The owners of two lots along 82nd Avenue at SE Ash Street have their property listed for lease or sale after years of trying to make a food cart pod project pencil out in that location. B&U Properties LLC acquired 218 and 322 SE 82nd Avenue in 2021, planning to transform the combined property into an active community hub, but required improvements to the sidewalk along the site’s 360 linear feet of frontage, and other development expenses caused the restaurant owner team to focus their immediate efforts on a SE Hawthorne Boulevard project. Now, with few cart owners showing interest in the area and construction estimates rising, the developers are looking for other options for the Montavilla site.
Overhead image from Portland Maps with both lots outlined
Uday Seelam and his partner Ben Bui have extensive restaurant experience, which they have used to create a popular food cart pod. They had hoped to build several locations, but headwinds in securing funding and shifts in dining patterns in Portland have caused the team to adjust their plans. Seelam explained that of the 15 cart owners who wanted to view the proposed location for their second food cart pod, no vendors committed to the space, and only one would reconsider at a future date.
Seelam remarked that contractor estimates rose to $1.5 million for the SE 82nd Avenue food cart pod project. This is in addition to the cost of the property and expenses related to clearing the old Recreational Vehicle lot’s sales office building that was once on the property. They had planned to construct the primary entrance on SE Ash Street and create a covered seating area, restrooms, and other amenities. Since first designing the layout, they had already agreed to reduce the project’s size for more parking and a lower overall price tag. However, without even a few vendors committed to the space, any level of continued investment would be risky. Instead, they hope another group will invest in the space. They would consider a lease, as they have not given up on the area altogether and could see reviving the project if conditions change. Still, Seelam said that if a buyer can pay the $1.6 million asking price for the combined lots, they would need to “cut their losses” and let another group try to create something. He noted that affordable housing would be a useful addition to the neighborhood at that site.
Parking lot view looking north to fenced section of property
Area residents have other food cart options within walking distance from this location. The Yard at Montavilla is 1,300 feet north os SE Ash Street, across from Vestal School at 8220 NE Davis Street. Additionally, Montavilla’s Stark Street business corridor, just a block away from the vacant lots, offers many dining destinations and provides area residents with a variety of options. However, the change in direction for this project means the underutilized lots will remain mostly dormant for years. A portion of the paved land serves as overflow parking for customers visiting the shops at the adjacent “Annex” building, but construction fencing lines a substantial portion of the property. Groups interested in leasing or buying the land should contact Capacity Commercial Group for more information.
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Q – What are the metal rings in old Montavilla curbs?
A – Ringbolts, as these were originally called, were placed in Portland sidewalk curbs in the early 20th century as hitches for horses to stop them from running off. Individual horse owners needed hitches for private use. Merchants needed them even more for home deliveries of fuel supplies, ice, groceries, etc.
The Montavilla Meat Market on Base Line Road (now SE Stark Street) delivered to any part of the city. Source: Beaver State Herald, December 21, 1906
The iron ringbolts had the advantage of being more durable than the old wooden hitching posts and racks, which could decay. They also offered alternatives to the unfortunate use of trees as tethers. Tree-tethered horses liked to snack on tree bark, often damaging valued shade trees. Tree-hitching became illegal in Portland in 1877, yet as the Oregonian article below shows, it was still a problem in 1889.
The Oregonian, August 24, 1889
And still a problem in 1905, despite the threat of arrest or fines.
Illustrated in the October 26, 1905 edition of the Oregonian.
Ringbolts became mandatory in new sidewalk curbs in 1902 when Portland City Engineer William B. Chase ordered concrete contractors to embed one ringbolt for every 25 feet of curb. Portland ordinances specified the exact dimensions and form of the ringbolts. (This law would apply in Montavilla after it was annexed to Portland in 1906.)
Source: 1905 General Ordinances of the City of Portland
The above photograph shows just the ring portion of the ringbolt. The bolt itself was embedded in wet concrete. Photo by Thomas Tilton
Today, we can see only the top portion of the ring bolts, as the lower part is embedded in concrete.
This antique handmade iron ring bolt shows entire ringbolt. Found on Ebay on January 7, 2026.
As a means of secure attachments, ringbolts have a long history. The Oxford English Dictionary identifies 1599 as the earliest written example of the term ringbolt used to describe a means of fastening ships to walls.
Ringbolts, by the way, are still manufactured today for nautical uses.
A modern ringbolt. Photo courtesy of Sheridan Marine.
When automobiles replaced horses and hitching rings were no longer needed, they came to be seen by some as a public nuisance. In August 1938, for example, a man stumbled over a hitching ring in Portland and fractured his ankle bone. Portland City Attorney Lyman E. Lattourette told the City Council that these relics posed a public safety hazard and should be removed. He advised homeowners to bid their rusty hitching rings farewell and to chisel them away. One Oregonian reader, Spencer Akers, objected. To him, they were priceless antiques and links to the past.
But others saw them as useless. Oregon Journal columnist Dick Fagan, for example, ridiculed ringbolts in his “Mill Ends” columns of the 1960s. He called them “the most useless things in the city.” In 1967, he came across a jeep and a motorboat hitched to the rings.
As Fagan was proclaiming ringbolts useless, Portland contractors were removing the hitching rings when replacing or repairing curbs. The tide of destruction shifted in 1978 when a Ladd’s Addition homeowner, Paul C. Paulsen, objected to the removal of his horse ring. To him, they were not useless. They were pleasant reminders of the past.
Paul C. Paulsen with his ringbolt still attached to his curb and a sign saying the rings may be needed soon.
City Commissioner Connie McCready was also alarmed to learn about the ringbolt removals. She created a policy allowing homeowners to request replacement of the rings after curb work was completed, with a $5 fee to cover the additional labor. Thanks to Paulse and McCready, Portland is one of the few cities with an abundance of antique ringbolts.
Portland’s reputation as a city of many ringbolts was augmented by Scott Wayne Indiana’s Portland Horse Project, launched in 2005. At that time, he began attaching miniature toy horses to ringbolts in Portland’s older neighborhoods, where embedded ringbolts in curbs abounded. The idea caught on, and individual Portlanders began attaching toy animals of various sorts to their own ringbolts. It became a signature Portland idiosyncrasy. Today, Indiana’s Portland Horse Project Facebook page has 5.1 thousand followers. He even has a short video on his website showing you how to tether your own small creature to a ring (https://www.facebook.com/PortlandHorseProject). For more examples, you can find them in Scott’s book, Portland Horse Project.
A tethered toy tiger, 2007. Source: Wikipedia
End note: Do you have a miniature toy animal hitched to your ring bolt? If so, please share a photo of it with us.
By
Patricia Sanders
Title image of Toy horses tethered to a ringbolt in Montavilla Photo by Thomas Tilton
This is part of Montavilla History Questions Answered, a series of history related articles. If you have questions about Montavilla’s past that you’d like answered, local historian Patricia Sanders will investigate your question. Please email your questions to history@montavilla.net and we may feature it alongside Patricia Sanders’ research in a future.
Cascade Physical Therapy recently repurchased its former Montavilla location at 9310 SE Stark Street, an establishment that the previous owners split off from their Gresham-based company two decades ago. New owners, Dr. Liz Reynolds and Erika Elliott, are now working to reunify the two locations and serve more people who need help recovering from workplace or automotive injuries, while also addressing general pain and age-related decline.
Jon Schnepel founded Cascade Physical Therapy in 1987 after graduating from Pacific University’s Physical Therapy program and a stint working for a large hospital system. Partnering with his wife, Chris, who worked at Cascade Athletic Club in Gresham, they created a physical therapy clinic inside the gym. At the time, this integrated clinic model was unique in the industry. The distinct but embedded business started within a small space on the upper floor of the gym building. It kept expanding, adding more clients, until it ultimately moved downstairs, where they converted space previously used for a couple of racquetball courts into a full-size clinic that Cascade Physical Therapy Gresham still operates today.
Fitness equipment used in physical therapy
When the athletics club expanded into Montavilla on SE Stark Street, Cascade Physical Therapy opened its second location attached to that new space. Elliott’s mother was the office manager of that location, and Erika Elliott worked there starting at age 16, managing medical records and later providing transcription services while attending college. “I would come here at night and type all of their reports,” recalled Elliott. The Schnepels sold both locations in the mid 1990s with the intention of retiring. “HealthSouth was a nationwide company that came through and bought up a bunch of little mom and pop shops in the area,” explained Elliott. However, the national healthcare clinic operator ran into financial difficulties within a few years of acquiring the physical therapy company and closed both gym-adjacent locations as part of the HealthSouth bankruptcy. The owners of Cascade Athletic Clubs offered the vacated spaces to the Schnepels, who returned to the business and reopened Cascade Physical Therapy.
Dr. Liz Reynolds and Erika Elliott
To stay focused on a single space, the Schnepels sold the Montavilla location to their employee, Julie McAllister, in December 2002, while rebuilding the Gresham business. “She came back here, and it was gutted; there was nothing here. So she furnished it, equipped it, hired staff, and has been here ever since,” said Elliott. McAllister’s business operated under the name “Cascade 205 Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy,” with a name less tied to the original business. In February 2023, the Cascade Athletic Clubs closed its Montavilla location at 9260 SE Stark Street after nearly 36 years in operation. McAllister needed to adapt the location, which would not have extended gym or pool access for clients. Fortunately, DolFun Swim Academy took over the former Cascade Athletic Clubs swimming facilities and made arrangements to allow physical therapy clients access to the pool. “When Cascade [gym] left, they drained the pool, and there were no plans for it to be a pool again. So when DolFun came and negotiated to take over the lease, the McAllisters were really excited because it meant that they could offer pool therapy again, which is a big need in our community. Not a lot of physical therapy offices offer pool therapy,” explained Elliott.
One of three private treatment rooms
After several more years of success in Gresham, the Schnepels looked to pass the business along again, this time to trusted employees who had worked for them for 10 to 15 years. “So they looked at us for a succession plan, started those negotiations in the fall of 2018, and we became the official owners January 1st of 2020,” recalled Reynolds and Elliott. They completed a relatively smooth transition of the business, with the former employees continuing the founders’ work. Then, in the fall of 2024, McAllister contacted the partners about buying the SE Stark Street company and reunifying the two locations. “Julie approached us, asking us if we’d be interested in taking over for her. She felt a call to not just close after being here and treating patients since the 1990s,” recalled Elliott. When Julie McAllister retired at the end of June 2025, the location rejoined Cascade Physical Therapy under its name and business license.
One of three private treatment rooms
The new owners of the Montavilla location were able to extend their existing business into the space while retaining some continuity for clients. “Some of her patients have just carried over, and we kept an employee of hers on board. His name’s Greg, and he’s a PTA (Physical Therapist Assistant) here, and he’s wonderful. That’s been nice because patients who don’t maybe know Erika and I know his face, and we’re keeping the legacy going,” said Reynolds. They have updated the paint scheme in the space to match the company colors and are working to update some equipment offerings. “We are one of the first locations to trial a new AI exercise program that was developed by Intel and a local physical therapist,” remarked Elliott. “We, as therapists, would program in exercises, and the patient would wheel the machine in front of them. Then it would get a visual of their body while they’re doing the exercise and critique them,” added Reynolds. They explained that it is a tool that appeals to some customers who want their movement reviewed but do not want someone staring at them the whole time. They are still working to integrate this newer technology into treatments, but they are excited to expand the tools they can offer people seeking help.
The Cascade Physical Therapy team is genuinely excited to expand back into Portland, though they acknowledge that running two locations is twice the work. They anticipate more people will seek out their services and want people to know that in Oregon and Washington, patients can visit a physical therapist without a referral if their insurance allows it. Reynolds is a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy and can work with many insurers. They can work with patients aged 9 or older. In addition to treating injuries or helping with sports training, many people see them for balance issues. Another group of people seeking help has no idea what happened. “Some people have pain, and they don’t know why they hurt,” said Elliott. “We call them the NARs. No apparent reason. Usually, I can figure out why, but they don’t know. It wasn’t like they got hit on a bicycle or anything like that. They just started having hip pain,” explained Reynolds.
Fitness equipment used in physical therapy
The Montavilla location is open from 7:45 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. People needing help on a different weekday can also visit the Gresham location at 19201 SE Division Street. The original space has access to more equipment through the Cascade Athletic Club, which is still in operation outside Portland. However, the SE Stark Street space has nearly everything they need to restore motion or alleviate pain for patients and offers three private treatment rooms, as well as access to pool therapy. The owners hope to meet more people in the area seeking Portland-based physical therapy and expect that visitors living near Interstate 205 will appreciate the location’s easy freeway access.
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.
Recently, TriMet announced a series of proposed cost-cutting measures planned for this August. Elimination of the Line 19 Bus route is among the possible reductions, and its closure would end NE Glisan Street’s century-long run as Montavilla’s transit backbone. Other potential changes would similarly reduce functionality for transit users, push more people to existing TriMet lines, or encourage driving to a destination. People have until January 31st to contribute their perspective on these updates via an online survey.
TriMet leaders are trying to close a $300 million annual budget gap through a variety of measures. Since first announcing the issue in July 2025, the transit agency says it has reduced spending by about $150 million through cutting expenses, eliminating staff positions, and pausing service expansion efforts. The next round of reductions aims to trim service or remove low-ridership lines where riders have other, sometimes less functional, options. In fiscal year 2025 (July 1st, 2024, through June 30th, 2025), 15,600 riders boarded Line 19 each week. Of those weekly transit users, 7,617 started their trip between I-205 and stops at Southwest Lincoln Street and 4th Avenue in Downtown Portland.
TriMet graphic showing current and proposed cuts to the MAX Green Line and Line 19 bus route among others
For people accustomed to boarding a bus on NE Glisan, TriMet recommends the Line 20 bus on East Burnside Street, with the MAX Blue or Red lines also offering options for those close to stations. The Line 20 already sees almost double the ridership of the Line 19, with 59,618 weekly boardings in fiscal year 2025. However, for some riders, walking an extra 1,200 feet between NE Glisan Street and East Burnside is a significant burden. It also ends the historic role transit played in forming Montavilla and the commercial corridor along NE Glisan Street.
These details of the 1889 Hart-Royal Company broadside for Mount Tabor Villa Addition show an extension of the Morrison Street Bridge Motor Line going through the subdivision (the red rectangle on the right). Courtesy of the Oregon Historical Society
Starting in 1889, Montavilla developers sold parcels to residents based on future transit service along NE Glisan Street—originally named Villa Avenue—in advertising for the Addition. By 1892, the operators of the City and Suburban Railway extended their East Ankeny line to Montavilla on Glisan up to 82nd Avenue, but without the full loop around Mt. Tabor. In 1948, streetcar service in Montavilla ceased, with buses replacing trolleys. That era of transit service to the neighborhood helped businesses flourish and shaped the community around that corridor.
In addition to the potential elimination of Line 19, East Portland transit users could see the Green MAX light rail line shortened to only run between the Clackamas Town Center station and the Gateway Transit Center, prompting riders to transfer to other lines to continue downtown. TriMet’s highest ridership bus, Line 72, would retain current service levels on 82nd Avenue but reduce evening service between Cully Boulevard and Swan Island to every 30 minutes after 8 p.m. and once an hour after 10 p.m. The Line 20 could terminate at the Sunset Transit Center instead of continuing to the Beaverton Transit Center, and Line 77 buses may have route adjustments west of NE 9th Avenue. All riders should review the trimet.org/servicecuts site for details that may impact their future commute.
TriMet encourages transit commuters and occasional riders to complete the online survey by January 31st so its planners can make modifications before this summer’s planned cutbacks. Business owners whose employees and customers depend on TriMet service may also want to contribute their perspective in the survey, as transit service has historically improved business district prosperity. People concerned about these reductions in service can also reach out to their state representatives to ask for more public transit funding, particularly in light of Oregon Governor Tina Kotek’s call for lawmakers to scrap the newly passed transportation bill, which is facing implementation delays due to opposition efforts. Additional State funding for transit districts from a replacement Transportation Act could soften TriMet cuts as it attempts to balance its budget.
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As Portland’s first free-standing Chick-fil-A restaurant prepares to open in early 2026, pedestrians traveling around the Mall 205 area in the Gateway district gain access to wider sidewalks with street furniture offering places to rest. Recently, crews removed construction fencing around the new fast food destination at 9950 SE Stark Street, fully opening the area to street users.
Cluster of three round concrete seating on the southeast corner of SE 99th and Stark St
Construction work at this restaurant location began last April, triggering requirements for sidewalk and curb ramp reconstruction to meet modern standards for its Civic Main Street classification on the south and north sides of the site. Improvements to the 15-foot public right-of-way feature street trees planted between the curb and pedestrian through zone, offering a buffer between the fast-paced traffic on the SE Stark Street and Washington Street couplet. Chick-fil-A contractors installed round concrete seating pods along the property’s SE 99th Avenue frontage with a cluster of three on the southeast corner of SE 99th and Stark Street. A new traffic signal pole at the northeast corner of SE 99th and Washington Street features mounting points for future mast arms to support traffic lights, replacing the antiquated cable-hung hardware at the intersection. An additional mounting bracket at the top of the pole has a place for a new street light to further illuminate this high-volume crossing, while building-hung sconces add human-scale lighting.
Mounting points on a new traffic signal pole at the northeast corner of SE 99th and Washington St. for future mast arms to support traffic lights
The Portland building code mandated many pedestrian improvements along the three frontages of this 0.78-acre property. These upgrades serve the district as a whole as it becomes less car-centric. However, this restaurant’s patrons may depend on these updates, as there is expected to be higher foot traffic here than at other Chick-fil-A stores in the area. The Portland City Council voted in 2018 to prohibit new drive-through construction within commercial zones. Although this project is a near-complete renovation of an existing building, the structure never included a drive-through service window. This project dates back to May 2022, when the national fast food chain explored development at 9950 SE Stark Street, opting to renovate the original structure to maintain its nonconforming use of the existing site for food service. The 1984-era structure previously hosted Rax Roast Beef, Tony Roma’s, and Hooters restaurants before converting to Mystic Gentlemen’s Club and later Venue Gentlemen’s Club.
SE 99th Avenue frontage with human-scale lighting and seating
Without a drive-through window, most motorists will need to park onsite and enter the establishment for service. Other Chick-fil-A locations have been known to create traffic jams at times as drivers queue for in-vehicle sales. At this new location, people may need to park at another location and walk over for service during peak times. To help speed up orders and clear the parking lot more quickly, operators will implement digital tools for customers. “We will be offering curbside delivery as an alternative,” wrote a store social media representative on Facebook. This will require more staff time but will allow customers to remain in their vehicles. Additionally, this restaurant features a dedicated delivery driver entrance so people can order via smartphone apps and have their food brought to them.
Delivery driver entrance
Franchise operator for this location, Austin Morrow, has worked for Chick-fil-A since 2014. In this specific franchise model, the property, building, and equipment are owned by the corporation, with individuals competing to become the location’s operator. The “Chick-fil-A Mall 205” store will be Portland’s only location within city limits since the Lloyd Center food court location closed in 2003. Community members have mixed opinions on the opening. Some are excited for the renowned chicken sandwich provider to come in and revitalize a commercial corridor that has experienced a decline in previous decades. Others worry about the increased traffic near the Interstate 205 ramps caused by this new high-demand destination. Additional perspectives oppose the company as a whole because of the ownership’s support for organizations that oppose LGBTQ rights.
New wider sidewalk on SE Washington St. with street trees
The operator of Chick-fil-A Mall 205 has yet to announce an official opening date, but indicated it will welcome guests soon. Regardless of the restaurant’s impact on the business district and community, the renovations of this former strip club have improved the public infrastructure on this half block. The corporate endorsement of the area could also incentivize other investments along the corridor, spurring redevelopment with infrastructure improvements and denser land use, fitting the Gateway District’s Central Commercial zoning that encourages city-center-sized projects.
Update January 18, 2026: The Chick-fil-A Mall 205 location will open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday starting Thursday, January 22nd.
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The property, bordered by the Interstate 205 Multi-use-path on two sides, is currently secured with plywood “due to prior break-ins while vacant,” according to a real estate flyer. A modest commercial parking lot provides three parking stalls in front of the single-story building and one driveway leading to the eastern entrance. A gated back courtyard faces south and provides separation between two dormitory wings, each with a bathroom at the end. The most recent configuration of the space included five bedrooms, along with laundry, kitchen, office, and storage spaces. The north end of the building features an equally sized “family room” and “living room” flanking the large kitchen, which features residential-style appliances.
Gated back courtyard
A buyer could reconfigure the space and update the dated quarter-century-old interior in many ways, but the site’s residential zoning limits it to single-family, single-room occupancy housing, or similar group home uses. A new owner could also redevelop the large 16,460-square-foot lot into townhouses or other middle housing to increase density. Its location next to the pedestrian I-205 crossing bridge leading to the MAX light rail station and proximity to the Multi-Use-Path make it a good candidate for Transit-oriented Development.
Image of 9350 SE Taylor St from Portland Maps
Home Forward—renamed from Housing Authority of Portland in May 2011—is an independent Public Corporation that contracts with the federal government to administer housing programs. It owns around 110 properties. In past years, it has worked with partner groups to build affordable housing. This land, if fully redeveloped, would likely not be an impactful source of affordable housing for the organization that oversees 6,678 units. However, with an asking price of $499,999, selling it will not generate a significant sum to stave off operational budget shortfalls at the nonprofit. In a different financial landscape, Home Forward could have reinvested in this property for a similar group home use or other affordable housing option. The future buyer of this unique property will have an opportunity to reshape this residential block abutting the I-205 border of the neighborhood.
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.
With 2025 officially closed, here is a look back at the top stories readers viewed and shared in the past year. Many of the most visited articles center on the Gateway area with the opening of Portland’s first 99 Ranch Market on August 16th and the construction of Portland’s first Chick-fil-A restaurant within city limits since the Lloyd Center food court location closed in 2003. People enjoyed the East Glisan Pizza Lounge‘s reopening and rediscovered an article from 2024 featuring Storied Vintage on SE Stark Street. Two stories about declining enrollment at Multnomah University and the future sale of the property made the top stories list. Readers also took an interest in real estate listings for the Gateway Shopping Center and another area mall. Traffic cameras and bus shelters round out the things Portlanders found interesting in 2025.
Thanks for reading the Montavilla News in 2025. You were one of 127,000 people who regularly visited last year. We appreciate the financial support of our paid subscribers and business supporters that help keep independent news available to our community. We look forward to sharing more news with you in 2026.
Top Articles of 2025 (Ordered by newest to oldest)
For decades, TriMet has offered free rides to help people get home safely after ringing in the new year. This program removes the cost barrier to transit and extends service into the early hours of 2026 with more frequent trips. Most MAX lines run late until around 2 a.m. The MAX Blue, Green, Orange, and Yellow lines will run approximately every 30 minutes. MAX Red Line trains will operate on a weekday schedule, with the last westbound train leaving the Portland International Airport at 12:27 a.m. and the last eastbound train leaving the Hillsboro Airport/Fairgrounds Station at 10:31 p.m. Some MAX lines have later service, but riders traveling near the MAX line may also take the late-night/early-morning bus service along MAX lines. The buses do not run through the night, but they will provide some extra service on New Year’s Eve. TriMet buses will run on Sunday schedules for New Year’s Day. TriMet will not operate the WES Commuter Rail on January 1st and will close its call center and the Customer Support Center at Pioneer Courthouse Square. TriMet will require fare payment after 3 a.m. on New Year’s Day.
🔵 MAX Blue Line: The last westbound train will depart the Cleveland Ave MAX Station at 1:58 a.m., and the last eastbound train will leave the Hatfield Government Center MAX Station for Portland City Center and Gresham at 1:32 a.m.
🟢 MAX Green Line: The last westbound train will depart the Clackamas Town Center Transit Center MAX Station to Portland City Center at 1:42 a.m., and the last eastbound MAX Green Line train will leave the Pioneer Courthouse/SW 6th Ave MAX Station toward Clackamas Town Center at 1:47 a.m.
🟠 MAX Orange Line: The last northbound train will depart the SE Park Ave MAX Station at 2:55 a.m., and the last southbound MAX Orange Line train will leave the Pioneer Place/SW 5th Ave MAX Station at 2:02 a.m.
🟡 MAX Yellow Line: The last northbound MAX Yellow Line train will depart the Pioneer Courthouse/SW 6th Ave MAX Station at 2:25 a.m., and the last southbound train will leave the Expo Center MAX Station to Portland City Center at 1:32 a.m.
🔴 Please note that MAX Red Line will operate on regular schedules, with the last westbound train leaving the Portland International Airport MAX Station at 12:27 a.m., and the last eastbound MAX Red Line train leaving the Hillsboro Airport/Fairgrounds MAX Station at 10:31 p.m.
If you miss your bus or train and need a ride, the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s Safe Ride Home program offers discounts to help. Starting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, December 31st, people can use a discount code posted on the program’s website and posted flyers to save $10 on an Uber or Lyft ride originating within the City of Portland. Discounted rides are not valid if started after 4 a.m. Thursday, January 1st, 2025.
Image courtesy the City of Portland
Revelers looking for the taxi ride discount are out of luck. Broadway Cab, Flat Cab, PDX Yellow Cab, and Radio Cab will be working that night, getting people home safely, but are not partnering to offer discounted rides like they did in previous years. People have many ways to celebrate the new year without driving, and it is best to have a plan to get home. However, if that plan falls apart, know your options and never drive impaired or ride with an impaired driver.
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Despite the damp winter conditions, the use of personal fireworks remains illegal in Portland, as it has since the City Council passed an ordinance in March 2022. This New Year’s Eve, Portland Fire and Rescue (PF&R) and the Portland Bureau of Emergency Communications (BOEC) ask everyone within city limits to obey the ban and report violators through an online form instead of 9-1-1. As an alternative, people can attend a free New Year’s illuminated Eve Drone Show at Pioneer Courthouse Square.
Three years ago, the Portland City Council passed a consumer fireworks prohibition unanimously, in part due to a fatal fireworks fire the previous year and in reaction to the Eagle Creek Fire in the gorge, which started with the use of personal fireworks. Fire departments regularly experience a spike in injuries, fires, and fatalities during the fireworks season, which runs from June 23rd through July 6th. To a smaller degree, New Year’s Eve celebrations can replicate those mid-summer problems. People with pets also report significant stress inflicted on their animals due to fireworks, with some dogs and cats becoming separated from their owners when they run away from the explosive sounds. However, calling emergency services for fireworks use alone can overload the system, impacting firefighting and injury response times.
To limit the impact on BOEC staff answering 9-1-1 calls, the city launched a reporting form at portland.gov/fireworks in July 2025. The form collects information about fireworks use to assist officials in identifying hotspots and later to support public education about Portland’s fireworks ban. People can use the same form this New Year’s Eve or call 3-1-1. Non-English-speaking Portlanders can request a bilingual speaker to join the call for assistance. The City reports that increased staffing, public education, and the reporting form reduced 9-1-1 calls by 13 percent during the 2025 July 4th holiday, improving public safety response times by allowing dispatchers to focus on emergency calls. Additionally, the average wait time that day was 8 seconds, down from 26 seconds in 2024 and 70 seconds in 2023.
To help Portlanders celebrate responsibly, the City will provide two free New Year’s Eve illuminated Drone Shows downtown at Pioneer Courthouse Square. Activities start at 8 p.m. December 31st with a “Video Dance Attack Party.” Then, at 9 p.m., people who don’t want to stay out late can view a family-friendly drone show. For those wanting an official countdown, the second drone show starts just before midnight. Food and beverage vendors will sell refreshments throughout the event, which concludes at 12:30 a.m. on January 1st, 2026. Planners encouraged attendees to take TriMet to the event and to stay safe as they head into 2026.
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Three Montavilla car lots sit empty along 82nd Avenue at the end of 2025, marking a shift in an area known as Portland’s used car destination for budget-conscious buyers. It is not uncommon for locations to change tenants and for lots to relocate within the area. However, some auto industry businesses blame City-led changes to infrastructure and potential tax increases for adding to their operating pressures.
Empty Hood To Coast Auto Sales lot at 428 SE 82nd Ave
Hood To Coast Auto Sales relocated to 428 SE 82nd Avenue in 2021, having outgrown a location near NE Sandy Boulevard and NE 138th Avenue. From the prominent SE Stark Street corner, owners Lindsey Barber and Matt Barber ran the used-car lot for four years until staff recently cleared out the inventory in November. By mid December, the lot was empty, and the property’s owner, Harry John, placed a “for rent” sign on the sales lot’s fence.
Empty 82nd Auto Mall lot at 1164 SE 82nd Ave
82nd Auto Mall recently closed its 1164 SE 82nd Avenue location this year, as the property’s owner seeks to sell the three-quarter-acre site that once housed a Triple XXX Drive-In. Previously, the used auto sales lot bounced around the area with a stint at 1205 SE 82nd Avenue from 2003 to 2009. It served customers from 707 SE 82nd Avenue in 2010 and 2011, then moved back to 1205 SE 82nd Avenue in 2013, before setting up in its last location around 2021.
Empty sales lot at 707 SE 82nd Ave last used as an expansion lot by Atlas Motors
Atlas Motors expanded from its 605 SE 82nd Avenue location to the adjacent vehicle sales lot at 707 SE 82nd Avenue around 2012. Royal Motors and 82nd Auto Mall previously worked from the space. This fall, Atlas Motors consolidated its inventory to its original lot and vacated the expansion space. Sales Manager at Atlas Motors, Madjid Okhovat, explained that it is not a lack of vehicles impacting these changes. From his perspective, it is interference by local and state governments.
Empty sales lot at 707 SE 82nd Ave last used as an expansion lot by Atlas Motors
Nationally, automotive sales are declining in some segments. On December 16th, the U.S. Census Bureau released data on national retail and food sales for October, showing a 1.6% drop in motor vehicle and auto parts sales. However, that data focuses on the new- and late-model used-vehicle market. Cars on 82nd Avenue primarily fall into the below $15,000 segment, which is less volatile. Okhovat said that customers he sees shopping for a car on 82nd Avenue are budget-conscious. “Most people shopping on 82nd Avenue are working-class people with blue-collar jobs who need dependable cars to get to work, spending $7,000 to $10,000… Now people are also having trouble making that fit into their budget.” He noted that the average age of vehicles on the road is creeping to 13 years old, as people avoid the cost of an upgrade. At the same time, new vehicle prices approach $50,000, and late-model used cars still sell for substantially more than the average 82nd Avenue price, driving commuters to 82nd Avenue for affordable options.
Okhovat noted that not all car sales lots along the former State Highway are reputable, and some bad behavior toward customers has given 82nd Avenue a lower reputation. He says Atlas Motors will repeatedly encounter customers who bought a vehicle with significant issues from another lot and found the seller is no longer in business or unwilling to help. A recent Reddit conversation echoed that perception, with several commenters stating that Atlas had treated them well in comparison.
Recently installed center-lane raised medians in front of Atlas Motors at SE Washington St looking south
When asked about the conspicuously vacant lots surrounding his workplace, Madjid Okhovat said he felt it was due to pressures from local officials. He explained that new center-lane raised medians were recently installed by the City in front of Atlas Motors, and that the former Hood to Coast lots block left turns into their property. He also noted that proposed plans for 82nd Avenue Transit and Safety Improvements will extend those medians south to similarly block 707 SE 82nd Avenue and the former 82nd Auto Mall lots. He feels that those changes, along with the possibility that Portland could convert the outer travel lanes on 82nd Avenue into Business Access and Transit (BAT) lanes, weaken the future prosperity of a used-car business in the area. Selling used vehicles in the lower price range has many risks, and Okhovat said that current and pending fees impacting the automotive industry are making it tough for buyers with limited funds. Consequently, he thinks, used vehicle sellers are anticipating a challenging marketplace and can no longer operate at the same level they have been.
These current car lot vacancies may be a coincidence of timing in the business cycle of used car sales on 82nd Avenue. However, operators willing to discuss their experiences along 82nd Avenue are not optimistic about the future prosperity of automotive-oriented businesses on the avenue. Atlas Motors has a long history in the area that they intend to build on, and it is possible that vacant lots will fill with another similar business, but at the moment, the empty spaces have attracted the attention of the community as a visible signal of change.
Article and photos by
Jacob Loeb
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