find frequently updated articles and an archive of more than 5,000 stories written over the past 20+ years alongside a robust Community Calendar of events.
As the Multnomah County Homeless Services Department (HSD) readies the Harrison Community Village Shelter at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue for future residents, they invite people to attend a Public Meeting on February 26th. Nonprofit provider Do Good Multnomah will operate the alternative shelter under a “clean and sober” model. Interested community members can attend the 6:30 p.m. in-person event this Thursday. Portland Community College will host the meeting in its Community Hall Annex at 7901 SE Division Street.
Shelter operators anticipate opening the facility in spring 2026 and have worked on a Good Neighbor Agreement with community and business stakeholders to lessen the impact of the Harrison Community Village Shelter on surrounding properties. Multnomah County purchased the former recreational vehicle dealership at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue in December 2022 for $2.015 million. This 34,000-square-foot parcel was the second Montavilla location the County bought that year for temporary shelter services. The other shelter, Oak Street Village at 333 SE 82nd Avenue, opened in February 2025 and is currently operating at full capacity. The Joint Office of Homeless Services — now renamed the Homeless Services Department — has held several community meetings, including one in April that announced that Do Good Multnomah would operate the site as a sober shelter. Presenters explained that residents and staff are subject to drug testing, and policy strictly prohibits the possession of non-prescribed intoxicants on the property. Selecting a sober format meets a specific need for people transitioning into stable housing who are in recovery from substance use disorder, and it better matches community desires for the site, which is near two Portland Public Schools.
HSD will contract with the operator to staff the alternative shelter site at all hours of the day. The adult residents will receive one of 38 private sleeping quarters, each with a shed-style pod design. 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 on-site 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. The site intends to offer more than short-term shelter. People in the program will have access to dedicated housing case management and abstinence-based recovery services to help with long-term substance use recovery and housing stability.
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.
Work is underway on four townhomes at 8426 E Burnside Street, built in clusters of two massings joined by a common trash room. The project is occupying a previously undeveloped parcel that once served as the extended yard of the adjacent home to the west of the property. Recently, cement masons erected the foundations for the new 1,000-square-foot homes. The two-story buildings will offer residents two-bedroom units with two and a half bathrooms, to be sold as condos without income restrictions.
North elevation of 8426-8432 E Burnside St courtesy Leon Simms
Although all units are attached, project developer Leon Simms explained that he and the architect, Bayard Mentrum, worked together to create three outer walls for each unit. “The nice thing is we were able to split them so there’s no middle units,” said Simms. The residences function as two duplexes with a small one-story utility structure sitting between them. The sidewalk-adjacent unit faces East Burnside Street, while the other home’s doors face east, connecting to a walkway. The back of the units connects to a small yard via large double glass doors. The alignment of the buildings should obscure the true quantity of homes, so that most people passing the site will not immediately detect the housing density tucked behind.
Simms said that the builder, Martin Kehoe with Portland Leeds Living, will construct the main floor with nine-foot high ceilings, and people will access the homes through eight-foot tall doors. This feature helps make the homes feel larger and of high quality. Each bedroom will have its own attached ensuite bathroom on the second floor, with the other half restroom located on the first floor.
East elevation of 8426-8432 E Burnside St courtesy Leon Simms
This project will take advantage of temporary System Development Charge (SDC) exemptions enacted by the Portland City Council that apply to permits issued from August 15th, 2025, through September 30th, 2028. These fees are typically paid by developers to support public costs incurred as the city expands public infrastructure for sewer, water, parks, and transportation to accommodate the additional demand on those services by new residents in an area. City leaders hope removing those construction fees will help builders start projects and deliver more affordable products to the housing market. “We’re going to be one of the first to take advantage of the SDC waiver program, so that there’s not any income restriction,” said Simms. He explained that these types of homes often use the Homebuyer Opportunity Limited Tax Exemption (HOLTE) program to remove property taxes for up to ten years. It has a homebuyer income limit of 100 percent of the median family income for a family of four in the region. This and other affordability program restrictions can exclude people who would benefit from a lower entry point into home ownership, but are making just enough to not qualify. “A lot of people that want to buy these more affordable, small new homes but make a little bit too much money,” remarked Simms.
Leon Simms is a fan of infill housing but has only recently started working on projects east of the Willamette River. “I’ve always been a Westside guy. I’ve been in the new home sales business for almost 40 years, but I’ve been 99% Westside,” Simms said. He likes this area and thinks these homes will be a “cute” addition to the neighborhood. They are walking distance from the historic Montavilla Downtown on SE Stark Street and near transit options. This section of East Burnside Street has curbside parking only on the north side, across the street from the development. However, it is often underutilized and buffered from passing traffic by a bike lane, making it a suitable place for residents to park. Work on the units is moving quickly, and people should expect to see them take shape over the next few months.
Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Greg Beddor – SEO Specialist, an Oregon based digital marketing consultancy. The company markets customer’s websites and provide SEO services to grow their business. We thank them for their support.
Recently, crews completed paving work on the NE 92nd Place-94th Avenue Alley off East Burnside Street, leading to 16 new two-story homes. Each of the back 15 units has attached garages, and the front home features a wide parking pad. This development project transformed a former automotive storageand wrecking yard into an urban subdivision with family-sized units.
Stormwater management on paved alleyway
The approximately 20-foot-wide asphalt-paved alley has a concrete center channel that connects to stormwater inlets, which will control rain runoff from extensive paving at this site. The developer widened the once-overgrown gravel alley that connects East Burnside Street to a private street serving a 1996-era housing development. The public right-of-way alley continues north to NE Glisan Street but is blocked by parked vehicles and overgrown vegetation beyond this recently improved loop. Although the alley is not for through traffic, work at this site built a street-grid connection that facilitated significant housing density.
Most of the new homes have a similar floor plan, with the frontmost home deviating from the design pattern in two notable ways. In addition to not offering interior vehicle storage, 9251 E Burnside Street has one less bathroom on the second floor than its 15 neighbors to the north. Designers also placed that unit’s stacked laundry closet on the ground floor rather than the upper level. All homes in this project have three bedrooms and an open concept main level. Each has a half-bath powder room on the first floor under the stairs. Six of the back units are designed to meet Portland’s visitability standards for universal access on the main level. They have a concrete ramp to the front doors that bypasses the steps and a larger ground-floor bathroom. Those larger restrooms extend past the outer wall, creating pop-out space with interior capacity to accommodate an unobstructed circle at least 60 inches in diameter. Both features help people in mobility devices enter the structure and use all the lower-level facilities. All 15 back-homes have a primary suite on the second floor with an attached bathroom and a double closet.
Six units with concrete ramps to the front doors that bypasses steps meeting visitability standards
The homes use a condominium land structure with a small monthly homeowners’ association (HOA) fee. Units also have fire sprinkler systems required in modern builds of this density. One of the units is currently listed for $439,900, with the others expected to become available soon. This site is walking distance from several transit options, including the MAX light rail system, and East Burnside Street has dedicated bike lanes. This location would be a good home for non-drivers or families that only have one car. However, this development still provides significant parking with space for up to two vehicles per home, along with infrastructure improvements that many opponents of some infill housing say must be part of density projects. The design team transformed a blighted commercial property into housing that fits the scale and style of the surrounding structures. Look for homes to fill with new residents over the coming months.
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.
Crews recently built the foundation for a new home and attached Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) at 2701 SE 85th Avenue and will soon begin framing on the three-story structure. This lot has remained vacant since the previous property owner demolished the original single-story home in 2018. In 2021, Ernie Jette Construction bought the 1,936-square-foot corner property after it was split from the parcel that currently supports a 1997-era duplex. Since then, contractors working for the City of Portland have paved the adjacent gravel road and constructed modern sidewalks, saving the developer from having to provide that infrastructure along SE Clinton Street.
The two new homes will have sloped shed roofs, giving them a flat front appearance towards the street. The main residence will face SE 85th Avenue and stand three stories tall, while the ADU will face SE Clinton Street and be one level shorter. Both units will have open main floors with living and kitchen space. Designers placed a half-bathroom under the stairs on the first floor, with a full bathroom on the second floor serving two adjacent bedrooms. The primary residence has the owner’s suite on the third floor with its own attached bathroom and walk-in closet. The larger home will offer future residents 1,426 square feet of living space, and the ADU will provide 789 square feet of living space.
The infrastructure work in this area is part of the Jade and Montavilla Multimodal Improvements Project, which created new sidewalks on SE Clinton Street from SE 84th to 87th Avenues, among many other updates. These additions help ready this area for future housing density. Much of the surrounding lots are Residential Multi-Dwelling 1 (RM1) zoned for low-scale multi-dwelling development. Replacing the gravel streets with modern infrastructure is essential as more residents will need to walk, roll, or drive through the area. Although Ernie Jette said that the new streets and sidewalks were not a deciding factor for creating this project, he is happy with the timing.
This section of the Jade District, bordered by SE Division Street, SE 82nd Avenue, SE Powell Boulevard, and Interstate-205, still has many streets and sidewalks in need of updates. Some of that work will occur during redevelopment, but for smaller developments, adding the infrastructure costs to a project can significantly increase the selling price of a home. When the City can leverage Federal funds and System Development Charge (SDC) funds to bring the area up to modern street standards, as they did in this area, it can make it easier to add housing density within a community and lessen the burden on neighbors by providing curbside parking and more efficient streets and sidewalks.
Article and photos by
Jacob Loeb
Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Greg Beddor – SEO Specialist, an Oregon based digital marketing consultancy. The company markets customer’s websites and provide SEO services to grow their business. We thank them for their support.
Neighborhood news site focused on buildings and changing businesses
