Tag: 82nd Ave

Community, Construction, Demolition

Demolition Clears Way for Sober Shelter Site at 1818 SE 82nd

On August 18th, demolition crews began razing the single-story sales office and shop at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue to make room for the second Multnomah County-owned shelter site in Montavilla. After workers remove the 1964-era single-story building, last used as an RV sales location, the Multnomah County Homeless Services Department will begin preparing the site to support a new sober shelter that Do Good Multnomah will operate. That development will take place during the 2025-2026 winter season, creating utility connections for 38 single-occupancy shelters with supporting portable sanitation and cooking facilities.

Construction site featuring a demolition crew working on a single-story building with large windows, surrounded by a fence and equipment.

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 and is currently operating at full capacity. The Joint Office of Homeless Services — now renamed the Homeless Services Department — has held several community meetings, with the most recent meeting in April announcing 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.

A demolition excavator is actively tearing down a single-story building, while a worker in a red jumpsuit oversees the process. Debris is scattered around the site under a blue sky with some clouds.

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 located near two schools. The project designers will set back the new seven-foot-high chain-link fence on SE Mill Street to allow for more sidewalk-adjacent plantings, providing a buffer space and allowing for greater resident privacy beyond the plastic fence inserts that will obscure sightlines from the street.

A demolition excavator is actively demolishing a single-story building, with debris scattered on the ground. A worker in a safety suit observes from the side, and the sky is partly cloudy.

Demolition work continues at the property for the rest of the week. Early plans intended to salvage portions of the wood roof structure above the glass curtain walls for reuse in covered outdoor amenities on the site. That level of salvage and reuse may prove challenging, but the methodical approach to tearing down this building could indicate the intention to preserve reusable materials.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

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

Construction, Infrastructure

Paved SE Clinton Street Open to All Users

Recently, crews and cement masons completed construction on new sidewalks and street paving along SE Clinton Street, converting the existing gravel road to a modern street surface from SE 84th Place to 87th Avenue. This project adds wide sidewalks on SE Clinton Street from SE 84th to 87th Avenues, completing a pedestrian connection from the commercial resources on SE 82nd Avenue to the residential streets east. The updated street design features a planting strip with space for small street trees or other greenery.

View of a newly paved street intersection with sidewalks on SE Clinton Street, featuring residential houses and greenery in the background.
SE Clinton St looking east from SE 85th Ave

In late March, crews working with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) began preparing sections of the Jade District for the Jade and Montavilla Multimodal Improvements Project, which will improve access along SE 85th Avenue and SE Clinton Street for all road users in the area and give people traveling outside a car the calmer parallel path to 82nd Avenue that residents have requested for years. This work includes improving connector routes like SE Clinton Street from the safer parallel infrastructure to the commercial district. In November 2019, the City of Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability released the Building Healthy Connected Communities Along Division Transit report, which the City Council adopted in December 2019. Most sidewalks in the project area will receive updated Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant curb ramps, allowing all pedestrians to navigate the area, mostly separated from car traffic.

A newly paved street with wide sidewalks and landscaping on SE Clinton Street, featuring a smooth road surface and wooden fencing along the properties.
SE Clinton St looking west from SE 87th Ave

This project will also add new sidewalks to the Jade District west of 82nd Avenue on SE Tibbetts Street. That work will provide sidewalk infill where some blocks lack consistent pedestrian pavement down to SE 78th Avenue. Road crews will also repave SE Tibbetts Street from SE 78th to 80th Avenues. Almost a decade ago, the City identified the importance of better pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure in Montavilla and the Jade District.

View of newly paved SE Clinton Street, featuring fresh asphalt, marked crosswalks, and a clear blue sky.
SE Clinton St looking east from west of SE 84th Pl

This multimodal improvement project demonstrates the impact of community participation in city infrastructure planning efforts and highlights the time it takes to develop actionable plans with adequate funding. Together, the collection of enhancements costs $9,094,000 but should not impact the City’s general fund. Money for these improvements comes from $3,200,000 in Federal funds, with an additional $4,900,000 from the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocations. PBOT will source the remaining $994,000 from System Development Charges paid by developers. This work should significantly improve access within two critical commercial centers and add to general safety for those traveling outside of a car. Look for construction in Jade and Montavilla Multimodal Improvements Project zones to continue through 2025.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

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

Crime, Infrastructure

Traffic Citation Cameras Taken Down for Replacement

After a year, the newer intersection safety camera systems the City of Portland installed along 82nd Avenue are missing from their poles as the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) works with a new vendor to augment the traffic enforcement network. In summer 2024, crews installed new cameras along 82nd Avenue and other places in the City to dissuade speeding and running red lights in areas prone to crashes. The now-removed camera installed at 82nd Avenue at E Burnside Street monitored an intersection where a speeding vehicle killed an area resident in October 2023. PBOT officials removed many existing cameras from City Streets, making room for new devices from NovoaGlobal that crews will install by November 1st. Around that time, project planners expect to add three additional locations to the safety camera network, increasing PBOT’s tools that support its goal to eliminate vehicular-related deaths and serious injuries on city streets.

A close-up view of a tall traffic camera pole against a cloudy sky, showcasing the pole's metal structure and mounting brackets where cameras are typically attached.
Intersection safety camera pole on 82nd Ave at E Burnside St stripped of its equipment

The City of Portland’s change of vendors will unify the traffic law enforcement camera system to a single company for 15 speed safety cameras and 17 intersection safety cameras. Revenue from camera citations and registration fees for traffic safety diversion classes supports the cost of the cameras. The City is required to spend any future earnings from the automated citation system on traffic safety programs or improvements, and fines will not contribute to the City’s general budget.

Close-up of a pole with a circular mount where a safety camera was previously installed, showing signs of wear.
Weather plug on intersection safety camera pole where wires connected to hardware

The City has 32 cameras, and the Portland Police Bureau operates two Traffic Division mobile speed enforcement vans that the City will also upgrade with NovoaGlobal equipment. For some City leaders, that is too few to reduce risky driving behavior adequately, and they advocate for expanding the program. Portland City Councilor Steve Novick said in a KOIN News interview that he is interested in emulating other jurisdictions with fewer traffic fatalities per capita, where they have substantially more cameras in use. However, some residents oppose the automated cameras used in issuing citations. Objections voiced include concerns about excessive government surveillance, fining drivers instead of building infrastructure that encourages safety, and the inequitable distribution of cameras across the City that could penalize poorer communities.

Traffic camera pole graffiti reading “For The love (heart symbol) of money (dollar sign)”

In more extreme cases of community protest against citation cameras, people sometimes tag or vandalize equipment. Portland’s network of cameras suffered damage in 2024 at the hands of a shooter who targeted these devices. Police apprehended a suspect in the case who they accused of causing over $500,000 in damage to more than a dozen traffic cameras across the City. The message from these destructive and sometimes dangerous activities often focuses on the fines’ impact on people. PBOT and some street safety advocates in favor of this type of deterrent stress the importance of changing harmful road behavior through a variety of methods, including fines. There is a recognized danger of systems becoming dependent on fines and favoring revenue growth over correcting harmful behavior. However, rules on camera placement and revenue use could limit the potential for misuse.

Drivers in Portland can expect to see up to 35 cameras operational by the end of 2025, with a new unit on SE Powell Boulevard at 34th Avenue monitoring westbound drivers, NE 82nd Avenue at Fremont Street facing southbound motorists, and NE 82nd Avenue at Klickitat Street watching northbound vehicles. All new cameras have a 30-day warning period before people caught by the devices receive citations. By January 2026, PBOT will install two cameras on SW Barbur Boulevard in the 5900 to 6100 blocks.

PBOT notes that incidents involving speeds higher than posted are a top contributing factor to deadly crashes across the Portland region. Additionally, ignoring traffic signals causes a significant number of crashes. Camera citations are not the only solution needed for safer streets. However, a majority of surveyed Portland residents support the expanded use of traffic cameras. People should anticipate the new cameras returning in the next few months as crews rebuild the network under a unified system.

Article and phots by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Consider visiting Montavilla New’s supporter 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.

Infrastructure

SE 82nd at Division Paving Two weeks in August

Drivers using SE 82nd Avenue and SE Division Street should anticipate two weeks of traffic disruption starting on Monday, August 4th. Crews from Raimore Construction working with The Portland Bureau of Transportation’s (PBOT) will close lanes for repaving from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday during the project, with two Friday night work times from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Saturday. That overnight construction occurs on August 8th to 9th and August 15th to 16th, when the project planners estimate the repaving work will conclude. During the traffic disruption, barriers will consolidate 82nd Avenue to one lane in each direction, and flaggers will prohibit left turns onto Division Street during working hours.

Traffic signal at the intersection of SE 82nd Avenue and Division Street, showing vehicles waiting at a red light and a pedestrian crossing.

This roadwork supports ongoing safety and maintenance upgrades on 82nd Avenue required to address deferred maintenance issues identified after the jurisdictional transfer of the former state Highway from the Oregon Department of Transportation to PBOT on June 1st, 2022. Unlike many repaving projects that only grind off the top layer of asphalt and replace it with a fresh mixture of aggregate and bitumen, this project requires more significant work in the outer lanes. In its early stages, 82nd Avenue initially supported only three lanes of traffic, with one lane for vehicles traveling in each direction and a center turn lane. Transportation officials reserved the outer edges of the street for parking, and engineers did not build parking pavement to the same standard as the street’s center. When transportation officials removed parking to add another travel lane in each direction, they did not update the road’s supporting base, leading to premature wear. Crews working on this project will need to remove the outer lanes to their base layer and reengineer it to support the weight of vehicles in motion above it before repaving the whole surface. The results will provide a smoother road surface that should last longer before requiring future repairs.

Diagram illustrating the paving process for the 82nd Avenue major maintenance project, depicting steps for excavation, grinding, and paving along with construction of median center islands and tree planting.
Paving graphic courtesy PBOT

PBOT expects the early August work to create significant traffic impacts, with the greatest delays occurring during the morning and evening commutes. All street users should anticipate delays, including pedestrians and transit users. Crews will turn off the traffic signal at SE 82nd Avenue and Division, and flaggers will direct traffic through the intersection. North and southbound drivers on 82nd Avenue will only have the option to travel straight or turn right at SE Division Street. Excavation work on the outer lanes will temporarily block some business driveway access. Raimore Construction representatives will work with affected properties to limit workplace disruptions, and drivers must follow worker directions in the worksite to remain safe and not cause damage by driving into an unsafe space.

View of SE 82nd Avenue showing traffic cones and construction barriers alongside the road, indicating ongoing repaving work.

Repaving will begin on the west side of SE 82nd Avenue and transition to the east side of the street midway through the project. PBOT anticipates that at least one travel lane in each direction will remain open. Businesses on 82nd Avenue will remain open during construction. However, locations closest to the roadwork should expect dust, noise, and vibrations from the heavy equipment working in the area. Street sweeping equipment will traverse the site to remove construction debris. TriMet’s website does not currently list any stop closures for the 72 bus line, but transit riders should check for service impacts before heading out between August 4th and 16th.

Update August 5,2025: TriMet stopes in the area re closed with the following message about temporary stop locations. “Through Friday, August 8, no service to the southbound stops at 2200 Block 82nd (Stop ID 7923), SE 82nd & Clinton (Stop ID 7948) and SE 82nd & Division (Stop ID 7958) due to construction. Use the temporary stops approx. 400 ft north of 2200 Block on utility pole, and approx.500 ft south of Clinton on utility pole.”

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.

Construction, New Business, New Residence

1818 SE 82nd Sober Shelter Construction Starts August

Starting August 4th, demolition crews working with Multnomah County’s Homeless Services Department will begin preparing the site at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue to support a new sober shelter that Do Good Multnomah will operate after construction completes in the 2025-2026 winter season. With the reconstruction of SE Mill Street adjacent to the property complete, and road crews wrapping up repaving on SE 82nd Avenue in this area, contractors will have unobstructed access to the site to install 38 single-occupancy, shed-style shelters with supporting sanitation and cooking facilities.

Street view of the site at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue, featuring a fenced area with construction barrels and traffic signals indicating SE 82nd Avenue.

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 and is currently operating at full capacity. The Joint Office of Homeless Services — now renamed the Homeless Services Department — has held several community meetings, with the most recent meeting in April announcing 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 located near two schools. The project designers will set back the new seven-foot-high chain-link fence on SE Mill Street to allow for more sidewalk-adjacent plantings, providing a buffer space and allowing for greater resident privacy beyond the plastic fence inserts that will obscure sightlines from the street.

A proposed site design for a new sober shelter, showing the layout of sleeping units, community space, staff areas, and essential facilities like showers and laundry. The design includes labeled areas for vehicle entry, landscaping, and fencing.
Feb 2025 Design – courtesy JOHS

Workers will remove sections of the asphalt pavement in the parking lot to create green spaces and a pet relief area for residents. Portable units that will house showers, bathrooms, a kitchenette space, and a laundry facility for residents are placed along the SE 82nd Avenue frontage to create a sound barrier from the busy street. On-site parking is available for staff and service providers only. This site will not provide space for residents to park personal vehicles. Some neighbors questioned the original placement of the trash enclosure on the property, and updated designs relocated it away from the fence line, but still made it accessible for trash haulers.

As work on the site progresses this summer, Homeless Services Department staff will collaborate with community partners on a Good Neighbor Agreement, a process anticipated to take two months. Demolition work will take place through August with a planned completion date around the 22nd of that month. Electricians, plumbers, and other tradespeople will follow to install the below-ground routed services that will support the installation of the portable sleeping pods and the six support buildings.

Article and phots by

Jacob Loeb

Disclosure: The Author of this article servers on the board the 82nd Avenue Business Association which will work with Multnomah County on a Good Neighbor Agreement for the site.

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.

Infrastructure

NE Halsey Safety and Access Project Begins

At the end of July, crews working with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) began the NE Halsey Street (68th to 92nd avenues) – Safety and Access to Transit Project, which will improve biking and walkability on NE Halsey Street. This long-anticipated project builds upon substantial street safety improvements undertaken in 2024, when roadwork reconfigured NE Halsey Street between 68th and 81st Avenues, removing a lane in each direction while adding painted buffered bike lanes and a center turn lane. Now, contractors will begin installing hard infrastructure elements designed to assist cyclists and pedestrian road users.

This project will rebuild the NE Halsey intersections at 68th and 69th Avenues, with improved bike and pedestrian crossings positioned in areas that are more visible to motorists, making it easier for people to cross. Designs presented in a 2020 survey illustrated planned changes that would rework an Interstate 84 offramp connection at this intersection to remove part of a slip lane at NE 69th Avenue and redirect exiting freeway traffic to turn onto NE Halsey Street from a perpendicular approach. With this new configuration, the eastbound bike lane can begin earlier than its current start point on NE 70th Avenue, allowing cyclists to have dedicated bike infrastructure starting just west of NE 68th Avenue.

Diagram illustrating the redesigned intersection at NE Halsey Street and NE 80th Avenue, showcasing bike lanes, crosswalks, and a roundabout for improved safety and accessibility.
2020 rendering of mini roundabout at NE Halsey and 80th Ave. Image courtesy PBOT

Crews will also install a small roundabout at NE 80th Avenue and Halsey Street to address a notoriously confusing intersection right before the east-most NE Halsey Street Bridge over I-84. Based on the 2020 draft designs, people will have access to separate high-visibility crossings for pedestrians and bikes. Rebuilt and extended corners will also shorten the crossing distance.

Map of the NE Halsey Street Safety Project showing proposed improvements like buffered bikeways, sidewalk additions, and a mini roundabout.
Project map courtesy PBOT

Starting at NE 81st Avenue, cyclists will have access to a bi-directional, buffered bike path on the south side of NE Halsey Street, extending up to NE 92nd Avenue. That bikeway will merge with another new dedicated two-way bike path on NE Jonesmore Street that connects with NE 82nd Avenue near the MAX station. PBOT plans to remove some parking spaces on the south side of NE Halsey Street to accommodate the bike route east of NE 86th Avenue. This project also aims to create new sidewalks on the north side of NE Halsey Street, between 85th and 92nd avenues, and a small section of NE 81st Avenue, on the north side as it curves to meet NE Halsey Street. That sidewalk will create a useful connector to a pedestrian path that leads to the 82nd Avenue MAX light rail and bus transit station. That pathway was temporarily closed by the city due to community safety concerns, but could reopen at a future date.

  • I-84 overpass will have two-way bike path on south side
  • Mini roundabout at NE 80th Ave, 81st Ave, and Halsey St
  • Eastbound NE Halsey St bike lane currently starting at 70th Ave
  • I-84 off-ramp slip lane onto NE Halsey St at 68th Ave
  • Closed pedestrian pathway from NE 82nd to 81st
  • Closed pedestrian pathway from NE 81st to 82nd

Contractor Interlaken Inc. will begin demolition and excavation in preparation for the installation of new sidewalks, curbs, and driveways starting in August. Work in the area will disrupt two westbound TriMet Line 77 bus stops. Stops on NE Halsey at 90th (Stop ID 2459) and 86th (Stop ID 2457) will temporarily close. TriMet asks riders to use a temporary stop 50 feet west of 86th, marked with signage attached to a “No Parking” pole. Drivers may experience temporary lane reductions. However, PBOT anticipates minimal impact on vehicle traffic. People interested in following this project can subscribe to updates on the PBOT project website. Federal funds, Transportation System Development funds, General Transportation Revenue, ODOT Bridge Program funds, and Bureau of Environmental Services funds will cover the $8,646,720 project costs.

Update August 4, 2025: Removed a 2020 PBOT rendering of NE Halsey Street and 68th Avenue that no longer reflects the current design. This article will update again when a new rendering is available.

Article and Photos by

Jacob Loeb

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.

Infrastructure

SE 82nd Ave Repaving for a Smoother More Stable Street

Raimore Construction, working with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), will continue road reconstruction and repaving along SE 82nd Avenue between SE Mill and Harrison Streets over the next few weeks. Crews have already repaved half of the project area, creating a smooth asphalt surface for the two southbound lanes from SE Mill Street to just past SE Harrison Street. Construction markers direct motorists to share the completed section of roadway, allowing a single lane in each direction until workers complete the equivalent northbound lanes.

Construction scene on SE 82nd Avenue with road work barriers and uneven asphalt surface near Mocha Express.
Outer lane of SE 82nd Ave with hydraulic breaker hammer driven holes ahead of demolition

Unlike many repaving projects that grind off the top layer of asphalt and replace it with a fresh mixture of aggregate and bitumen, this project requires more significant work in the outer lanes of the former State Highway. In its early stages, 82nd Avenue initially supported only three lanes of traffic, with one lane for vehicles traveling in each direction and a center turn lane. Transportation officials reserved the outer edges of the street for parking, and engineers did not build parking pavement to the same standard as the street’s center. When transportation officials removed parking to add another travel lane in each direction, they did not update the road’s supporting base, leading to premature wear. Crews working on this project will need to remove the outer lanes to their base layer and reengineer it to support the weight of vehicles in motion above it before repaving the whole surface. The results will provide a smoother road surface that should last longer before requiring future repairs.

Construction site featuring a yellow Komatsu excavator working near road repair barriers.
Raimore Construction crews removing the northbound SE 82nd Ave outer lanes for reconstruction

This roadwork connects to a recently completed update on 200 feet of SE Mill Street east of SE 82nd Avenue. That project constructed new sidewalks on SE Mill Street in this area, which previously lacked curbs and a dedicated pedestrian walkway. PBOT added wide sidewalks on both sides of the street, featuring tree wells for future street tree planting, which creates a safer segment for the bike greenway and a safe route to school path that runs along this street. Crews also reconstructed the road surface from the base up to replace the pothole-laden street with a new, smooth surface. However, SE Mill Street east of this site, up to 89th Avenue, still lacks curbs and sidewalks but features mature trees lining the somewhat degraded asphalt road surface.

Freshly repaved street along SE 82nd Avenue, featuring new sidewalks on the left side, parking spaces, and surrounding greenery.
SE Mill Street looking east form SE 82nd Avenue showing new sidewalks roadway

Similar to the work on SE Mill Street, PBOT contractors have added new sidewalk segments along the east side of SE 82nd Avenue from SE Division Street to a mid-block pedestrian crossing. Other sidewalk repairs in the area have improved conditions for people walking or rolling along the street’s edge. This collection of updates on the well-traveled north-south connector is part of the 82nd Avenue Major Maintenance Project —Part of the Building a Better 82nd initiative created to address deferred maintenance issues identified after the jurisdictional transfer of 82nd Avenue from the Oregon Department of Transportation to PBOT on June 1st, 2022.

Drivers should expect delays in this area and follow the crew’s instructions, as people entering and exiting adjacent businesses will require assistance to navigate the construction zone. This roadwork is just one of many PBOT projects underway, all aimed at creating a safer and more stable street. Current projects will extend throughout the year and into 2026. Funding for some of the ongoing work comes from the American Rescue Plan Act, which has a deadline of December 31st, 2026, to complete the funded work.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Disclosure: The author of this article served on the Building a Better 82nd Community Advisory Group

Food and Drink, Renovation, Restaurant

82nd Ave Wendy’s Dining Room Closed for Renovation

The operators of a Wendy’s restaurant at 232 NE 82nd Avenue have recently closed the location’s dining room for renovations, while maintaining drive-through access for customers. Upgrades underway include modifications of interior walls along with the installation of new equipment and fixtures. Exterior work involves rearranging this location’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) parking spaces, adding bike parking, and installing new exterior lighting mounted on poles.

Signs of construction are apparent as crews have removed one front window from the building and covered it with plywood. Guests on foot are greeted with a typewritten note on the restaurant’s door from Wendy’s management, stating that the dining room is closed for renovations. The sign provides no reopening date, but the work detailed in building permits is substantial, and it will likely take months to complete. Wendy’s placed a portable restroom trailer in the parking lot for staff to use during the interior renovations that will impact the location’s bathroom access.

A close-up view of a Wendy's restaurant door showcasing signs about renovations and job opportunities. The main sign informs customers that the dining room is closed for renovations, while other signs advertise breakfast hours and a promotion for soft drinks.
Typewritten note on the restaurant’s door from Wendy’s management that the dinning[sic] room is closed for renovations

This 1981-era dine-in and drive-through building features the brand’s classic stylings and has outgrown its current configuration. Previous remodels included the creation of an exterior detached cooler that crews demolished as part of this round of enhancements. Building permits list the planned addition of an attached cold food storage room to accommodate future kitchen capacity and replace the old detached unit. Electricians will replace lights in the dining area and soffit, in addition to installing a new menu board. Plumbers intend to relocate two toilets and one hand sink as part of the interior reconfiguration.

The Wendy’s fast food chain did not respond to requests for details regarding this remodel. However, the company has recently embraced its Global Next Gen design strategy for new and refreshed stores. This concept prioritizes higher order volume with streamlined buildings supporting increased digital orders and delivery customers. The square-patty burger maker says their modern restaurants can significantly upscale production compared to previous designs, increasing kitchen output capacity by nearly 50%. However, it is not certain that this location will embrace the new store design and may retain its classic appearance, with most renovation efforts focused on the interior and some parking lot reconfiguration.

A city map highlighting NE Everett improvements, including ADA curb ramps, wider sidewalks, and pedestrian safety measures.
Image from 82nd Avenue Glisan and Davis May 2024 Draft Design. Courtesy PBOT

Work at this location will complement the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s plans to widen the sidewalk in front of this restaurant to 12 feet, adding room for possible street trees or a planting strip in the furnishing zone between the curb and sidewalk. The pedestrian zone widening is part of the 82nd Avenue Glisan and Davis Signal Improvements project developed in 2024, with an expected groundbreaking in 2025.

Wendy's restaurant building with a sign, surrounded by landscaping and construction equipment, including a blue portable restroom and a storage container, indicating ongoing renovations.
Wendy’s south parking lot show with a trash dumpster and construction storage shipping containers

Visitors to the Wendy’s restaurant on NE 82nd Avenue should anticipate using the drive-through window during much of the ongoing construction and exercise caution when traversing the south parking lot, which serves as a staging area for construction storage and equipment.

Update July 19, 2025: As crews peel away the layers of parapet cladding for the Wendy’s restaurant, passersby can see the outlines of the chain’s past branding designs. In the 1980s, the old-fashioned hamburger company decorated the top band of its buildings with diagonally aligned siding with raised rectangular trim featuring scooped corners. Later updates featured the base painted bright yellow and the raised detail in red. Contemporary stores use flat and box-ribbed metal panels in dark colors to decorate the top section of the restaurants.

Exterior view of a Wendy's restaurant under renovation, showing construction signs and covered windows with plywood.

Update August 23, 2025: Crews installed the new front parapet cladding and modern sign. Visitors can now see the old mansard roof style next to the contemporary design.

Exterior view of a Wendy's restaurant under renovation, featuring construction equipment and a 'Now Hiring' banner.
Wendy's restaurant exterior at NE 82nd Avenue, showing renovation construction with signage indicating the dining room is closed, surrounded by caution tape and construction equipment.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Community, Food and Drink, History

Behind the Wok a Restaurant History Archive

On May 30th, APANO launched its online archive titled Behind the Wok: A Tribute to Iconic Chinese American Restaurants in Portland’s Jade District. This digital collection documents the shift in Chinese American dining toward East Portland. This online repository focuses on six restaurants that represent the phases of Portland’s Asian community’s eastward move from Old Town Chinatown. The work preserves stories from the families behind some of 82nd Avenue’s most iconic restaurants, attempting to create a record of these community cornerstones that are often missing from traditional archives.

Promotional materials for APANO's online archive, including a card reading 'Behind the Wok: Honoring Chinese American Restaurants in Jade District,' coasters, buttons, and a matchbook featuring iconic restaurant illustrations.
Behind the Wok promotional items including tote bag, matches, pins, and coaster

The inaugural cohort of restaurants includes Hung Far Low, Canton Grill, Chinese Village, New Cathay, Legin, and Wong’s King. However, the project aims to expand the digital archive over time, documenting the history of these foundational restaurants and their enduring cultural impact on the East Portland Chinese American community. The early evening launch party included several family representatives who came of age in and around the restaurants preserved in the archive. Their recollection and photos of these gathering places represent some of the only records of what they symbolized to the region beyond their decades of food service.

Aerial view of a neighborhood layout with labeled blocks and streets in East Portland, highlighting areas for development and existing infrastructure.
Guide map, copyright 1933 by Terry Tebault Inc. with Behind the Wok notations Courtesy APANO

Conversations following the presentation continued to reveal more history and a deeper understanding of the role these Chinese American staples represented for the community, supporting the need for such an archive. Without the historical seedwork released last month, these accounts would fade, and other untold stories would remain unknown to a community built on that history. The group working on Behind the Wok noted how difficult it was to obtain information, partially because news articles often failed to document changes that impacted this community and how people’s cultural humility kept them from lauding their accomplishments. However, in terms of storytelling and praising others, participants and attendees expanded the group’s understanding of their shared history.

A hand holding a commemorative button for the Behind the Wok Digital Archive Launch on May 30, 2025, featuring an illustration and the event name.
Behind the Wok promotional pin commemorating the launch date

That night’s brief open conversation revealed how many more details could end up in the digital archive. APANO is working to preserve the memory of the Chinese American restaurant as a community meeting place and support system for immigrants settling in Portland. The nonprofit purchased the Canton Grill property in 2022 for future housing development and named one of its other housing projects after Legin restaurant as a way to enshrine those shuttered establishments in the community’s consciousness. The project team invites people to visit the Behind the Wok digital archive regularly for in-depth information about their contributions to East Portland. APANO will host a celebration of the Canton Grill on June 27th from 4 to 9 p.m. at 8188 SE Division Street. That event will focus on the Canton Grill Memorial Project and further inform the cultural preservation efforts.

Article and photo’s by

Jacob Loeb

Disclosure: Attendees of this event, including the author, received free food and promotional items related to the project.

Community, Entertainment, Event

The 2025 82nd Ave Parade in 34 Photos

On April 26th, marchers held the 19th annual 82nd Avenue of Roses Parade from Eastport Plaza Shopping Center to SE Clinton Street. The precession featured community groups, businesses, elected officials, dancing horses, youth performers, and the diverse cultural flavors that fill 82nd Avenue and East Portland.

The shorter parade drew significant crowds along its one-mile route, closing the busy roadway for a few hours on Saturday morning. Overcast skies kept the temperatures cool, but the streets remained dry for the event, which organizers say has never been rained out in its nearly two-decade run.

With the 2025 parade completed, the 82 Roses Community Enrichment Coalition members will start working on next year’s event, which they expect will feature more participants and heightened production elements during the 20-year celebration.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb