Tag: Montavilla Town

Business Closing, Community

Natural Furniture Owners Retire

After 46 years, Natural Furniture will permanently close its SE Stark Street home decor business. Shop owners Tammy and Rick Slagter plan to retire when the location’s lease ends in September. Store staff are selling through all inventory over the remaining months offering special discounts to clear out household furnishings from both the retail space and company warehouse.

Rick Slagter started Natural Furniture in 1977, and his wife Tammy joined the business in 1989. Seven years ago, the Slagters moved their unfinished-furniture store to Montavilla from its original location in the Lloyd District after losing their lease. “The people that owned the building over on 8th and Broadway sold it. We had been at the other store for 40 years. I was like, ‘Oh no, it’s just terrible.’ I hate change, but it all turned out for the best because this location was so nice,” remembers Rick Slagter.

The move to Montavilla prompted some changes for the business. They began to sell more home accessories alongside the furniture and expanded the number of finished pieces sold in addition to their unfinished product. “We didn’t do accessories at the other location,” explained Tammy Slagter, noting that 95 percent of items sold were unfinished wood furniture before the move. Now she estimates 70 to 80 percent of their business is related to unfinished furniture. They have also expanded to more exotic wood furniture in recent years as the industry shifted to meet changing customer demand.

The decision to close was complicated for the couple as the business is strong, and they enjoy the work. However, after a recent birthday, it seemed like a good time to plan for a new chapter in their lives. “I turned 70 last month in May, and our lease is up in September. I just didn’t want to sign another lease,” said Rick Slagter. “I’m ready to relax and go play, go to the beach, go do things.”

Since announcing the pending store closure, customers have come in talking about how sad this news is for them. Although the Slagters will miss the welcoming community and the multiple generations of customers, this spin-down is a happy event for them. They had not tried to sell the business, but that is still an option they would consider. “It’s been a great business for all these years. We did really well, and it’s a fun store too. There’s no hard sell. You just answer questions and write tickets. The furniture sells itself,” said Rick Slagter.

Some of the four staff have already found new employment, and the Slagters have provided a long lead time for people to find other work. Although the lease ends in September, the store will close to the public when they sell through the remaining inventory. Most of the shop’s 20 vendors have existing relationships with other retailers. However, Carey’s Unfinished Furniture worked almost exclusively with Natural Furniture, and its owner will also take this opportunity to retire.

Tammy and Rick Slagter are grateful for their customers and thank the Montavilla community for the support they have received over the years. They hope to see some of those people stop by before they close and pick up something special. They feel this storefront at 7960 SE Stark Street is a great location and are excited to see another retail business take over the space. Until then, they will be at the shop saying goodbye and letting the items sell themselves.

By

Jacob Loeb

Disclosure: A relative of the author worked for Natural Furniture several years ago.

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Business Relocating

Injury Attorney Moves Practice to Montavilla

An injury attorney recently moved his law practice into the former Hand Therapy Specialists building at 300 SE 80th Avenue. Christopher T. Hill purchased the building last December and relocated his offices from Downtown Portland into this single-story building. The property only required new interior paint and carpets to host this business, but future upgrades will create additional private office space for prospective tenants.

This business’s move out of the City Center was years in the making, driven by Hill’s desire for a practice closet to his South Tabor home and to provide a more convenient location. “I wanted to move my office to the East Side for a while. That was partly to shorten my commute, and so clients can avoid the hassle of going downtown for a meeting,” said Hill. The search for a property spanned the East Side. However, the SE 80th Avenue location best fits the law office’s needs with an affordable price and space to support income from leasing offices to other legal service providers. Its proximity to the Historic Montavilla Town also appealed to Hill, who frequents the shops in the area. “I’m happy to be in the neighborhood. Montavilla has always seemed like a neighborhood with a sense of place and a unique identity,” remarked Hill.

Interior 300 SE 80th Ave with new paint and carpet, image courtesy Christopher T. Hill

Although initially built as a medical office in 1948, this is not the first law office at this location, according to Hill. “I discovered through the purchase process that a friend of mine, Kathleen O’Brien, who’s also a lawyer, had the building.” O’Brien sold the building to the owners of Hand Therapy Specialists in 2002, who worked from the building for nearly 20 years before selling the business and building.

Christopher T. Hill specializes in injury law with the aid of a paralegal. “I work on injury and insurance cases. That’s mostly car crashes. I’m a plaintiff’s side lawyer. I represent the folks who were injured and typically work on a contingent fee,” explained Hill. “I would not wish the need for my services on anybody, but bad things do happen, and I help people get compensation for bad stuff that happened to them. I help a lot of people out with solutions that they don’t necessarily see with injury claims, getting the medical bills, lost wages, or the property damage paid.”

Christopher T. Hill, image courtesy Christopher T. Hill

Hill does not take on other types of legal work. Instead, he has focused the last 20 years of his career on injury law. He feels that makes him a skilled advocate for his clients during a uniquely challenging time in their lives. “I work to understand how injuries affect people and why it’s important to them, and that’s just to make sure that I can authentically communicate those impacts to judges, juries, adjusters, and whoever needs to know.”

After construction crews create the additional office space, Hill expects to rent to other attorneys with different areas of expertise. Until then, he can help direct people to the appropriate legal council if he is not the best person to assist. Look for new signs advertising the law office in the coming months, and if you have a legal need, reach out to Christopher T. Hill through the website portlandinjurylaw.com or by calling 503-227-4330.

by

Jacob Loeb

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Construction, Infrastructure

Gas Line Work Restricts SE Stark

Today, Monday the 9th, one lane of SE Stark Street is closed to traffic west of SE 80th Avenue as crews working with NW Natural service a buried natural gas line. Excavation equipment and crew vehicles are currently blocking the north travel lane of the street. The planned maintenance required an open trench in the parking lane in front of 7821 SE Stark Street. When work completes for the day, the roadway can fully reopen. However, the parking space over the worksite will require payment repairs.

Expect traffic pattern disruptions throughout the day and future road repairs in this area.

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.

Bar, Entertainment, Event, Food and Drink, Montavilla

Montavilla’s Saturday Winter Celebration

Two events will attract visitors to Montavilla’s commercial corridors this Saturday evening. Winter Wassail along NE Glisan Street features festive beverages, snacks, carolers, and holiday lighting. Participating stores and restaurants between 82nd and 68th Avenues will remain open for last-minute holiday gifts and festivities. People are invited to Wassail (Go from location to location caroling and/or drinking in merriment) on Glisan from 4 to 8 p.m. this December 17th.

Promotional image provide by event coordinators

That same night, SE Stark Street businesses will host the Montavilla Soiree & Pub Crawl from 6 to 9 p.m. The Montavilla East Tabor Business Association (METBA) organized this winter celebration in the historic downtown to support neighborhood businesses as they enjoy the best parts of the colder months.

Promotional image provide by event coordinators

Drinkers, shoppers, and anyone looking for a fun Saturday night can explore the collection of holiday-themed cocktails, food specials, live music, and late-night last-minute shopping in one big evening event. No matter where you reside, some part of Montavilla will have an activity to warm your spirit on a cold night.

These are some of the participating businesses on Glisan Street:

These are some of the participating businesses on Stark Street:

Rahabs Sisters will be collecting gloves, hats, jackets, blankets, and tents. Drop off locations will be Union Rose and Wink Vintage.

By

Jacob Loeb

Disclosure: The author if this article serves on the Montavilla/East Tabor Business Association (METBA) board. METBA sponsors some of these events.

Community, Event

Montavilla Tree lighting

Last night people gathered in the Public Street Plazas on SE 79th Avenue and Stark Street to officially light the holiday tree. This event is part of a month-long celebration in Montavilla known as WinterFest. Coordinators paused this annual event over the last few years due to the pandemic. However, just like the Montavilla Street Fair, the WinterFest has returned in 2022.

Tree lighting, Image by Weston Ruter

Many shops and organizations are hosting giving opportunities to spread joy this season. Saints Peter & Paul Episcopal Church is hosting a Montavilla Collective fundraiser on December 10th at 247 SE 82nd Avenue from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The money gathered by the art sale and silent auction will help support the evolving community of unsheltered and sheltered neighbors committed to improving community through collaboration and creativity. During the fundraiser, people can make holiday cards, visit with neighbors, and donate art supplies. Montavilla Brew Works is accepting donations of warm clothing items in partnership with Cultivate Initiatives. They can receive hats, gloves, coats, sweatshirts, pants, and socks through December. Items collected support marginalized and underserved people in the Portland area and beyond. Check the METBA Calendar for a complete listing of other charitable activities this season.

On the neighborhood’s north side, NE Glisan has a holiday celebration on December 17th called Winter Wassail. People are invited to come and join the holiday mood with carolers and lights all along the bustling street. Montavilla business district businesses on Glisan Street will host a festive walkabout from 4 to 8 p.m. that night. Shops and restaurants will remain open for last-minute holiday shopping, seasonal beverages, and snacks.

Yesterday’s evening festivities followed a handful of seasonal celebrations and charity events that started on December 1st. WinterFest is presented by the Montavilla/East Tabor Business Association (METBA) as a way to unify all the holiday activities within the business district. People are encouraged to see the lights and shop window decorations in the Historic Downtown Montavilla area and along NE Glisan. Printed WinterFest 2022 posters are up in windows throughout Montavilla to help people discover what is happening next.

Tree lighting video by Weston Ruter

As the first snow of winter falls on Sunday afternoon, this is an ideal opportunity to walk the streets of Montavilla and enjoy the holiday decorations or duck into someplace warm for drinks and a meal. Check  #montavillawinterfest on Instagram and the METBA Calendar for the most up-to-date listing of events and promotions.

By

Jacob Loeb

Disclosure: The author if this article serves on the Montavilla/East Tabor Business Association (METBA) board.

Business Relocating

Maintain Yourself PDX Expands

Maintain Yourself PDX will relocate from a 200-square-foot office above the Bipartisan Cafe to a ground-floor storefront off SE Stark Street. In December, the therapeutic massage provider is taking over Montavilla Community Acupuncture‘s former space at 7925 SE Stark Street. The larger multi-room office will allow the business to grow its client base and hire more massage therapists.

Diane Barker worked for an established massage provider in NW Portland for seven years before branching out on her own. Being a Montavilla resident wanting to work closer to home, she opened Maintain Yourself PDX at 422 SE 79th Avenue, suite 203. In less than two years, the business grew beyond the confines of the current location, prompting this move.

The vacancy on SE Stark came at just the right time, and the space is practically move-in ready for the business. “Things already set up,” said Barker. “Since it was an acupuncture place before, it’s pretty much set up for massage at that point.” Currently, plans for the space focus on painting walls and a few other updates. Barker also appreciates the new location’s ground-level entrance. “One of the big things I’m excited about is not having stairs for people to come up. Being able to walk right off the street is going to be fantastic because a lot of folks have chronic knee issues or back problems.”

Image courtesy Maintain Yourself PDX

Beyond accessibility, street access will help facilitate exposure for the business and allow drop-in clients once a week. The storefront’s large front room is an ideal place for Maintain Yourself PDX staff to offer chair massages for casual clients. Sessions can last less than an hour and focus on just one area needing treatment.

Diane Barker intends to hire more staff soon, eventually having five massage therapists working at this new location. “I have one other person that I just brought on, and I’m actively hiring at the moment for the other positions,” explained Barker. The new space will become available in November, giving the Maintain Yourself PDX crew just a month to prepare everything for the move. All the work will happen while continuing to see clients at the original office.

The Stark Street location should open on December 3rd. Expect to see updates inside the office during November. Follow the Maintain Yourself PDX website and Instagram for updates.

Image courtesy Maintain Yourself PDX

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.

Business Relocating

Community Acupuncture Leaving Stark

After fifteen years on SE Stark Street, Montavilla Community Acupuncture will relocate to a new office. Owner Mia Neuse recently completed renovations to an accessory building at 212 SE 79th Avenue and will move her practice to that space starting November 1st. Until that date, clients can continue to visit the location at 7925 SE Stark Street.

Neuse opened the Stark Street location with John Blank, bringing their individual practices together and creating an affordable treatment system for those without insurance coverage. Both practitioners treated insured people privately and helped the uninsured or underinsured in the community room, taking walk-ins when space was available. Blank retired from the business eight years ago. In 2015, Julie Koroch joined Montavilla Community Acupuncture. She continues to work from this location. However, Koroch will relocate her practice to another office after the move.

Montavilla Community Acupuncture’s transition will require some changes to the business. The new building is nearly one-third the size of the current storefront and located in a residential area. As a single practitioner in a home-based setting, Mia Neuse expects to see fewer people. Currently, fifteen to twenty people walk through the door each day, but that should slim down to around eight. Clients can schedule treatments Tuesday through Friday. Drop-in care was suspended during the pandemic and will not return.

Transformation of 212 SE 79th Avenue. Image curtesy of Montavilla Community Acupuncture

Moving after so many years is difficult for this longtime staple of downtown Montavilla. “I love my current office, and there are many things about it that I’m going to really miss,” remarked Neuse. “But I thought it would be nice being nestled in a pretty backyard and have less traffic noise going by.” Montavilla Community Acupuncture will continue to offer the same services with the same commitment to making acupuncture accessible, regardless of insurance coverage.

After completing the interior, work will begin on the grounds around the new location. Clients will walk through an open driveway gate down the newly constructed path that will take them to the blue single-story building in the back. Neuse will apply a Japanese garden design surrounding the walkway, using native Pacific Northwest plants. The goal is to make the space calming and inviting.

Neuse was committed to remaining in the neighborhood when deciding to change locations. “I’ve been living in this community for over 20 years and working in this community going on 15… I really appreciate Montavilla. It’s my home.” Look for the move to begin at the end of this month and expect to see a new business taking over the vacant storefront on Stark Street in the coming months.

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.

Community, Event

Last Show for Montavilla Movie Night

The Montavilla business district will host the final free movie night of the season tomorrow evening. For all of August, the Montavilla/East Tabor Business Association (METBA) presented weekly group viewing events in the Montavilla Public Plaza at SE 79th Avenue and Stark Street. Local businesses sponsored one movie each Wednesday, with other area businesses offering special concession packages. The 1986 film Labyrinth by Jim Henson will close out the successful community entertainment series on September 7th.

Chantel Chinco of Redwood organized the evening events for METBA, growing the audience weekly. This year, movie nights shared the street space with another first-time Plaza program presented by Montavilla Farmers Market. The 79th Avenue square features an evening min-market on Thursday nights, running through September 29th. This public street venue is supported by the Vibrant Spaces Community Events Activation Fund grant from the City of Portland, in conjunction with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) Public Street Plaza Program. 

For the second year, the Montavilla Public Plaza at SE 79th Avenue and Stark Street has driven community engagement into the business district’s core with events like the movie night and market. Public support for these events will influence their return in subsequent seasons.

METBA invites the public to view David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly in the Labyrinth this Wednesday, September 7th. The Show begins at 8:30 p.m., and people are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets to the showing.

  • Aug. 10th: The Sandlot (Mr.Plywood)
  • Aug. 3rd: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (Natural Furniture)
  • Aug. 17th: Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter is Dead (Wink Vintage)
  • Aug. 24th: Dazed and Confused (The Observatory)
  • Aug. 31st: The Princess Bride (Redwood)
  • Sep. 7th: Labyrinth (Bonus Screening)

By

Jacob Loeb

Disclosure: The author of this article serves on the METBA Board.

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.

Construction, Food and Drink, Restaurant

Crash Damaged McDonald’s Repaired

Three months after a car collided with the McDonald’s restaurant at 8149 SE Stark Street, workers have begun to repair the damages. On May 4th, a vehicle jumped the curb and collided with the SE 82nd Avenue facing dining-room windows. Witness reports indicate the driver “was doing donuts” before crashing into the building.

Video of the post crash scene

Portland Police received the hit-and-run call at 9:43 p.m. A video posted on Instagram shows the store manager making the call. The vehicle entered the restaurant, destroying the aluminum framed storefront windows and the short wall underneath them. Fortunately, the dining room was vacant, and no one suffered injuries inside the restaurant. Crews have reconstructed the support wall and brick exterior, making way for the glazers to install replacement windows next week.

A similar crash occurred at this same restaurant last year. In both incidences, Police identified unsafe driving as the cause of the wrecks. The reoccurrence of damage at this location has not deterred the franchise owner from rebuilding. With luck, this will be the last restoration work at this location for a while.

Photo from May 5th 2022

Update August 18th: Glazers installed new windows in the repaired wall.

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.

Business Relocating, Property Sale

Medical Building For Sale on SE 80th

A single-story medical building on SE 80th Avenue near SE stark Street is for sale. The property at 300 SE 80th Avenue formerly housed Hand Therapy Specialists. The corner lot sits across SE Pine Street from Montavilla United Methodist Church and next door to Montavilla Dental Arts.

Hand Therapy Specialists relocated to Northwest Portland In January of 2022 and appears to have changed ownership. The hand rehabilitation clinic had occupied the building on SE 80th Avenue for twenty years. Now the former clinic owners are selling the facility located in historic Montavilla downtown.

Crews completed construction of the 1,878 square foot building in 1948. It has undergone several updates over the years, including a project to enclose the front porch around 2018. The long building is surrounded by well-maintained landscaping on a quiet street. Although last used for medical work, it can easily convert into office space. Contact the Nick Shivers Team at (503) 594-0805 for more information about purchasing the property.

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.