Update: This week, demolition crews began deconstructing the fire-damaged home at 7645 SE Division Street. Neighbors have waited years for this uninhabitable structure’s removal. The new owners of this property have not yet announced plans for this half-acre lot. However, this recent demolition work is the first step towards redevelopment.
Article originally published on April 17th, 2023.
A 2021 fire destroyed substantial portions of the 1922-era home at 7645 SE Division Street. Even before the fire, the derelict single-family residence attracted squatters, causing issues for adjacent neighbors. Now the property’s new owners have plans to demolish the 1,926-square-foot home and detached garage while preserving the basement cavity for future development on the nearly half-acre parcel. The recent property sale and permit applications could indicate that site’s redevelopment is finally underway.
Image from Portland Maps
Since the turn of the century, the home has sold six times, with the most recent exchange occurring last February. The new owners intend to reuse some of the existing structures on the property. In addition to retaining the basement footprint, half of the home’s driveway will remain post-demolition, acting as a parking pad. The Residential Multi-Dwelling zoned property is expansive and could support a large number of homes. The 2019 remodel plans will likely no longer apply to any future project. However, retaining the basement could indicate an interest in rebuilding a similar structure on the site.
Regardless of future redevelopment planned at this location, the demolition should remove a nuisance structure. With the proposed deconstruction just months away, residents bothered by the detraining building should see relief from a problem property. 35-Day Demo Delay concludes on May 17th. After that, the City can issue the permit, and crews could remove the fire-damaged building by Summer. Expect to see future coverage of this site when the owners submit building permits for the new housing coming to this property.
During the early hours of June 30th, an arsonist set fire to the Puddletown Bagels bakery at 7732 SE 82nd Avenue. The owner reports that a person ignited cardboard in an exterior recycling dumpster beside the building. The ensuing blaze entered the attic through the roof’s overhang. Portland Fire & Rescue investigators confirmed the fire was arson, and police arrested a person for the crime. Now the bagel company must rebuild, and the owners are seeking community support through a GoFundMe campaign (gf.me/u/4j87m6).
Images in article provided by Puddletown
This Puddletown location supplies fresh bagels to the company’s network of three food carts. One of those locations resides in the Yard at Montavilla food cart pod at 8220 NE Davis Street. Water damage from the fire caused significant harm to the office, customer restroom, and a recently completed café space. No injuries were reported due to this fire, and the business owner remains optimistic that they will recover and bring staff back to work. People interested in supporting Puddletown can donate to their GoFundMe campaign (gf.me/u/4j87m6) or visit one of the three cart locations to boost business.
Saturday morning, July 15th, Portland Fire & Rescue closed a section on SE 82nd Avenue to battle a fire at a used car lot. A sales office building for Millennium Motors at 720 SE 82nd Avenue caught fire before 8 a.m. Multiple engines arrived on site to contain the fire, closing SE 82nd Avenue from SE Washington to Yamhill streets. Crews had reopened travel lanes by 9:30 a.m., leaving a smaller team onsite to monitor for flare-ups. Fire spread appears minimal, and the quick response by emergency services likely saved many vehicles and adjacent property.
In March 2022, the Portland City Council permanently banned the sale and use of all consumer fireworks. This restriction includes Independence Day celebrations. Portland Fire & Rescue (PP&R) Fire reminds residents that fireworks cause injuries, fires, and fatalities. Consequentially, their use is prohibited on July 4th and throughout the year. However, emergency service workers ask that people do not call 911 to report firework use. It is imperative that people reserver the 911 system for reporting active fires, immediate police assistance, and serious medical problems.
The Portland Fire & Rescue Fire Investigations Unit will investigate all fires connected to firework use and hold people accountable. Fireworks use that causes injury or extensive damage can result in heavy fines, jail time, or both. If you see an illegal fireworks display and want to report it, do not call 911. Instead, contact the non-emergency line after the July 4th holiday at 503-823-3333.
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.
By
Jacob Loeb
Promotion: Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to please consider becoming a paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.
In February 2022, a fire consumed the second story of the 100-year-old home at 1502 SE 84th Avenue. Now the owners are rebuilding from the ground up, trying to complete a project they started a year ago. Eventually, the site will support a two-story house and a pair of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU).
Julie Lais and Levi Lais bought the 1919-era home in early January 2022, intending to refresh the old craftsman house. The building sat atop an unfinished basement, and the property included a detached garage. This additional space offered the couple space for two ADUs that would provide income for the family. Their children attend school within blocks of the house, and this location would have met their desire for a classic Portland home in a walkable community. As a licensed Oregon real estate broker, Julie Lais recognized the quality of this home with its fir floors, hand-crafted built-ins, and leaded glass windows. “It’s a really sweet house that you could tell had been loved for a few decades, even though it was a rental prior to us purchasing it,” said Lais.
House prior to fire from Google Maps
However, a month into cleanup work at the house, an electrical fault changed the couple’s plan. “In February, while we were still doing some cosmetic updates, there was a bathroom fan that we believe was the source of the fire,” explained Lais. Flames spread throughout the top floor and began burning through to the main level when Portland firefighters arrived on the scene. The fire crews extinguished the flames, but smoke and water damage destroyed everything else, leaving nothing to salvage. Fortunately, the asbestos siding kept the fire contained to the inside of the structure. No one was living in the home yet, but they had insurance. However, the Lais family would soon discover the shortfall of insurance coverage.
A slow insurance payout delayed rebuilding for the better half of a year without compensation for lost funds. This location was not the Lais family’s primary residence at the time of the fire, so a loss of use coverage would not apply to this incident. Insurance would have covered lost rent if it had been a rental for at least six months, but the house was vacant and new to the couple. It was unfortunate timing, leaving them responsible for all the bills without support. “We’ve just been paying the mortgage on the hole in the ground,” said Lais. Now that they have received the insurance money, they realize it’s insufficient to recreate the lost house. “You can’t rebuild with what the insurance company will give you,” explained Julie Lais. Crews will construct the replacement house with contemporary building materials and modern finishes to stay within budget, losing the classic craftmanship of the older home.
Elevations for new house at 1502 SE 84th Avenue courtesy Julie Lais
The new house will recreate the prevues layout of the first floor with a similar large front porch. They chose to update the second floor’s arrangement and build taller walls supporting a higher ceiling. Modern building standards required a new foundation for the basement. That space will remain unfinished. Eventually, it will host a one-bedroom apartment after the Lais family financially recovers from this current project. The detached garage will also support a one-bedroom, one-bathroom ADU. The detached garage is the last part of the original property and will remain on-site with a new purpose.
276 E 84th Street – Sanborn Map 1924
Although the demolition of the old home created a sense of loss for the Lais family, the support of the local community was helpful during a difficult time. “We have met many neighbors in the process, and they have all been very kind and encouraging,” said Julie Lais. Construction plans for the site have changed due to the fire, but they are trying to get back on track. They anticipate keeping the property but may rent it out instead of moving in. It is undecided. “Everybody has a plan until their house burns down,” remarked Levi Lais.
By
Jacob Loeb
Promotion: Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to please consider becoming a paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.
Three individuals suspected of committing arson in Mt. Tabor park last summer face charges related to fires started in Montavilla. Sophie Peel’s Willamette Week article outlines a series of offenses revealed by the Multnomah County grand jury indictment of the accused. In some cases, these incidents caused significant damage and loss of property.
Together, the three 18-year-olds face 14 charges, including three counts of arson in the first degree, six counts of arson in the second degree, four counts of reckless burning, and one count of unlawful possession of a destructive device. However, the sole Montavilla resident in the group of defendants received the brunt of the blame. He stands accused of all 14 charges, while his purported accomplices face only two counts.
Shed fire at Harrison Park August 10th, 2022
An infographic in the Willamette Week article lists ten incidents, with seven in Montavilla. It includes a Creative Science School mattress and vegetation fire, a box truck fire at SE Hawthorne and SE 85th Avenue, a dumpster fire near 8827 SE Division Street, and a fire next to 8316 SE Taylor Street. Also among the more severe damage listed is a shed fire inside Harrison Park and an abandoned structure fire at 2336 SE 92nd Avenue. The article did not include the portable toilet fire at Harrison Park, as it appears not to be part of the indictment. However, some area residents believe the fire is related, having occurred around the same time as the shed fire.
Accessory structure fire at 2336 SE 92nd Avenue
According to a September 12th, 2022, statement by Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt’s office, the accused individuals “each admitted to involvement in starting the fires” at Mt. Tabor Park during a Portland Police interview. These recent charges include only one criminal event from the initial questioning, with the majority of arson charges occurring in Montavilla. After the investigative focus on the three suspects, the number of malicious fires in the neighborhood dropped substantially, and residential angst about this issue subsided. This indictment should provide closure to several concerning incidents from last year.
Portable toilet fire at Harrison Park Summer, 2022
By
Jacob Loeb
Promotion: Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to please consider becoming a paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.
Just before noon today, Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) responded to a fire in the Hartzog & Bristol Apartments at 9205 E Burnside Street. The fire started inside a second-story unit with limited spread to other residences. The two-alarm fire is now under control.
Observers noticed smoke coming from the roof of an apartment in the complex and notified 911 around 11:46 AM on November 16th. By 12:04 PM, fire crews closed NE 92nd Place from E Burnside to NE Everett. No injuries from the fire were reported. Crews are cleaning up now, and some residents have already returned to their apartments in the affected building. The quick response of PF&R limited the fire’s spread and minimized property loss.
UPDATE – 3:35 All roads are clear of large debris and open to traffic again.
E Burnside Street is closed at 78th Ave after a two-vehicle crash. At 2:45 PM, a car and pickup collided in the intersection, flipping the truck and its two passengers completely over. The truck landed upright on SE 78th Ave, where it caught fire. Portland Fire & Rescue responded by 2:53 PM, extinguishing the fire and providing medical aid to the injured.
All people involved in the crash were able to walk away from the accident. Expect traffic delays on E Burnside Street and 78th Ave while crews clear the crash debris and tow the disabled vehicles.
Today, crews began tearing down the fire-damaged building located at 408 SE 79th Ave. Once the home of Portland Garment Factory, the building suffered complete devastation at the hands of an arsonist. Much of the wood structure burned away in the fire, leaving the unreinforced masonry walls ready to collapse. Demolition experts are addressing the tallest sections of the building first, working their way down and forward.
The fire broke out in the early morning of April 19th and burned for hours. Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) responded to reports of a fire around 3:30 AM. The two-story commercial building is surrounded on both sides by parking lots, preventing the fire from spreading. On April 20th PF&R filed a Dangerous Building report stating that the “exterior walls [are] at risk of collapse.” Soon residents observed the back wall’s separation from the southern side of the building.
The full extent of the demolition process is unknown and may only address hazardous sections of the structure. Built 90 years ago for the Montavilla ice factory, the building underwent many alterations over the decades. Compared to the back two-story portion, the single-story part of the building is constructed out of concrete and suffered only minor structural damage during the fire. However, the cost of salvaging half the building could be unjustified and challenging to reuse.
Look for continued demolition of the building over the next few weeks. The final repurposing of the property is likely years away and may be dependent on a future tenant’s ambitions.
back wall’s separation
UPDATE – Added demolition progress pictures. May 20th, 2021.
UPDATE – Added demolition progress pictures. May 21st, 2021.Back wall is halfway demolished.
UPDATE – May 24th, 2021. Heavy equipment is onsite and working its way into the buildings core. Demolition will progress more quickly in the coming days.
UPDATE – Added demolition progress pictures. May 26th, 2021
UPDATE – Added demolition progress pictures. May 27th, 2021
UPDATE – Added demolition progress pictures. May 28th, 2021
Neighborhood news site focused on buildings and changing businesses
