Tag: PPS

Construction

Vestal Re-roof and Chimney Removal

Vestal Elementary School at 161 NE 82nd Avenue is several feet shorter after crews began work on a roof-replacement project that includes removing its decommissioned boiler brick chimney. The $3.6 million project includes updates to fall protection equipment, roof lighting, mechanical systems, and some seismic improvements to select unreinforced masonry walls in the building.

A construction banner on a fence, displaying a city skyline with trees and mountains in the background. The banner promotes a $3.6 million roof replacement for Vestal Elementary by Portland Public Schools, scheduled for Summer 2026.

Demolition crews have removed most of the square brick chimney atop the Portland Public School (PPS) building, sending debris down the black plastic chute affixed to the scaffolding erected around the once-towering structure. They will take it down to approximately parapet height. Then they will replace the full roof surface that has leaked into the rooms below over the years. The project scope includes water damage repairs to ceilings and walls.

A construction site featuring a brick building with a tall scaffolding structure, partially covered with a tarp, and surrounded by construction debris and fences. Trees are visible in the foreground, and a mural is displayed on one side of the building.
Rear view of school with chimney nearly removed down to second story parapet height

Workers will install interior and exterior ship ladders to reorient roof access, replacing roof hatches and guardrails. Crews will remove and replace some skylights and upgrade gym windows. The kitchen on the main level and second-floor bathrooms will see enhancements. Three detached portable buildings will similarly receive new roofs to prolong their lifespan as expanded student instruction space.

View of several buildings with a wooden exterior, showing construction elements like a ladder and scaffolding in the background under a cloudy sky.
Detached portable school buildings being reroofed

Project planners anticipate the summertime renovation activity will extend into the next school year, ending in the latter portion of 2026. The campus is currently closed during construction, but will reopen for classes with the remaining work occurring outside of school hours. They expect minimal disruption to educational activities during the upcoming school year.

Vestal Elementary School building with a sign displaying 'Adventure Awaits! 67 Make Memories Make Friends' surrounded by trees and greenery.

Voter-approved bond funds from 2017 support these PPS roof replacements, which are designed to create seismic resiliency by improving bracing, strengthening roof decks, and enhancing roof-to-wall connections. However, the renovations underway this summer will not bring all unreinforced masonry buildings like Vestal entirely into compliance with current seismic code requirements. The updates in the package of work should reduce the cost of future seismic work needed to avoid significant structural failure in a large earthquake. People can expect to see more activity at the site over the next few months, and students returning may encounter some unfinished projects as crews wrap up the updates by Fall 2026.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Vestal brick chimney demolition video courtesy Weston Ruter

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Community, New Residence

Harrison Community Village Shelter Public Meeting Feb 26

As the Multnomah County Homeless Services Department (HSD) readies the Harrison Community Village Shelter at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue for future residents, they invite people to attend a Public Meeting on February 26th. Nonprofit provider Do Good Multnomah will operate the alternative shelter under a “clean and sober” model. Interested community members can attend the 6:30 p.m. in-person event this Thursday. Portland Community College will host the meeting in its Community Hall Annex at 7901 SE Division Street.

Shelter operators anticipate opening the facility in spring 2026 and have worked on a Good Neighbor Agreement with community and business stakeholders to lessen the impact of the Harrison Community Village Shelter on surrounding properties. Multnomah County purchased the former recreational vehicle dealership at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue in December 2022 for $2.015 million. This 34,000-square-foot parcel was the second Montavilla location the County bought that year for temporary shelter services. The other shelter, Oak Street Village at 333 SE 82nd Avenue, opened in February 2025 and is currently operating at full capacity. The Joint Office of Homeless Services — now renamed the Homeless Services Department — has held several community meetings, including one in April that announced that Do Good Multnomah would operate the site as a sober shelter. Presenters explained that residents and staff are subject to drug testing, and policy strictly prohibits the possession of non-prescribed intoxicants on the property. Selecting a sober format meets a specific need for people transitioning into stable housing who are in recovery from substance use disorder, and it better matches community desires for the site, which is near two Portland Public Schools.

A labeled diagram of the Harrison Community Village layout, showing various designated areas including sleeping units, community space, staff space, showers, and landscaping. The map highlights entry points and features like a fence and recycling area.
Harrison Community Village Shelter site map courtesy HSD

HSD will contract with the operator to staff the alternative shelter site at all hours of the day. The adult residents will receive one of 38 private sleeping quarters, each with a shed-style pod design. Six converted shipping container units will provide office space for staff, participant services, hygiene facilities, kitchenette amenities, and laundry facilities. Residents and their pets will have on-site access to green space. The site will receive upgraded fencing with privacy inserts on all street sides and a wood fence between the adjacent residential property to the east. The site intends to offer more than short-term shelter. People in the program will have access to dedicated housing case management and abstinence-based recovery services to help with long-term substance use recovery and housing stability.

The HSD meeting organizers ask that people complete an online form at the Harrison Community Village Shelter website to attend the 90-minute public meeting on February 26th. Attendees can also review the draft Good Neighbor Agreement prior to the meeting to better understand the work created by the Agreement Parties, which include representatives from the 82nd Avenue Business Association, African Youth & Community Organization, APANO, Montavilla Neighborhood Association, Portland Community College, and Portland Public Schools.

By

Jacob Loeb

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Community, Infrastructure, Montavilla, Services

Montavilla Pool and Free Lunch + Play

On Wednesday, two significant Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) hosted summer programs will return to Montavilla Park and other locations throughout the city. On June 21st, the outdoor public pool at 8219 NE Glisan Street will open to guests daily through August 27th. That same day in June, the Free Lunch + Play program begins its weekday distribution of USDA Federal Lunch Program approved meals from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. Group play opportunities run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

As it has for decades, the outdoor pool at Montavilla Park will reopen for seasonal swimming and lessons. Day users of the swimming facility under the age of 18 must pay $3.75 to swim, while adults pay $4.75. Those over the age of 60 receive a $0.25 discount. PP&R sells passes at a discount for repeat visitors and offers a free swim option on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Open swim is available on weekdays from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Weekend swimming starts earlier with Family Swim time from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Then weekend Open Swim runs from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.

To fill a gap left by the school system’s summertime closure, the Free Lunch + Play program offers a place for kids to play in groups and have a healthy meal. Program staff distribute free meals to children ages 18 and under. The meals must be consumed at the event by the child. Adults can pay $5.00 cash for a lunch, and children wanting more food can eat items from the “No Thank You Table,” where other children put unwanted parts of lunches. Portland Public Schools, Centennial School District, Parkrose School District, and David Douglas School District provide the free meals distributed during the summer to help feed children who have relied on the Free and Reduced-Price Meals program during the school year. However, the summer program is available to all children. Free Lunch + Play will be unavailable on Tuesday, July 4th but otherwise accessible throughout the summer.

PP&R partnered with over 24 other groups to expand Free Lunch + Play, including Multnomah County Library, Portland Opera, and Rose City Rollers. Those partnerships allow for special programming on certain days. Three of those events take place at Montavilla Park. The Parks Local Option Levy, passed by voters in 2020, funds many of the free summer activities, including the free swimming option on Tuesdays. These park activities ensure that most kids have an opportunity to enjoy a healthy and active summer.

Montavilla Park Special Event Schedule

  • Friday, June 30th 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Portland Opera
  • Friday, August 4th 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. SMART Reading
  • Tuesday, August 15th 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. Friends of Baseball

By

Jacob Loeb

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Community, Demolition

Jade District Community Garden Threatened by PPS

On Tuesday, June 13th, at 6 p.m., the Portland Public Schools (PPS) Board will hear public comment and consider the permanent closure of the Harrison Park Community Garden. Community gardeners and Jade District residents who rely on the public green space have initiated a petition urging PPS to reconsider their decision. Removing this urban micro-farming location will severely limit garden access for the culturally diverse population in the community and hamper district initiatives to expand green spaces.

In 2015, the Jade District group initiated the Harrison Park Community Garden‘s creation. It filled a gap in green space for area residents and made urban farming more accessible with multilingual sign-up sheets and instructions. The City of Portland has a long history with community gardens dating back to 1975. Portland Parks and Recreation (PP&R) operates 60 Community Gardens located throughout Portland. However, those facilities are not always reasonably accessible to every Portlander. The closest alternative to the Jade District location is the Berrydale Community Garden, whose limited space may not support the displaced gardeners.

The community garden supporters sent a letter to the PPS Board outlining the importance of the space and suggesting alternatives to a full closure and removal of the public green space. In the public letter, the authors explain that “many residents who utilize the garden do so to grow culturally specific varieties [of produce] that they are otherwise unable to find in Portland. It allows lower-income residents, renters, and those living in apartments to be able to access healthy nutritious foods at a lower cost than grocery stores.” They ask that people support the petition and come to the School Board Meeting held at 501 N Dixon Street or email letters to publiccomment@pps.net.

PPS is removing the garden to make way for expanded education space. If the board does not overturn the PPS staff’s decision, demolition of the now overgrown garden will occur sometime next month. People interested in providing comments should do so before Tuesday at 6 p.m. and look for updates regarding this community garden in the coming weeks.

PortlandMaps Image with Montavilla News illustration showing garden boundary

By

Jacob Loeb

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Community, Crime

Juvenile in Custody For Threatening School

Yesterday afternoon, Portland Police officers took a teenage boy into custody near SE 92nd Avenue and SE Stark Street after receiving reports of an armed former student threatening violence at Creative Science School. Just before 4:00 p.m., May 15th, East Precinct officers were dispatched to the 1231 SE 92nd Avenue school. Nearby, they found the 13-year-old suspect wearing a tactical vest, helmet, and goggles. The juvenile also possessed a convincing replica handgun. The responding offices took the child into custody, transporting the suspect to the Donald E. Long Juvenile Detention Center and detaining them on charges of Menacing with a Firearm and Disorderly Conduct.

A KATU report of the incident said Portland Public School (PPS) previously banned the former student from the middle school. On Monday, staff escorted him off the property prior to the reports of a gun. After hearing about a possible weapon, School administrators followed established protocol during the event, putting the school into lockdown and contacting 911. 

PPB Image
PPB Image
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A gun threat near a school is an alarming event. Fortunately, students and PPS staff were not in physical danger during this situation. The threatening behavior of this individual exposes an unaddressed issue within the local education system. This recent situation is an example of a former student using the threat of violence to express their feelings towards a school and community. In a country with the highest number of deadly school shootings, this event is a rare opportunity to evaluate our social systems without first having to lose a life.

By

Jacob Loeb

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Community

PPS SE School Rebalancing Plan Approved

Starting in Fall 2023, many Montavilla schools will shift enrollment criteria as part of the SE Enrollment & Program Balancing intuitive. The approved plan adjusts school attendance boundaries, relocates language immersion programs, and redefines grade levels served at each location. Although potentially disruptive, these changes intend to create predictable enrollment within these schools and better serve a changing community demographic. Vestal is the only neighborhood School unaffected by these changes.

On May 24th, the Portland Public Schools (PPS) Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt the Deputy Superintendent’s recommendations. That proposal resulted from a multi-year planning process by the Southeast Guiding Coalition and community members. Harrison Park will convert to a middle school at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, and its Kindergarten through 5th Grade students will move into the Clark campus on SE 92nd Avenue, which currently houses Creative Science School. The Harrison Park Chinese Immersion program will also relocate to Clark for younger students. Children will feed into Harrison Park Middle School from Vestal and Atkinson attendance areas.

PPS SEGC – FLO- Overview Map

PPS will relocate the Creative Science School from the Clark campus to Bridger at 7910 SE Market Street. Those students will join the neighborhood program at the school, creating an additional curriculum strand and helping stabilize enrollment. The Spanish Immersion program currently at Bridger will relocate to Lent Elementary School at 5105 SE 97th Avenue. Bridger staff created a Powerpoint presentation outlining the expected adjustments to the school and providing greater context to why these changes were necessary.

PPS staff will send parents information about the rebalancing in early June. Over the next year, a detailed migration plan will provide a roadmap to the new school boundaries and school options. PPS will work to accommodate families during the transition. In some cases, allowing families already enrolled to choose when to transition to a new school. Parents and guardians should receive information about options and what these changes mean for their students within the coming months.

By

Jacob Loeb

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Construction, Infrastructure

SE 92nd Improvements at Lincoln Street

SE 92nd Avenue at SE Lincoln Street features an unusual and confusing intersection thanks to a southbound turnout lane. This poorly marked configuration creates ambiguous crossing points for cars, bikes, and pedestrians. This summer, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will implement several safety improvements and restructure this complicated “T” intersection.

Funded as part of the Fixing Our Streets Project, PBOT maintenance crews will add a marked crosswalk and a median refuge island on SE 92nd Avenue aligned with the southwest corner of SE Lincoln Street. Workers will repaint 250 feet of the bike lanes on both sides of SE 92nd Avenue to place riders against the curb. Eleven round cement lane separators will provide a protected buffer zone between the bike lane and automotive traffic near the intersection.

Image courtesy PBOT

As a result of the expanded bike lanes and pedestrian safety improvements, PBOT will create two new No Parking zones and extend one zone further south. This parking change will remove six curbside parking spaces. However, the lane reconfiguration will add back four new parking spaces. Newly painted buffer zones on the east side of SE 92nd Avenue will support two parking spaces located between the bike and northbound traffic lanes. The southbound turnout will provide space for two additional parking spaces on its eastern edge. When complete, PBOT expects the project to eliminate just two street parking spaces.

Pavement markings showing pending improvements and site of the new sidewalk on SE Lincoln

PBOT crews will add another new marked crosswalk to aid pedestrians crossing SE Lincoln Street when traveling on the west side of SE 92nd Avenue. This portion of the project will require a street corner reconstruction and the installation of 90 feet of new sidewalk. Much of SE Lincoln Street lacks consistent sidewalk infrastructure. Creating new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant ramps and a short sidewalk connector will facilitate a clear, protected path to the enhanced SE 92nd Avenue crossing point.

As a well-traveled route to Berrydale Park and nearby schools, this confusing intersection needs these safety updates. PBOT’s changes should provide clear paths for vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians by using physical lane delineators in conjunction with road markings. Additionally, the median island will incentivize fast-moving motorists to slow down as the roadway narrows, giving them time to avoid potential collisions. Look for construction to begin in summer, and use caution while crews are working in the street.

Image courtesy PBOT

By

Jacob Loeb

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Community

April Snow and Power Outages

As of 10 AM this morning, snow continues to fall on Montavilla, adding to the inches accumulated overnight. Tree branches loaded with flowers and new leaves sag heavy under the unexpected snow, some snapping from the increased weight. Power is out for several blocks, with Pacific Power reporting 2417 customers without electricity in the neighborhood. Portland General Electric (PGE) also reports scattered outages in the area.

With Portland Public Schools closing for the day, many families can be seen walking the neighborhood taking in a rare spring snow day. Warmer than freezing temperatures have kept the streets and sidewalks mostly clear of snow and ice. However, transportation authorities advise caution when traveling through the slush. Weather reports indicate the snow will transition to rain later in the day, around noon.

Update: As of 1 PM, Pacific Power reports all customers have power service restored in Montavilla.

By

Jacob Loeb

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Construction, Renovation

Harrison Park School Remodel

This week, Portland Public Schools (PPS) released an Invitation to Bid for Harrison Park’s conversion into a Middle School. Staff submitted building Permit applications for updates to the 70-year-old education facility. Work will change interior and exterior elements of the property as it removes features constructed during its elementary school past.

Outside the school building at 2225 SE 87th Avenue, PPS plans to construct a new freestanding trash enclosure and a covered bike parking shelter. Improvements to the front entrance include new landscaping and possible hardscape changes. Other exterior work will replace sidewalks and driveways around the property.

Inside the soon-to-be Middle School, crews will perform minor demolition while remaking the school’s main entry and office area. The updates to the Cafeteria will better accommodate the older student’s needs during their mealtime. Workers will refresh ceilings, flooring, plumbing, and electrical systems throughout the facility. In a separate permit application, PPS proposes to update the school’s heating and AC ventilation systems. Restrooms will become more ADA compliant, and some bathroom facilities will convert to single-user gender-neutral spaces. Crews will create a dance studio by installing a wood floor, sound system, mirrors and replacing the partition system with a permanent wall.

This renovation work accommodates phase 2 of the current Enrollment & Program Balancing efforts within PPS’s southeast schools. In the current plans, Harrison Park will convert from a K-8 school to a middle school, and its Kindergarten through 5th Grade students will move into the Clark campus on SE 92nd Avenue, which currently houses Creative Science School.

Contractors will perform these building upgrades without closing the school for additional days, making for a tight summer construction timeline. School staff prepared a comprehensive list of planned updates occurring during the multi-phase renovation project. Look for exterior work to begin when City staff approve permits and increased activity at the site during the summer months.

By

Jacob Loeb

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Community, Infrastructure

Countdown to School Changes

Portland Public Schools (PPS) has one year to redraw school boundaries across Southeast Portland. With a new middle school opening and the depreciation of k-8 schools in the district, the countdown to student reorganization is underway. This month, PPS released the first draft proposal for grade configuration changes, boundary adjustments, and program movement.

Under the proposed plans, Harrison Park will convert from teaching K-8 to only accommodating grades 6-8. Students entering grades 6-8 will remain at the school. Harrison Park’s attendance zone will expand into Bridger and Vestal areas, accepting students moving up from those schools. K-5 students at Harrison Park will transfer to Bridger and Vestal. Grade 6-8 students from Bridger and Vestal will move to Harrison Park.

Additionally, Bridger students living north of Woodward Street will now feed into Madison High School if the plan remains as proposed. Many other dual-language based classes will also move around to other schools. However, all these changes are still in the planning phase. The proposal is currently up for discussion and changes.

The Southeast Guiding Coalition Meetings are still underway and will not complete phase one until December 17th of this year. PPS has set up a Google form to solicit comments regarding the proposed changes. That is just one way to provide feedback about their plan to balance student enrollment and programs across the district. PPS has made efforts to be transparent about the process, providing resource materials and videos of the meetings. On October 29th at 6 PM, the Coalition will hold an Open House to interact with the public regarding this process.

Changes regarding school assignments are always complicated and could be challenging as students get back to the classroom from distance learning. These changes are necessary to make way for work that is already in progress and adapt to modifications to k-8 schools. Hopefully, community involvement will lead to positive results as this process continues.

Discloser: The author has a child attending a Portland Public School