Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Nearly six months after applying for demolition permits, crews working for the Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church have begun removing the three derelict houses on SE 92nd Avenue. Heavy equipment and workers removed two homes and one detached garage from the 1.4-acre property. Only a single home and its fire-damaged detached garage at 2340 SE 92nd Avenue remain standing, awaiting permit approval.

The Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church of Portland purchased the three neighboring properties to the south between 2007 and 2013, boarding them up four years ago. In February, the church administrators applied for demolition permits and received approval for the structures associated with 2320 SE 92nd Avenue and 2328 SE 92nd Avenue. The remaining buildings on the corner property recently suffered fire damage but have not yet received city approval for their deconstruction. Expect to see demolition resume after the building’s owner receives final permission.

*_{Aerial view from Portland Maps showing the three large lots totaling 1.4-acres}*

Update November 1st, 2023: Demolition crews are deconstructing the single family home and its fire-damaged detached garage at 2340 SE 92nd Avenue. It is the last of three houses owned by the adjacent Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church being removed.

Jacob Loeb

Demolition crews will soon raze three dilapidated and boarded-up houses along SE 92nd Avenue near SE Division Street. The Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church of Portland purchased 2320 SE 92nd Avenue, 2328 SE 92nd Avenue, and 2340 SE 92nd Avenue between 2007 and 2013. Those properties became vacant four years ago, with one recently suffering fire damage.

Each home sits on an expansive 56 by 368-foot lot, together representing a 1.4-acre property. The area is zoned Residential Multi-Dwelling 1 (RM1). It supports low-scale multi-dwelling developments up to three stories tall and setback from the sidewalk, similar to other residential structures around it. The houses are under a 35-day demolition delay to permit public comment. City staff will approve the permit applications sometime after March 22nd, 2023.

*Aerial view from Portland Maps showing the three large lots*

The Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church owns an adjacent site of similar size to the north, where they operate the Grace Lutheran School and preschool. Church staff fenced off the back portion of the three homes and created a grassy field available to the students. When cleared of homes, the front section of the properties may also become an open field until the faith organization determines a future use. Church leaders were not available to discuss plans for these properties.

Jacob Loeb

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