In July 2025, Oregon Metro purchased a 1.46-acre property at the intersection of SE 90th Place and SE 89th Avenue for planned Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). For over a decade, community advocates have envisioned the large, sloped property as a neighborhood park and are now seeking support for that project ahead of Metro’s RFP (Request for Proposals) this summer. Residents and interested parties can complete an Online Form to endorse a call for the City to purchase the lot from Metro and to direct Portland Parks and Recreation to create public green space for the expanding community in this area.
Park Rendering from the 2018 EPA Greening The Jade project document
Metro’s TOD team plans to introduce new affordable housing at the site with help from partner developers. The early concepts included open neighborhood greenspace, but not at the scale documented in the 2014 Jade District community visioning plan or the 2018 EPA Greening the Jade project. The community outreach recorded in those documents showed a desire and expressed need for green space across all groups in the neighborhood. The Metro-owned property at 2815 SE 90th Place is in the center of a community surrounded by busy city roadways, a State highway, and a freeway. Harrison Park is the closest park to this location, at over half a mile away, and often serves as an extension of the adjoining school’s campus rather than a neighborhood park.
2815 SE 90th Placeproperty with fence
Andrea Pastor, Metro’s Senior Development Project Manager of Housing and TOD, explained in a September 2025 interview that Metro purchased the land along SE 89th Avenue using an allocation provided by the Oregon State legislature for a revolving acquisition fund around 82nd Avenue. “With all of the improvements happening on 82nd, including the planning of the new transit, we wanted to prioritize the area. So we made a specific legislative ask back in 2023 for some funds to buy land near 82nd,” said Pastor. “We have been basically looking and making offers on properties in the area for the last couple of years.” She notes that Metro has often owned land around transit with the intention of developing it. “We are trying to think of ourselves as a regional land bank specifically aimed at building affordable housing near transit.”
The Jade District advocacy organizers seeking support for the park say Metro TOD is willing to sell the parcel, but City of Portland support must be secured before Metro releases an RFP to potential developers in August or September 2026. The park space is across from The Jade apartments, which are currently under construction and will offer 15 units with family-sized accommodations, including three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The workforce housing development will also create 14 one-bedroom and 11 two-bedroom flats. The expanded pool of families on this street would benefit from a new city park with a safe crossing to a play area. The site can also amplify existing green space that is not publicly accessible but protected by Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services, which owns the lot to the south of this property. It serves as a natural stormwater detention area where plants and soil help absorb the area’s rainwater. It also contains a sewer pump facility that requires 24-hour security for community safety and asset protection. Depending on the City’s flexibility, designers could extend park space into some of the stormwater detention area land without compromising security.
Image from the 2018 EPA Greening The Jade project document
Park designs and amenities presented in the visioning materials are illustrative only and do not constitute final design options. If the idea receives community support through the Online Form and city officials adopt the property for a new park, future community outreach from park planners will drive the development of the green space. Whether the land serves as a public park or affordable housing, this large, underdeveloped property will become a needed community resource as housing density brings more people into the Jade District.
On January 27th, contractors working with the Portland Bureau of Transportation laid new asphalt along a segment of SE 85th Avenue behind the Fubonn Shopping Center, temporarily closing the street to through traffic. This work is part of the Jade and Montavilla Multimodal Improvements Project, which created sidewalks from SE Division Street to SE Powell Boulevard along SE 85th Avenue. This segment was previously only partially paved with a pot-hole-laden gravel shoulder. Now cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers have a consistently reliable north-south route away from the busy 82nd Avenue main street.
This repaving work between SE Clinton and Brooklyn Streets adds to previous work that created new sidewalks on SE Clinton Street from SE 84th to 87th Avenues, with crews converting the existing gravel road to a modern street surface from SE 84th Place to 87th Avenue. West of 82nd Avenue, SE Tibbetts Street is receiving sidewalk infill, with some blocks lacking consistent pedestrian pavement down to SE 78th Avenue. Most sidewalks in the project area will receive updated Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant curb ramps.
40-unit Jade Apartments at 2905 SE 89th Avenue
The new street infrastructure connects to a secondary entrance to the Fubonn Shopping Center, which contractors constructed in April 2025, providing access to the east side of the grocery store and retail site from SE 85th Avenue. Designers located the new entrance on the northeastern corner of the shopping complex. These updates were part of a long-term plan to improve multimodal access in a section of Portland’s Jade District that has the capacity for significant housing development on large, underdeveloped properties. Crews are currently wrapping up external construction on the 40-unit Jade Apartments at 2905 SE 89th Avenue, and Oregon Metro recently purchased a 1.46-acre property at the intersection of SE 90th Place and SE 89th Avenue for housing development.
Crews laying new pavement along SE 85th Ave connecting the roadway between new sidewalks
Other developers are similarly looking to increase housing density in the area as private and public projects create the infrastructure needed to support the new people walking, driving, and rolling through this area bordered by SE Division Street, SE 82nd Avenue, SE Powell Boulevard, and Interstate-205. Look for work to be completed on SE 85th Avenue in the coming weeks, along with increased usage as people discover this improved route in the Jade District.
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A new mural by artist Jeremy Nichols adds an underwater view to the side of Ocean Blue Seafood on SE Division Street. This colorful presentation at 8335 SE Division Street transformed a blank and often tagged wall at the seafood distributor into a vibrant coral reef with aquatic life navigating the blue waters lapping at the top of the building’s parapet.
Mural at at 8335 SE Division St. (Sara Sjol and Tiffany Conklin)
APANO commissioned this mural, capturing the underwater landscape through spray paint, with funding from a Venture Portland grant. The Portland Street Art Alliance (PSAA) managed the project and supported the renowned Asian American artist, working under the name “Plastic Birdie.” The business owner, Bing Chan, is a longtime supporter of the Jade District and APANO’s efforts in the area. He is excited to have this artwork adorn his building, enhancing the streetscape along the busy roadway.
Jeremy Nichols, “Plastic Birdie,” working on mural at at 8335 SE Division St. (Sara Sjol and Tiffany Conklin)
The Ocean Blue Seafood building is on the same block as the long-anticipated Jade Lofts development. Its project leaders anticipate the four-story multifamily apartment building will bring just under 150 units of housing to the area, driving increased activity along this section of SE Division Street. Creating an inviting pedestrian zone is an essential component to cultivating a safe space for patrons of local businesses, as well as future and current residents navigating the Jade District. APANO representatives believe this mural is a significant step toward creating a more walkable environment. The new mural is complete, and all users of SE Division Street can now enjoy the ocean view as they pass by the building.
by
Jacob Loeb
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In late July, Oregon Metro purchased a 1.46-acre property at the intersection of SE 90th Place and SE 89th Avenue. Crews recently installed a chainlink fence around the sloped lot and cut back the overgrown greenery that dominated this parcel. Over the next two years, Metro’s Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) team will collaborate with partner developers to introduce new affordable housing at the site, which will incorporate open neighborhood greenspace. In the coming months, deconstruction specialists will raze the dilapidated 1928-era home at 2815 SE 90th Place and demolish the metal-clad barn on the property. The next phase of pre-construction work will build on previous community engagement to guide the development team in meeting area residents’ needs.
Portland Maps graphic with 2815 SE 90th Place outlined in blue
The nearly 100-year-old 720-square-foot building faces the curb-less SE 90th Place on the high point of the property. The small single-story home sits atop a daylight basement that opens up to the south of the property. Vehicles access the barn from a gravel road segment of SE 89th Avenue that currently extends along the property’s entire western frontage and 100 feet south. The City of Portland has not accepted this unimproved road into its maintenance network. However, work on The Jade apartments across the street will include paving on its half of the street and sidewalk installation along the new workforce-priced housing’s frontage. Andrea Pastor, Metro’s Senior Development Project Manager of Housing and TOD, explained that Metro is coordinating with Gorman & Company to extend the street paving work across the whole road width when they do their road construction for The Jade apartments. The asphalt surface will terminate at a new curb on the eastern edge of SE 87th Avenue near where the new fence line marks the property’s edge. This enhanced infrastructure will provide a more stable roadway constructed to city standards for people rolling or walking through this area. When completed, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) can then take over street maintenance, filling a long-disruptive gap in the street network previously made rough by potholes and wheel ruts.
SE 89th Avenue’s gravel road with potholes
A 2018 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funded study titled “Greening The Jade” identified the unimproved segment of SE 89th Avenue north of SE Brooklyn Street as a prime redevelopment opportunity for sustainable housing and a public park. Pastor said that this put the 2815 SE 90th Place property on Metro’s watch list for a future acquisition. “We saw it come up on the market and we were able to approach the seller pretty quickly, and they were open to it,” recalled Pastor. She explained that Metro fenced its property to keep people safe as they clean up the field from its former uses and to prevent individuals from entering the unsafe structures on the site. Redevelopment will take a few years as the TOD team plans for housing at the site and seeks development partners.
Pastor explained that Metro’s regional housing bond, approved by voters in 2018, successfully spent its $652.8 million budget delivering affordable housing in three counties. However, the region lacks a replacement for that program, and the Local Innovation and Fast Track (LIFT) program funds are allocated through the middle of 2027, possibly delaying the construction for two years without some creativity. “We are left wondering about other resources. If you think about it in established funding routes, looking at a rental project that has to have tax credits and LIFT, we would be looking at maybe mid-2027 for groundbreaking,” said Pastor, noting that speedy housing development is critical to Metro’s goals. “We are definitely exploring options for moving faster than that because we know we’re in a housing emergency, and we need as much housing as quickly as possible. We’re interested in thinking about what are some alternative models we can pursue in terms of financing. Can we move quickly, prioritizing quality of course, but cost efficiency and speed?”
2815 SE 90th Place
Pastor explained that Metro purchased the land along SE 89th Avenue using an allocation provided by the Oregon State legislature for a revolving acquisition fund around 82nd Avenue. “With all of the improvements happening on 82nd, including the planning of the new transit, we wanted to prioritize the area. So we made a specific legislative ask back in 2023 for some funds to buy land near 82nd,” said Pastor. “We have been basically looking and making offers on properties in the area for the last couple of years.” She notes that Metro has often owned land around transit with the intention of developing it. “We are trying to think of ourselves as a regional land bank specifically aimed at building affordable housing near transit. Our program focus has shifted in the last few years, but we’re really not doing anything that different from what Metro has been doing in this space for decades.”
As Metro adjusts its programs, the staff will look at ways to extend the useful life span of public investment. “In the past, we’ve typically just written down the value of the land and conveyed it to the developer if they’re doing affordable [housing]. The program has basically been trying to spur development, but now we are trying to make this idea sustainable. It’s simply not that sustainable for us to continue to give land away for free,” said Pastor. She explained that they are consulting development partners to explore how programs can deliver housing while potentially repaying public investment. Repayment could become part of the project lending structure, or developers could pay back Metro’s investment over a period of time. “It could be 15 years. It could be a ground lease. We’re open to structuring those deals in a number of different ways, but in a way that we can make this a revolving fund of money that is able to continually buy new properties along this corridor. The $5 million that we received is nowhere near enough to really meet the need for how much housing we really need,” Pastor said.
Metro expects to work with a single developer on this new project in the Jade District. Still, it could offer a mix of multifamily or single-family units with affordable home ownership options. The sloped lot and land dedication to PBOT for the modern streets and sidewalks reduces the buildable land to around an acre. So the vast open lot will not support a large housing complex. They also anticipate providing some on-site parking to minimize the impact on neighbors from the increase in housing density. However, incorporating green space into the development is a key consideration. They are communicating with Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services, which owns the lot to the south of this property. It serves as a natural stormwater detention area where plants and soil help absorb the area’s rainwater. It also contains a sewer pump facility that requires 24-hour security for community safety and asset protection. Depending on the City’s flexibility, designers could incorporate green space on Metro’s land to extend into the City-owned land without compromising security.
Property with new fence
Portlanders in the area can anticipate future Metro conversations about 2815 SE 90th Place as they determine the appropriate development path. They will also consider leasing the land to an organization with suitable insurance and liability coverage to use the site until construction begins. In the short term, neighbors will see the unsafe structures removed and eventually a new paved road on SE 89th Avenue. The construction phase relies on a yet-to-be-determined development partner’s ability to secure funding and deliver a proposal that meets Metro’s goals for affordable transit-oriented housing at this site.
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Framing crews have made significant progress on the 40-unit complex at 2905 SE 89th Avenue. This joint venture between APANO and Gorman & Company will transform a 1.1-acre property into affordable family apartments in a dual courtyard configuration. Construction will continue on The Jade apartments throughout the year, with an anticipated opening date in 2026. The developers intend to create a healthy and sustainable community with solar panels providing the bulk of residential power and families having ample access to green space.
Fifteen units in the new apartment building will offer family-sized accommodations with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The developers will also create 14 one-bedroom and 11 two-bedroom flats, each with a single bathroom. Residents can access various site amenities, including a bike room, package lockers, and resident services offices. People can also use a community room, two courtyards, and outdoor areas with a garden and play area for children. Larger apartments have in-unit washer and dryer appliances. The building offers laundry rooms on each floor for the rest of the residents.
Renderings courtesy Gorman & Co
The developers will reserve all units in the three-story building for people earning 80% or below the median family income (MFI) for Portland. That commitment keeps rents from exceeding levels set annually based on the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) calculations, but does not fit what people consider low-income housing. Based on 2023 numbers, one of the development’s three-bedroom apartments would cost up to $2,347 monthly. At those rates, these homes support the working families often priced out of modern apartments west of Interstate 205.
A 2018 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funded study of the Jade District identified the unimproved segment of SE 89th Avenue north of SE Brooklyn Street as a prime redevelopment opportunity for sustainable housing and a new public park. APANO is the fiscal sponsor of the Jade District Neighborhood Prosperity Network (NPN) and used the 2018 data with community input to pursue development opportunities in this area. With the help of Gorman & Company’s nearly 40 years of experience creating housing, APANO will begin work on what was envisioned for this part of the Jade District seven years ago.
The Jade apartments Aug. 7th, 2025
This area contains a multitude of housing with buildings around the site ranging from farmhouses to multifamily buildings. The architect worked to create a design matching its environment while still providing the desired housing density. “The building will have a residential character, and we’ve subdivided the masses to be consistent with the other buildings in the neighborhood,” explained Kevin Kellogg, Gorman & Company’s Market President for the Pacific Northwest. People will access the apartment’s upper floors through a central stairway, and a courtyard facing an open-air walkway connects the units. “Each of the courtyards has a unique character. One of them, we call the living room courtyard, and the other one is the family room courtyard,” said Kellogg. The ground floor will house the site’s accessible units and its 32 on-site parking stalls, half of which are partially covered by solar panels.
Renderings courtesy Gorman & Co
The developers are targeting a Net Zero certification for the building, making it environmentally friendly and resilient to changing weather conditions. “Our goal is for it to be as low maintenance and energy efficient as possible,” said Kellogg. The environmental goals also align with APANO’s goals for the Jade District. “We’re working to build the most climate-friendly, transit-rich, and affordable neighborhood we can. We feel this complements our work at PCC, Canton Grill, and the Orchards,” explained Duncan Hwang, Community Development Director at APANO.
Framers comple 3rd floor framing including a covered exterior hallway looking into a courtyard Sept. 15, 2025
This apartment complex will become the fourth housing project in the Jade District for APANO. The organization is interested in having a mixed-income neighborhood, and this project fits the need for workforce-priced housing. Other projects built by the organization or in development support lower-income renters. APANO often partners with other organizations in creating and managing developments. In this case, Gorman & Company will provide asset management and compliance, with APANO providing resident services.
In addition to improving housing availability in the area, this project will create public right-of-way improvements. Towards the end of the project, crews will construct new sidewalks along the frontage and build a portion of the paved street. These infrastructure upgrades will move the area closer to completing a disconnected street and sidewalk network that inhibits travel along SE 89th Avenue. Walkable access is a primary feature of this building, which is blocks away from the Fubonn grocery store and frequent public transit. Look for continued improvements to this area as work progresses on The Jade apartments.
Road Crews working on SE 85th Avenue for the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will close lanes of travel for motorists in different locations north of SE Powell Boulevard as they install new sidewalks where inconsistent pedestrian infrastructure hampered walking and rolling on the Neighborhood Greenway. Cement masons will also reconstruct many sidewalk corners in the area along the project’s path to include Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)compliant curb ramps.
Crews prepare to construct new cement sidewalks between the exiting curb and resident’s front yards
This phase of work is part of the Jade and Montavilla Multimodal Improvements Project, which will have crews create sidewalks from SE Division Street to SE Powell Boulevard along SE 85th Avenue, with roadway repaving between SE Clinton and Brooklyn Streets. This project also added new sidewalks on SE Clinton Street from SE 84th to 87th Avenues, with crews converting the existing gravel road to a modern street surface from SE 84th Place to 87th Avenue. West of 82nd Avenue, SE Tibbetts Street will receive sidewalk infill where some blocks lack consistent pedestrian pavement down to SE 78th Avenue. Most sidewalks in the project area will receive updated ADA curb ramps. Road crews will also repave SE Tibbetts Street from SE 78th to 80th Avenues.
Reconstructed sidewalk corner with ADA compliment curb ramp on SE 85th Ave and SE Kelly St
Area residents may find some curbside parking on SE 85th Avenue prohibited during the project, and crews could close one or all lanes of travel as heavy equipment moves through the project site. Drivers should use caution and heed all signs noting detours or restrictions. Pedestrians may need to share the road with motorists and cyclists as workers construct the new sidewalks. The project will progress north from SE Powell Boulevard towards SE Division Street over the coming weeks.
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The 9th Annual Jade International Night Market returns to the Portland Community College’s Southeast campus on August 16th for an evening offering food, entertainment, and vendor booths. The event organizers invite people to arrive any time between 3 and 10 p.m. at 2305 SE 82nd Avenue for the Saturday community gathering that celebrates the people who make up the multicultural district.
Graphic and title image courtesy of the Jade District
The one-day community celebration will concentrate its family-focused events earlier in the afternoon with a free plant potting booth for youth sponsored by Portland Nursery. People ages 20 and younger can decorate a free pot and fill it with a selection of donated plants, while supplies last. Twenty-five food vendors and 19 drink specialists will sell tasty treats to attendees throughout the event. Scheduled speakers and performers will begin the entertainment on the main stage at 5 p.m., with a program that runs until 10 p.m.
Entertainment will start with The Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers, followed by the Portland Art & Cultural Dance Team. Around 6 p.m., Ballet Papalotl will perform folkloric dance from across Mexico in traditional dress and with authentic choreography. Then the Cambodian Dance Troupe of Oregon will perform, followed by Team Japonesque, which represents Japanese culture through a mixture of traditional and modern dance movement, music, and costumes. Other performances include the White Lotus Dragon and Lion Dance team, pop and R&B artist Rachel Wong, martial arts movements by Summit Wushu Academy, Nattasinh Lao PDX, McDaniel High School Stomp & Shake, Huehueteoh Ihtotiani, and Japanese taiko drumming group Portland Taiko. Event organizers note that performers and the order of appearance are subject to change.
The performances are always free to watch, and 20 community partner booths offer information to all attendees. Still, event organizers wanted to make sure everyone has access to the cuisine and products available at the Night Market. “We are offering a program called Jade Dollars to lower financial barriers by giving out vouchers for both food and retail,” explained Alisa Kajikawa from market sponsors the Jade District and APANO. “Everyone belongs [at the Night Market] and we do this for the community. There are tons of things that you don’t need money for to enjoy. At the same time, it’s still about commerce, and it’s still about supporting our small business owners. So we’ll have five-dollar increments of Jade Dollars that we will give out to folks in two different ways.” People can receive $10 worth of vouchers at the Jade District booth by showing government benefits like SNAP or OHP cards. Additionally, anyone can receive a $5 voucher for completing a survey.
Last year’s Jade International Night Market had an estimated 13,000 attendees, and they anticipate similar interest this year. The market will maintain last year’s layout, with food vendors along the west edge of the campus in the parking lot and booths lining the inner courtyard walkways. Unlike other fairs, Night Market organizers provide canopies, offering consistency and convenience to participants. “It looks nice because it’s all uniform with three different colors,” said Kajikawa. The main stage is north of the booths next to Tabor Hall.
People can enjoy an interactive art installation during the market located west of the food vendors
Jade Night Market planners recognize the long-standing importance of this event, but circumstances this year have reinforced the need to appreciate all the cultures and communities that feed into the district’s foundation. “It’s very important for our communities to come together right now and show support for people and families who are being targeted and attacked for their identities by the government,” said Kajikawa. “I think it’s important to come together and show that everyone is welcome at the night market.”
People interested in attending the Jade International Night Market should plan on large crowds and limited parking options. Organizers recommend people take public transit via the TriMet 72 bus line or the SE Division FX 2 bus rapid transit system. The mid-August date often brings warm temperatures. The campus has many shade-providing trees, but anticipate significant sun exposure while walking around. The Night Market’s web page and social media will have updates about the schedule and event information. Anyone interested in volunteering for the Night Market should complete the form at bit.ly/nm25-volunteer, which offers several three-hour shift options and shorter post-event cleanup opportunities. Volunteers receive a meal voucher and a free t-shirt.
Pictures from the 2025 Jade International Night Market
In late April, cement masons began construction on new Sidewalks and street paving along SE Clinton Street, fulfilling longstanding community requests expressed during a public engagement process that began in 2016. This project will add new sidewalks on SE Clinton Street from SE 84th to 87th Avenues, with roadcrews converting the existing gravel road to a modern street surface from SE 84th Place to 87th Avenue. Crews will also create sidewalks from SE Division Street to SE Powell Boulevard along SE 85th Avenue, with roadway repaving between SE Clinton and Brooklyn Streets.
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. In November 2019, the City of Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability released the Building Healthy Connected Communities Along Division Transit report that the City Council adopted in December 2019. Most sidewalks in the project area will receive updated Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant curb ramps, letting all pedestrian users navigate the area mostly separated from car traffic.
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. North of the Jade District, PBOT plans to create bike lanes on SE Thorburn Street and remove a travel lane in each direction. That work will also create a bike lane on SE Washington Street while retaining much of the existing street parking on both sides of SE Washington Street for a critical two-block segment. The road striping plan will replace removed curbside parking on SE Washington with bike-lane-adjacent parking from SE 76th to 80th Avenues to create a protected buffer for the five-foot-wide curbside cyclist route. Driving lane reductions on SE Thorburn Street and parts of SE Gilham Avenue will create space for a painted bike lane on the northwest traveling side of the road and a raised concrete traffic separator-protected bike lane on the southeast traveling side with space for an on-pavement pedestrian track where missing sidewalks have previously challenged pedestrian access.
New sidewalk and corner curb ramps on the southwest corner of SE 85th Ave and SE Clinton St
New sidewalk northwest corner of SE 84th Pl and SE Clinton St
New sidewalk and corner curb ramps on the southeast corner of SE 84th Pl and SE Clinton St
Almost a decade ago, the City identified the importance of better pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure in Montavilla and the Jade District. 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 general fund shortfalls in Portland’s budget for the next fiscal year, which starts in July. 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 a car. Look for construction in Jade and Montavilla Multimodal Improvements Project zones to continue through 2025.
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The Jade International Night Market will return to Portland Community College’s (PCC) SE Campus at 2305 SE 82nd Avenue on Saturday, August 10th. The one-day cultural celebration, eating, and shopping event shifted its time later to return to its pre-pandemic late-night roots. People can attend anytime between 3 and 10 p.m., with most family-focused events happening earlier in the afternoon.
Jade International Night Market 2023 (Photo by Jacob Loeb)
Designed as an annual event to connect with the community and celebrate diverse cultures in the Jade District, the Night Market attracts 5,000 to 7,000 attendees annually. People can expect to see 128 booths staffed with food vendors, craftspeople, organizations, and local businesses. Starting at 4 p.m., a long list of performances will fill the main stage, representing art and entertainment from the many cultures that make their home in the area.
Jade International Night Market 2023 Stage (Photo by Jacob Loeb)
Jade District Community Development Manager Alisa Kajikawa explained that almost every performer asked to attend was eager to participate this year, working around other commitments to appear. “It was a wonderful problem to have,” said Kajikawa. “You reach out and expect some, but not everyone. We have six hours of entertainment for our seven-hour event. It’s a wonderful feeling that performers want to come back and showcase their art for the community.” In addition to the notable list of performers, a crowd favorite will return to the Night Market stage this year to start the crowds dancing. DJ Prashant of Bollywood Dreams will retake the stage with Indian rhythms around 5 p.m. after missing the last few years of events. “It is amazing how this gets the energy going and the audience involved,” remarked Kajikawa.
– Stage Entertainment Schedule –
4:00 Chervona Eastern-European Party Band
4:50 White Lotus Lion Dance Chinese Lion Dance
5:20 Bollywood Dreams
6:05 Portland Art & Cultural Dance Team
6:20 Cambodian Dance Troupe of Oregon
6:30 Ballet Papalotl Mexican folklorico dance
7:00 Rachel Wong Singing & Dancing
7:30 McDaniel High School Cheer Stomp & Shake
7:50 Team Japonesque Japanese Dance
8:00 Summit Wushu Martial Arts demonstration
8:30 Hula Halau ‘Ohana Holo’oko’a Hawaiian Dance
9:00 Anansi Beat African Drumming
9:30 Portland Taiko Japanese Drumming
In addition to the stage-based entertainment, organizers invite kids to decorate a small pot and receive a house plant to take home in their creation. Event sponsor Portland Nursery will donate material for this youth activity from opening to 8 p.m. This year’s Market will also feature a socially engaged and tasty art project by Mario Mesquita. The artist designed his Paletas Communal Social Club project to unite communities through art, shared experiences, and dialogue while enjoying a Mexican frozen treat similar to a popsicle. Kajikawa explained that people can enjoy complimentary cool Paletas while answering questions about their lives in Portland and how they celebrate their culture.
Jade International Night Market 2023 (Photo by Jacob Loeb)
Attendees of past Night markets will find a similar layout this year with the booths and the main stage in the courtyard at the center of the college’s campus. However, this time, organizers placed food vendors further to the west in a parking lot, leaving the driveway and bus parking area clear for tables and canopies where people can eat or rest. The Slavic Church Emmanuel will also allow marketgoers to park in its adjacent parking lot north of the PCC Campus. However, people are encouraged to ride TriMet to the Jade International Night Market with the FX2 rapid bus service and the 72 lines serving the campus. The first 1,000 attendees who want to take a ride-share service will receive 50% off, up to $10, on one Lyft ride with Ride Code JADEINTLNIGHTMKT. The code will only work for those traveling to or from Jade International Night Market on August 10th, 2024, from 2 to 10:30 p.m.
Banners provided courtesy the Jade District
The Jade International Night Market is a well-attended, family-friendly event with hours of entertainment, shopping, and a diverse selection of foods. Forecasters expect temperatures to reach the low 90s that day. Event organizers will provide paper fans to people while supplies last, similar to last year. People should plan for crowds and hot weather, but the expansive PCC campus offers many places for people to rest and cool down away from the event space. The Jade District provides a complete list of food and retail vendors on its website.
Correction: An earlier version of this article said the event starts at 2 p.m. It begins at 3 p.m. this year.
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Thang Long Cuisine opened in the former Thai Fresh location at 8409 SE Division Street in late April, replacing HÂP Fresh, which briefly occupied the space. The new restaurant will host a grand opening celebration on the weekend of May 11th and 12th. Co-owners Minh Pham and Thuy Nguyen took over the shop from the previous business to start their first Portland restaurant. This new dining location will inherit some of the more popular dishes from the last tenants while eventually incorporating traditional northern Vietnamese dishes of the new owner’s creation.
Thang Long Cuisine is the product of a mother-and-son team looking to blend flavors of their past with the culinary landscape in the Jade District. This shop is the first restaurant for Minh Pham, who currently works for a knife manufacturer. Consequently, they will rely on his mother’s culinary skills honed in Vietnam. Nguyen ran a restaurant for almost six years before moving to the United States and has a deep passion for feeding a community.
The new owners purchased the restaurant equipment and took over its lease from the previous operator with plans to pick up where it left off and then slowly convert it to their vision. “We will take over everything, including the menu. So we’re going to still focus on dumplings, and in the future, we’ll turn to our own recipes,” said Pham. Inspiration for the new dishes will come from their native home, Hanoi, and focus on the classic dishes that the modern inhabitants of that region still enjoy. The family history in that city extends beyond the future menu to influence the business’ name.
Thang Long is the historic name for Hanoi, Vietnam. It translates to ‘Ascending Dragon,’ and the owners felt it was a perfect fit for a restaurant opening this year. 2024 is the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac, providing a fortuitous double meaning. Designers incorporated a dragon into the Thang Long Cuisine logo, and Minh Pham created a long-bodied dragon along the dining room wall, with steamer baskets providing a scale-like texture to the design.
They offer table service seven days a week for lunch and dinner. The owners will finalize the schedule as they gauge community demand and work out staffing needs. People can dine in or grab takeout, with some delivery service through Grubhub, DoorDash, and Uber Eats. They plan to expand to offer delivery service through an employee to keep pricing reasonable. Pham explained that they will rely on customer feedback for many decisions, including menu changes. Part of the sale contract includes guidance and training from the previous restaurant owners, allowing the kitchen to prepare many requested items from past iterations while working on introducing new menu items. They also intend to bring back catering and event hosting services that were appreciated functions Thai Fresh offered the community.
Minh Pham and Thuy Nguyen invite the community to visit the restaurant next weekend, May 11th and 12th, for special discounts. Guests visiting those two days will receive buy-one-get-one-free pricing on all appetizer menu items. However, they are open now if people want to stop in or order delivery. Pham hopes people will share feedback about what they like and want to see from his shop. They recognize that this area has diverse tastes and hope they can find a niche in the community by offering quality Asian cuisine with a focus on dishes from northern Vietnam.
Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscribers or sponsors. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.
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