Etruscan Ventures recently purchased the 25-foot-wide undeveloped lot next to 118 NE 74th Avenue. The development group plans to build a 1,330-square-foot two-story single-family dwelling on the property. Crews will construct the new 15-foot-wind home to the south of a 1925-era house that once used the property as a garden. That recently remodeled original building is for sale and includes a basement suitable for an ADU or extra living space.
This infill housing development should squeeze another home between the established residences without the need to demolish an existing home. Look for construction to start in the next six to eighteen months, and interested buyers can schedule a tour of the nearly 100-year-old home by contacting Smira Group by phone at 503-935-2560 or email at michael@smiragroup.com.
By
Jacob Loeb
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In September of 2022, the new owners of 319 NE 75th Avenuedemolished the 122-year-old home. Now, crews are building a pair of single-family residences. Cement masons will soon pour the concrete foundation walls into the forms already in place at the worksite. Building permits 22-142935 and 22-142840 each call for a two-story house with an attached single-car garage. The homes will occupy two 25-foot-wide parcels recently created by a lot division.
Image from Portland Maps
The architect designed the new residences at 323 NE 75th Avenue and 321 NE 75th Avenue as mirror duplicates, with their entrances closest to one another. Each building is free-standing and fifteen feet wide at the front. The homes will join several other skinny houses built on this block. Look for construction to continue through summer and real estate listing for both properties appearing towards the end of 2023.
319 NE 75th Avenue prio to September 2022 demolition319 NE 75th Avenue in October 2022 after demolition321 NE 75th Avenue under construction March 2023
By
Jacob Loeb
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Soon, four new homes will join the existing single-family residence at 8404 NE Holladay Street in a cottage cluster configuration. This multi-structure project represents one of the first cottage cluster developments in Montavilla and adds housing inventory while retaining the 1931-era home. This new form of permissible development became legal in July 2022 as part of the Residential Infill Project 2 (RIP2) after City Council adopted the zoning code changes in June.
Portland’s embrace of cottage cluster lot configurations stems from a 2019 update to Oregon State law. The Housing Choices bill describes cottage clusters as “groupings of no fewer than four detached housing units per acre with a footprint of less than 900 square feet each and that include a common courtyard.” Each residence is detached from the other units making them distinct from row-house developments or other middle housing options. This building arrangement permits irregularly shaped lots and forgoes spacious private yards for larger common open areas shared by the clustered homes. It is permissible for the structures to share one property, or they can each reside on small individual lots, as they will in this NE Holladay Street development.
8404 NE Holladay Street Image from Portland Maps
The new two-story homes proposed for this property will surround the existing house, with half the units addressed on NE 84th Avenue and the others fronted on NE Holladay Street. Demolition crews will likely remove the detached garage to the south of the home. However, the new property owners have yet to file for that permit. All work applications are currently under review, with construction likely months away. When completed, this project will become an example of the newest housing infill method in Portland and could represent a trend in density development.
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An unnumbered vacant lot east of 8505 SE Yamhill Street could soon host four new townhomes. Each proposed unit is around 1075 square feet and two stories tall. Last summer, real estate investors split the lot from the adjacent home, selling it to Ernie Jette Construction in December 2023. Permit applications do not appear to include onsite parking for this project.
Ernie Jette Construction is responsible for other projects in Montavilla, including a skinny infill home at 947 NE 74th Avenue. Photos from that home’s 2020 real estate listing could provide insight into what this developer has planned for the Yamhill townhomes. Building permit approvals in Portland are still taking several months to process. Consequentially, work on this project could be a year away from breaking ground.
Image from Portland Maps
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Crews recently completed foundation work for two detached Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) at 6 NE 74th Avenue. This pair of two-story structures will join a remodeled house built in 1926. Each ADU is 20 feet by 18 feet wide with two bedrooms, one full-sized bathroom, and one half-bath powered room. The corner lot will retain its legacy driveway access to E Burnside Street, one of the factors constraining the new buildings’ footprint.
The ADUs are positioned 12 feet east of the original single-story home but sit just four feet from each other. Because of their proximity, the new buildings will require extra fire protection on the wall facing its mirror twin. The first floor of each of the units is an open floor plan for living and cooking. Only a small bathroom, closet, and staircase take space from the main room. On the second floor, two bedrooms share a modest full bathroom. A stacked laundry closet on the second floor near the stairwell hides behind a bi-folding door.
Kova Development purchased this property in October 2021, with renovations beginning on the existing home in 2022. Crews replaced the roof, windows, and siding before completely renovating the interior. The new owners increased the habitable space in the main house by adding egress windows and insulated walls to the basement. At 750 square feet each, the ADUs provide a single-family-residence experience in an apartment-sized dwelling. When completed, this project will offer the neighborhood a marked increase in living space without demolishing an existing structure.
Although Portland needs much more housing than this development style can provide, this project can be a model for infill development. However, the next phase of city growth will likely include larger middle housing and require some demolition. Other projects underway in the area have already razed the structures from the recently purchased priorities and await building permits. As a corner lot zoned Residential 2,500 (R2.5), this could have become one of those projects featuring four townhouses. However, this owner saw worth in rehabilitating the existing building while adding more homes to the lot. Expect to see this project completed later this year.
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The new owners of a single-family residence at 423 NE 74th Avenue will soon remove the 100-year-old building. In its place, the developers will create four new townhomes in an area of NE Montavilla seeing substantial development. This 5,000 square foot lot sits next door to a recently completed apartment building and across NE 74th Avenue from the proposed affordable housing complex breaking ground next year.
Riverside Carpentry bought the 900-square-foot home in April of 2022. A month later, they applied to demolish the house and detached garage. In mid-September, the developer submitted building permit applications for a project consisting of four two-story townhomes. Each residence will reside on its own lot. Plans do not call for onsite parking for this project.
Image from Portland Maps
This infill development joins other recent high-density housing centered around NE Glisan street west of NE 82nd Avenue. Similar projects are underway at 432 NE 73rd Avenue and 319 NE 75th Avenue. Although the Mt Tabor Villas building on NE 74th Avenue predates Metro’s purchase of the former Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) location, other recent developments seem centered around the future low-income housing complex. Even before the construction began at the TBN site, the message from officials was clear. Density housing is the future for this area.
Within a few years, many more people will reside off NE Glisan Street. The added residents should boost nearby businesses, and the late-night activity could deter some malicious activities in the area. Eventually, other properties on the surrounding blocks will have economic pressure to convert to residential or mixed-use, bringing in even more people and businesses to the area. NE Glisan will take years to mature, but current building trends indicate that change is already underway.
Construction crews recently completed framing work at 725-731 SE 78th Avenue. Soon, roofers will cover the hipped-roof, and glaziers will install the numerous windows. Once the exterior of the building is sealed up, workers will focus on the interior finishings of the four new townhomes.
Article originally published April 22nd, 2022.
Work is underway preparing 705 SE 78th Avenue for the addition of four new townhomes. Each of the two-story units contains a pair of bedrooms above with a bonus room on the main level. The original 1940s home will remain on its own lot with only minor modifications to the breezeway-attached garage.
GPB Development purchased the property in 2019 and began permit work in late 2021. A lot line adjustment will split the property into a north and south half. The owners walled in the garage door that had opened onto the alley. The new townhouses will now block vehicle access from the south. Recently, excavation crews added new large diameter gravel to the alley to support the heavy equipment accessing the construction site.
Image from Google Maps
Each new home features a similar floor plan. However, the street-facing residence differs subtly. That townhouse has an inverted layout compared to the other three units, and its doorway faces east. Residents access the other homes from the north. Plans call for a spacious entryway, full bathroom, and den with double doors at the front of the main floors. The back of the units combine an open kitchen and a living room. The second floors have two bedrooms with walk-in closets. Designers compartmentalized the shared three-quarters bathroom located between the bedrooms. Residents can close off the toilet or shower from the central double vanity room, maximizing the concurrent use of that space.
Site map showing unit placement on lot with paved pathway and back patio
The City assigned address 725-731 SE 78th Avenue to the new townhouses, numbered from west to east. A small staircase from the street leads to a walkway that guides visitors to the front of each unit. Large sliding glass doors open onto a covered back patio space adjacent to the alleyway.
The architect employs several design elements that obscure the scale of this development. A shared hipped-roof and street-facing door on the first unit gives the appearance of a single-family residence. Recessed doorways hide the number of entryways, and consistent porch rooflines tie the whole building together. Looks for foundation work to begin soon, with principle construction occurring this summer.
In March, Riverside Carpentry purchased 8225 NE Holladay Street and now plans to demolish the 100-year-old single-family residence. A second demolition permit seeks to remove the detached garage and shed simultaneously. The property is adjacent to the Don Pedro Mexican Food restaurant on 82nd Avenue and outside the residential section of Portland’s Comprehensive Plan Map. Consequentially, the permits are not subject to a 35-Day Demolition Delay.
In the early 1900s, the property housed a small cottage on the land with an original address of 2049 Holladay Ave. Ivan Swift purchased that home sometime after 1911. According to the Sunday Oregonian, the Swift family celebrated the birth of their daughter at that home on September 5th, 1918. Sometime late in the 1920s, the Swifts updated the house, installing a sewer line and running water.
2049 East Holladay Ave Sanborn Maps 1924
The two-bedroom, one bathroom, 489-square-foot home’s real estate listing shows very few updates over its 100 years. However, it has received at least one addition at the back of the building, expanding the structure. The property is now zoned Commercial Mixed Use 2 and could support a variety of medium-scale redevelopment. Projects in this zone generally support four stories, except in locations where bonuses allow up to five levels and offer a mixed commercial and residential use.
Expect demolition crews onsite in the next few months. Workers will also remove the driveway’s curb cut, cap the sewer, and fill the basement cavity. Look for updates when the developer submits building permits for the replacement structure.
This week Sunstone Homes submitted permit applications to construct three townhouses near SE Division Street and Interstate 205. The proposed townhouses will each contain four bedrooms and an attached single-car garage. Demolition crews will remove the existing 1944-era single-family home at 2421 SE 93rd Avenue to make room for the new two-story units.
The 63-by-75-foot lot has enough room to comfortably support the proposed homes, each with 1500 square feet of living space. The designers will provide two full bathrooms and one half-bath for each townhouse.
SE 93rd Avenue ends in a cul-de-sac near SE Division street, but pedestrians have access to the adjacent Division TriMet FX bus line. That express transit system starts service in September. Additionally, the I205 Multi-use-path is across the street from this property, making these homes the ideal location for commuters regardless of their chosen mode of transportation.
Over the last five years, this block has seen substantial redevelopment. The pandemic delayed some of the larger projects. However, this recent proposal indicates that this area will continue to develop with denser housing options. If approved, expect work to begin at the end of the year or sometime in 2023.
A planned development at 2321 SE 89th Avenue will add eleven new townhouses behind an existing single-family residence. The Land Use Review application indicates the property could soon support twelve homes with the new two-story units tucked behind the original single-story house built-in 1927. A five-food-wide paved walkway would lead to the townhouses from the street.
Additional onsite parking does not appear to be part of the application. However, the property is located 500 feet from SE Division Street, where the new TriMet FX 2-Division bus service will offer fast and frequent transportation. SE 89th Avenue is also a bike-friendly street with speed bumps to maintain slower automotive traffic.
This project provides near maximum density to the property while retaining the nearly 100-year-old home. Although the new construction is not invisible from the street, the design works to obscure the new townhomes from sight and maintain the visual continuity for the neighbors. If the land use is approved, the developers will need to secure building permits. The permitting process can take months to complete. Consequentially, work may wait until winter or sometime in 2023.
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