Category: View of Montavilla

Business Closing, View of Montavilla May 6, 2023May 9, 2023

24 Hour Fitness Mall 205 Location Closing

On May 26th, Mall 205’s 24 Hour Fitness gym will close permanently, with current members transferring to the Hollywood location at 4224 NE Halsey Street. This closure is the second gym to cease operations in the area this year. The ample exercise space offered an indoor lap pool, steam room, sauna, basketball court, and the standard assortment of fitness equipment.

Representatives for 24 Hour Fitness did not provide a specific reason for the gym’s closure, saying only that it is “due to a combination of circumstances.” Like many in-person fitness locations, 24 Hour Fitness suffered financially during the mandatory pandemic closures and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on June 15th, 2020. Although the national chain recovered from that setback, emerging from bankruptcy in the same year, the company close over 100 locations as part of its restructuring plan. The Mall 205 location survived those cuts, but gyms have continued to suffer post-pandemic. Nearby Cascade Athletic Clubs closed its Montavilla location earlier this year, citing a slow recovery after reopening.

The fitness chain opened the soon-to-be shuttered location at 10052 SE Washington Street over two decades ago, occupying the southeast corner of the L-shaped building. Members access the exercise facility from the back parking lot. However, the location retained interior access prior to the recent mall reconfiguration. The shopping center failed to draw many customers to its interior corridors, and most stores relied on the outside doors for access when they could.

*Site capture of 24hourfitness.com from June 9th, 2002. Curtesy archive.org*

In 2022, the Mall property sold to an investment group that ended leases with the interior tenants. The property’s new owners will renovate the building to support larger storefronts independently accessed from the parking lot. Recent building permit applications state that Hobby Lobby will open a location somewhere on the property between Target and Home Depot. Other national brands are expected to take space in the revitalized shopping complex, and the 24 Hour Fitness vacancy should help with that transformation.

The exercise location’s closure, regardless of the cause, will leave just one general-use gym in the area. MUV Fitness is less than 1,000 feet from the 24 Hour Fitness Mall 205 location. That business attracted some former Cascade Athletic Clubs members and could become a viable option for 24 Hour Fitness members. People uninterested in switching to 24 Hour Fitness Hollywood location will likely consider MUV Fitness or look to alternative venues like Mt. Tabor CrossFit at 8028 NE Glisan Street.

Jacob Loeb

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Community, Demolition, View of Montavilla April 6, 2023

Fire at Gateway Elks Club

At 2 a.m. on April 6th, Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) responded to a fire inside the former Elks Club at 711 NE 100th Avenue. The David Douglas School District owns the derelict building and planned to demolish the 1975-era community hall sometime this summer. Several past fires had caused damage to the building, preventing firefighters from entering the structure safely. Consiquentullay, crews employed a defensive fire attack strategy, working to contain the fire from outside.

*Image provided courtesy Portland Fire & Rescue*

Although PF&R did not enter the burning structure, firefighters forced open exterior doors to ensure that the building was clear of occupants. Emergency workers reported no injuries due to this two-alarm fire. PF&R received reports of people running away from the abandoned building before crews arrived but did not observe it themselves. This fire generated a massive volume of smoke, and the collapsing structure posed a hazard for those working around the building. Crews extinguished the fire before noon, but PF&R staff remained on site to monitor the smoking rubble for flare-ups.

*Photo by Greg Muhr, provided courtesy Portland Fire & Rescue*

The David Douglas School District intended to demolish the 12,852-square-foot building since buying it in 2015. Over those intervening years, the building has suffered a fair amount of vandalism and has housed many squatters. This property will eventually support a new school, but that work is several years away and dependent on future funding. Demolition workers who intended to start work on this site before the fire must shift plans to deal with the new site conditions. However, the result will be the same, with the building removed and the basement filled in. Expect to see that work expedited as the remaining structure is potentially dangerous in its current condition.

Jacob Loeb

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Business Closing, New Residence, View of Montavilla March 17, 2023March 27, 2023

The Growing Urban Core on E Burnside

A cluster of four-story apartment buildings is transforming E Burnside Street west of SE 60th Avenue. In a former 7-Eleven’s footprint, crews recently completed work on the second building at the Burnie apartment complex. One street over, Tabor Flats PDX has a 78-unit apartment building under construction. This month, permit applications revealed another 78-unit building will soon sit between the other two projects, replacing The Jag Shop at 5710 E Burnside Street. This rapid redevelopment indicates what is economically viable in Commercial Mixed Use 2 (CM2) zoning just 20 blocks from Montavilla.

*Rendering of 5734 E Burnside Street. Image courtesy FoslerArchitecture*

In January 2023, the specialty automotive repair shop announced its closure after nearly 28 years. Now Fosler Architecture is working with the new property owners to design the four-story multi-family building replacing The Jag Shop. The proposed project will include a mix of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units. Each residence will have a stacked laundry facility and utilizes an efficient floor plan. When completed, the building will have a new address of 5734 E Burnside Street.

The Tabor Flats PDX development, across SE 57th Avenue from The Jag Shop, is owned by the same entity behind the Burnie. The group’s newest apartment building broke ground at 8 SE 56th Avenue soon after the other development wrapped up just 700 feet away. Studio 3 Architecture designed both projects for The Mark R Madden Revocable Living Trust. Consequentially, Studio 3 Architecture has set the aesthetic for buildings in this area of E Burnside Street and will make a lasting mark on the street.

*The Jag Shop at 5710 E Burnside Street*

These mass housing projects are possible because of the CM2 zoning on this section of E Burnside Street. It incentives medium-scale commercial mixed-use development in population centers and corridors, particularly in areas well served by frequent public transit. City planners expect buildings in this zone to be up to four stories tall, but until recently, very few developers in this area have built to that scale. If these 70-plus unit apartment buildings continue to meet the housing gap for a considerable percentage of the population, builders will continue their work towards the east. CM2 zoning exists across many sections of Montavilla, including 82nd Avenue and E Burnside Street. Only two projects in Montavilla have proposed housing density equal to what is happening in the adjacent neighborhoods. It is only a matter of time before more properties in Montavilla attract development projects that deliver over 60 apartments in a single structure.

*Zoning map centered on 5710 E Burnside from Portland Maps*

Jacob Loeb

Retraction: A previous version of this article stated that the former owner of The Jag Shop was involved in the project. He is not involved in the apartment development. Montavilla News regrets this error.

Community, Crime, View of Montavilla March 7, 2023March 17, 2023

PPB Focuses on Retail Theft at Mall 205 and Gateway

Over the last four months, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) has spent several days focused on retail theft at Mall 205 and the Gateway area. Conducted in partnership with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), the crime reduction program concentrates efforts on a small geographic area that has seen a substantial rise in theft. The PPB statistics from the three Retail Theft Missions demonstrate the daily burden of crime experienced by these retailers.

On March 5th, 2023, PPB and MCSO officers made their third attempt to significantly reduce criminal activity at these Interstate 205 adjacent retail centers. This past Sunday, 34 people were taken into custody and served 28 warrants. Police recovered seven stolen vehicles actively driven in the area. Officers also recovered over $3,000 worth of stolen merchandise. In February and December 2022, program operators saw similar daily results from these police operations.

Although presented as an effective retail theft sting that together netted 138 arrests and the recovery of almost $14,000 of reportedly stolen merchandise, it also shows a steady level of crime in the area. The data presented is insufficient to draw credible conclusions about the program’s efficacy, but the numbers show consistent theft.

If the Retail Theft Mission continues in this area, the numbers may diminish as miscreants see this as a policed area. However, the numbers indicate this has yet to occur, and theft remains steady. Even if these efforts are effective in the Mall 205 and the Gateway areas, retail theft crime will likely shift to another commercial corridor unless additional diversion tactics reduce the overall occurrence of this type of crime.

PPB provided Retail Theft Mission numbers

March 5th, 2023 (Single Day Mission)
– 34 arrests
– 28 warrants serviced
– 7 stolen vehicles recovered
– $3,006.32 in recovered stolen merchandise

February 6th, 2023 (Single Day Mission)
– 40 arrests
– 60 warrants serviced
– $2,237 in recovered stolen merchandise

December 17th and 18th (Two-Day Mission)
– 64 arrests
– 70 warrants serviced
– 10 stolen vehicles recovered
– 3 firearms recovered (2 stolen)
– $8,743 in recovered stolen merchandise

Jacob Loeb

Construction, Food and Drink, New Business, View of Montavilla February 8, 2023March 25, 2023

The People’s Courts Opening on NE 82nd

This summer, a new family-friendly causal sports complex will open in the former Lumberyard Bike Park at 2700 NE 82nd Avenue. The People’s Courts is a recreation destination featuring eleven pickleball courts, ten corn hole stations, ten ping pong tables, and five indoor bocci courts. Patrons will have access to two restaurants on the property, serving pizza and grilled foods along with various other menu items.

AMF built the 50,000-square-foot building in the early 1960s as a multilane bowling alley. Dave Schrott and his partners purchased the building in 2011 as an investment property and leased the space to the Lumberyard Bike Park, who transformed the space into an indoor and outdoor BMX practice track. That business closed after a decade in operation, presenting the property owners an opportunity to reimagine the space. Instead of seeking a new tenant for this location, Dave Schrott, Robert Sacks, and Dave Sacks decided to pursue a passion project centered around a shared enthusiasm for pickleball.

Workers will construct five pickleball courts inside the building, with the remaining six outside. Three shade structures next to the outdoor courts provide covering for seating. The interior arrangement will have some flexibility, adjusting to customer demand for particular games. All the games center around a theme of group play on a court. The business’s name originated from that concept. “It’s kind of a play on words because all of our games are, you know, court-based,” explained Schrott. He sees The People’s Courts as a return to the building’s bowling alley past, where all ages can gather together and participate in approachable sports.

This project is a shift for the partners. Most of their work centers on development. They were the original owners of the Ace Hotel in Downtown Portland and are involved with Coopers Hall on SE 6th Avenue. “Our primary business is real estate and property development. We mostly do adaptive reuse of older buildings.” Said, Schrott. Although this is another reuse project, it is more personal for them and leans heavily on their interests. The partners are excited to share this vision of family-friendly entertainment with the community. They plan to work with neighboring McDaniel High School, seeing an opportunity to engage those students in constructive after-school activities.

Currently, crews are preparing part of the parking lot for the new outdoor pickleball courts and other amenities. Work inside the building will continue over the next few months in time for a summer opening. They intend to operate seven days a week with daytime hours that stretch into the evenings.

Jacob Loeb

Construction, New Business, New Residence, View of Montavilla January 27, 2023March 25, 2023

Large Mixed-use Development on NE 102nd

Update (January 27th, 2023): In January, crews began clearing the overgrown fields of a new housing development at 811 NE 102nd Avenue. Wood chippers mulched felled trees while fence repair staff replaced broken barriers around the construction site. Recently, demolition crews removed an old dental clinic at 887 NE 102nd Avenue, the last remaining structure on the vast property.

The site will support a 200-unit mixed-use development. Six buildings along NE 102nd and NE Pacific Avenues will contain approximately 10,549 square feet of commercial space and 11,280 square feet of residential amenity area on the ground floors. Residential units are planned on the two floors above. The developer intends to include twelve multi-dwelling residential structures inside the housing complex accessed through a private road. Those buildings will provide one to three-bedroom units. All buildings will be three stories tall. The facility will provide 145 surface parking spaces in the site’s interior.

Original article published August 2nd, 2022

Tomorrow, Portland’s Bureau of Development Services (BDS) will conduct a Pre-Application Conference to discuss a mixed-use development at 811 NE 102nd Avenue. The developer’s proposal includes 199 housing units and approximately 22,000 square feet of ground floor commercial and residential amenity space. The eighteen proposed buildings at the site are up to three stores tall and offer a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom units.

The development’s commercial spaces are concentrated along NE 102nd Avenue, wrapping around the corner of NE Pacific Street. Developers will locate residential amenity space along the remaining street frontage of NE Pacific Street. Perpendicular parking spaces line the private streets throughout the complex, hidden behind the mixed-use buildings along the property’s edge.

Residents will access parking from NE 102nd Avenue. However, the project has a 32-foot-wide dedication on the property’s southern edge in alignment with NE Oregon Street. That indicates a forthcoming road extension connecting NE Oregon Street with NE 100th Avenue after the David Douglas School District redevelops its adjacent property to the west. That would allow additional vehicle access to the site.

This large project would trigger sidewalk improvements, creating a fifteen-foot-wide pedestrian zone along NE 102nd Avenue and NE Pacific Street. This project is within walking distance of the Gateway Transit center and across the street from Fred Meyer Grocery. Although this location has sufficient bus and Max service, the project includes 148 parking spaces.

This mixed-use project is in early development, and the design will likely change before the developers submit permit applications. However, this long-vacant lot could soon become the home for many people seeking housing in this area. Expect to hear more about this site in 2023 as plans begin to take shape.

Jacob Loeb

Community, Construction, New Residence, View of Montavilla January 27, 2023March 25, 2023

Mass Timber Affordable Housing on NE Glisan

Site work is underway for a new eight-story mixed-use building at NE 99th Avenue and Glisan Street. Designed by Access Architecture of Vancouver, WA, the building is named TimberView due to its predominantly wood-framed construction and scenic top-floor outdoor terrace. The mass timber structure will provide 105 affordable housing units with ground-floor commercial space.

Located in Portland’s Gateway District, this property occupies a 9,583-square-foot corner lot that once supported a single-family residence. Demolition crews deconstructed that house and detached garage in 2012. Heavy equipment recently leveled the ground, preparing the land for imminent construction. Additionally, workers removed some large trees from the property this week. However, several new street trees will surround the site after crews install the wider sidewalk as a part of this project.

*TimberView building, rendering courtesy of Access Architecture*

Developers working in the Gateway District create projects with larger urban-scale designs that emphasize public transportation and efficient use of land. The scale of the new structure will match the adjacent building on this block, all built within the last decade. The bar-shaped building will relocate the site’s entrance from NE Glisan to 540 NE 99th Avenue, in the center of the building. When completed, this mid-rise tower will offer a full range of apartments, from Studio to three-bedroom units.

Expect construction work to begin soon with cranes lifting cross-laminated timber (CLT) floor panels atop glue-laminated timber beams and columns. This type of construction can assemble faster than other projects using concrete. Vendors create many elements of the building’s structure off-site, facilitating a quick assembly at the property. When completed, this site will provide a healthy addition of affordable housing.

Jacob Loeb

New Business, View of Montavilla December 28, 2022March 25, 2023

Self-Storage Facility Opens on NE Halsey

This week, West Coast Self-Storage opened its second Portland storage facility at 1530 NE 67th Avenue. This four-story metal-clad building offers 53,375 square feet of rentable storage space with various security and convenience features. It joins a collection of similar businesses clustered on the other side of Interstate 84.

This NE Halsey street adjacent storage facility offers 643 storage units ranging in size from 10-by-10 feet to 15-by-30 feet. The building features a covered loading and unloading area, a freight elevator, and free-to-use handcarts for transporting items. Renters can access their lockers between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. daily. Each customer has a unique secure access code to enter the heated and LED-lit facility. Digital security cameras record all activity in the building to further protect customers from theft.

NWB Halsey LLC contracted Eric Gambee Construction to build this steel-framed building on its property, with West Coast Self-Storage as the site manager. This lot sat vacant for nearly 30 years before this recent work. The property was initially developed around 1956 as a service station selling gasoline through the 1970s. From 1965 to 1970, Early Bird Service and Gas operated from this location. By 1981, Fairway Auto Upholsterers used this location for its business, but in 1985 Sedon Market & Groceries occupied this site. Workers removed the underground storage tank system in March of 1990, followed by demolition crews who razed the building and removed the asphalt surface around 1994.

Construction at this property replaced a significant portion of the sidewalk and added four street trees. The pedestrian space is wider and has fewer vehicle entry points, making it a safer place to walk. Although storage facilities do not activate the street like other businesses, reworking this vacant lot should enhance the appearance and set a new building height standard for this street as it redevelops.

The West Coast Self-Storage Halsey office opens from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sunday. It doubles as a retail store offering moving boxes and packing materials. Soon the location will offer moving trucks for rent as a U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer. This location offers one oversized 10-by-52-foot drive-up unit for unique storage needs. Area residents looking for personal storage options now have another choice on NE Halsey.

Jacob Loeb

Community, Infrastructure, View of Montavilla December 3, 2022March 25, 2023

Two Montavilla Adjacent Libraries Closing for Expansion

Multnomah County will close the Midland and Holgate Libraries for renovations this month. Construction at these sites will temporarily reduce nearby public library options for Montavilla residents for over a year. County planners expect both projects to complete in the middle of 2024. Until then, people can utilize the three remaining libraries within 3-miles of the neighborhood or take transportation to one of the many other locations.

The Midland Library at 805 SE 122nd Avenue will close on December 23, 2022, and reopen in the summer of 2024. Crews will renovate and expand the 23,871-square-foot building, adding 6,000 square feet to support increased usage. The completed project will incorporate more gathering spaces and activities, with dedicated areas for children and young adults. These updates will provide more room for community use, faster internet, and updated technology.

Midland Library’s new and expanded features will include:

Outdoor interactive children’s play area.
Large play and learning space for children and families.
Dedicated teen room with space for technology, homework and creative expression.
Updated technology and internet.
Outdoor plaza for community members to relax and connect.
New art that represents the community.
A Gathering Circle for community conversation.

Demolition crews will remove the existing Holgate Library building at 7905 SE Holgate Blvd. The County constructed the 6,060-square-foot single-story building in 1971. Construction workers will build a new two-story building, triple the size of the current space, for a total of 21,000 square feet. This branch will become one of the largest libraries in Multnomah County. Holgate Library will temporarily close for construction starting on December 5, 2022. If construction timelines hold to the schedule, this all-new Library building will reopen in the spring of 2024.

*Draft plans for Holgate Library from an April 2022 Presentation*. *Courtesy Multnomah County*

Holgate Library’s new and expanded features will include:

Large play and learning space for children and families.
Dedicated teen room with space for technology, homework and creative expression.
Multiple flexible programming and meeting rooms.
Updated technology and internet.
Outdoor plaza for community members to relax and connect.
New art that represents the community.
Solar panels to help offset energy use.

Draft renderings for Holgate Library from an April 2022 Presentation. Courtesy Multnomah County

These two ambitious projects are part of Multnomah County’s work to expand and modernize these public spaces, helping the library change and grow alongside the community. Holgate and Midland libraries are among the first branches to undergo dramatic rebuilding and expansion in the mid-county. In spring 2023, construction will begin at Albina and North Portland libraries, temporarily closing those locations. These libraries are the first set of eight total building projects funded through the 2020 library bond, including the construction of a new East County Library. Montavilla residents looking for the next nearest public Library can use Belmont Library at 1038 SE Cesar Estrada Chavez Blvd., Gregory Heights Library at 7921 NE Sandy Blvd., or Hollywood Library at 4040 NE Tillamook Street.

Jacob Loeb

Food and Drink, Property Sale, View of Montavilla November 9, 2022March 25, 2023

Eastport Food Cart Pod for Sale

The half-acre property and food cart pod at 3905 SE 82nd Avenue is available to purchase for $3.6 million. Listed by Keller Williams Realty, Eastport Food Center is a fully leased 26-space food cart pod situated across from Eastport Plaza. The pod opened in 2020 on a former used auto-lot. The owner converted the 900-square-foot sales office into an indoor seating area, installed water and sewer hookups for each cart, and completely fenced the property.

The real estate flyer for the listing touts a yearly rental income of $400,000 which would offset the purchase price of this investment property. A new food cart pod across 82nd Avenue from this location opened a little over a year ago, placing the two eating destinations within three blocks of each other. That purpose build property at 3612 SE 82nd Avenue, called Collective Oregon Eateries (CORE), has added competition to the casual dining market along 82nd Avenue. However, it offers around half the cart spaces as its neighbor.

The site’s sale is contingent on the seller achieving a 1031 Exchange purchase of another property. This tax-saving maneuver is available when a person sells one investment property to buy another investment property. This requirement indicates the seller is not looking to generate cash but wants to move their investment to another location within the United States. Interested buyers should contact James Gillespie with Foundation Commercial Group (KW Commercial) by phone at 503-890-5775 or by email.