Four Weeks of Groundwater Blending Tests

On Tuesday, August 4th, Portland Water Bureau began adding groundwater from the Columbia South Shore Well Field to the city’s Bull Run-sourced drinking water. Officials are making this change to test well equipment ahead of a likely seasonal need to supplement the water supply. Repeated activations, lasting around 10 hours, ensure crews can repair any deficient equipment before lowering reservoir levels or an emergency triggers a demand for well water.

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Montavilla’s First Farmers’ Market

The Montavilla Farmers’ Market began in 2007, but this is not Montavilla’s first such market. The earliest one opened in a nearby location on July 7, 1914. Back then—whether large or small—such markets were called public markets. But the economics were similar: farmers sold directly to their customers rather than to a middleman. That meant better profits for farmers and better prices for customers.

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Four-story Affordable Housing Near SE 89th and Powell Blvd

Construction fencing surrounds a 1962-era single-story home at 3326 SE 89th Avenue ahead of demolition that makes way for a new 31-unit affordable housing project called Alyssa Daye Gardens. The 32,500-square-foot, four-story wood-framed structure will offer affordable housing with ground-floor common spaces and support services. The project is led by the Mental Health and Addiction Association of Oregon, working under the name The Peer Company, which operates its Portland Recovery Campus next door to the site at…

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Location, Location, and an Existing Drive-through

This year, deconstruction crews mostly demolished the former Burgerville location at 3504 SE 92nd Avenue, leaving just one wall standing. They proceeded to construct a practically new fast-food restaurant with a drive-through around that wall. This process of leaving minimal structure allowed the project to file for permits as a remodel project, rather than a new development, and to bypass a…

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SE Division Crossing Update at 64th Ave

Crews recently prepared concrete forms in the center turn lane of SE Division Street at SE 64th Avenue. This work replaces a temporary pedestrian island installed in 2024 at a high-visibility enhanced crosswalk that connects to a Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) created paved bike path and pedestrian access way leading to Mt. Tabor Park. Cement masons will next pour concrete to create the raised protective infrastructure and construct a level pedestrian holding area at street level.

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Landmark Reopening as Switchback Saloon Retaining Social Core

For sixteen years, the Landmark Saloon served the community below the western base of Mt Tabor at 4847 SE Division Street before closing on February 13th. Regulars at that establishment, Graham Talley and Scott Phillips, feared the loss of an affordable community gathering space in an area undergoing significant redevelopment. They took over the lease of the converted 1906-era house and brought on Nick Wilson, who previously owned the Landmark, to guide them as they spruced up the place.

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2026 Montavilla Street Fair July 26

On Sunday, July 26th, the Montavilla East Tabor Business Association (METBA) will host the 13th annual Street Fair on SE Stark Street. Early that morning, crews will close the road from SE 82nd to 76th Avenues, along with segments of side streets, to allow the 150 booth operators to set up ahead of the 10 a.m. opening. Vendors will sell a variety of items, including food and drinks, unique artwork, handcrafted goods, and clothing.

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FadeBox PDX Containerized Barber Shop

Nick Zarate, working under the barber's moniker Zarateblendz, recently opened his first shop in a converted shipping container south of 817 SE 82nd Avenue. FadeBox PDX has room to support four haircutting stations within a long, brightly lit space that, when combined with the many ring lights, entices customers to feel like they are on-set, readying for the camera.

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82nd Ave TIF Committee Action Plan Work

The 82nd Avenue Area TIF Community Leadership Committee is midway through a four-month focused exploration of affordable housing priorities to include in the new East Portland Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Action Plan. Portland requires 45 percent of TIF funds to support affordable housing through a variety of established and emerging programs administered by the Portland Housing Bureau. The previous TIF community exploration work that led to the district's…

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NE Halsey Night Work Adding Color to New Two-way Bike Lane

Contractors working with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) began intermittent night painting on NE Halsey Street between NE Jonesmore Street and NE 92nd Avenue the week of July 13th. Crews will use a blowtorch to adhere the green and white bike lane markings needed to activate the new raised concrete protected cycling path. PBOT says drivers should not encounter changes to travel patterns or restricted driveway access during the work, and that the work will not extend through the entire night.

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Montavilla Brew Works 11 Year Celebration

On Saturday, July 11th, Montavilla Brew Works will host an eleven-year all-ages celebration event featuring special beer releases, food from Oi! The Sausage, and music provided by DJ MD. Melissa and Michael Kora opened Montavilla Brew Works at 7805 SE Stark Street on July 15th, 2015, and started using the annual celebration of that event to host a summertime gathering.

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Two Nighttime Eastbound NE Halsey Closures

Road Crews will shut down eastbound NE Halsey Street over Interstate 84 and NE 82nd Avenue from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Wednesday, July 8th, and Thursday, July 9th. At the same time, vehicles will need to detour around a closure on westbound NE Jonesmore Street between NE Halsey and 82nd Avenue. Workers will shut down a traffic signal for updates, including pavement marking specialists removing and replacing lane striping at the NE Jonesmore and Halsey Street intersection.

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A Sane and Safe Fourth of July, 1911 

In 1911, Montavilla held its first "safe and sane" Independence Day celebration. In that year, Portland joined the national effort to reduce July Fourth deaths and injuries—to both adults and children--caused by various types of pyrotechnics. In 1903, when the national campaign began, Independence Day celebrations across the country resulted in 466 deaths and 4,449 injuries. As “safe and sane” policies were adopted city after city and as safer activities replaced dangerous ones, injuries and deaths began to fall.

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Watching Fireworks With Personal Use Banned

Portland City Council permanently banned the sale and use of all consumer fireworks within city limits in March 2022. This restriction includes Independence Day celebrations, often occurring during hot and dry weather. The ban also prohibits the purchase of personal fireworks outside the City and returning to Portland to use them, so Portland Fire & Rescue (PP&R) encourages people to attend the professional July 4th fireworks displays presented throughout the region.

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SE 78th Closed for Fallen Tree Limbs

SE 78th Avenue is closed to through traffic due to fallen tree limbs between SE Stark and Washington Streets. The large tree branches, which accounted for nearly 50% of the tree's mass, fell across the roadway on June 30th, blocking traffic and lying across two vehicles. No significant damage or injury occurred. A Portland Parks & Recreation Urban Forestry representative has arrived at the site.

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Cottage Cluster at SE 75th and Pine

G&G Development Group, working under the name Timberline Development, recently received partial approval for zoning code compliance adjustments requested for its cottage cluster project at 305 SE 75th Avenue. The developer will add a pair of detached two-level homes behind the existing 1950-era single-story house. Demolition crews will raze a detached garage connected to the original house by a breezeway to make room for one of the two new units facing SE Pine Street.

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Portable Sidewalk Signs No Longer Require Paid Registration

On June 25th, the Portland City Council passed new rules governing portable signs placed on city sidewalks. Previous legislation from 25 years ago required businesses that placed sandwich boards and a-frame signs in front of their establishments to pay an annual fee, last set at $114. According to city officials, the cost of the complaint-based enforcement program exceeded the income raised by fees, meaning this removal unburdens businesses that had been paying for these types of signs and could save the city money by not investigating unregistered boards.

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NE Halsey Reopens to Bidirectional Traffic at New Mini-roundabout

In the latter half of June, road crews reopened NE Halsey Street to bidirectional automotive traffic after months of work creating a new mini-roundabout near Interstate 84 and NE 82nd Avenue. Additionally, drivers regained full use of NE 80th and NE 81st avenues at the worksite intersections. Starting on February 16th, westbound motorists on NE Halsey Street were prevented from fully crossing the I-84 overpass as cement masons created the second half of a new mini-roundabout and other contractors built additional street improvements.

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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. 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.

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White Lotus Summer Market at Fubonn

On June 6th, the White Lotus Summer Market began its four-weekend-long event featuring food, culture, and community behind the Fubonn Shopping Center at 2850 SE 82nd Avenue. Every Saturday and Sunday in June from 2 to 10 p.m., the over 40 vendors invite people to experience the outdoor market bringing together local vendors, cultural energy, and a community atmosphere.

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2026 Free Lunch + Play Returns June 22

On Monday, June 22nd, Portland Parks & Recreation's (PP&R) Free Lunch + Play program returns to Montavilla Park on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with free lunch from 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. for youth 18 years or younger. For many children, school offers activities and services that extend beyond education. Some students rely on school as their only structured playtime with peers and depend on the free lunch program for a midday meal.

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Free Express Shuttle to Forest & Washington Park Pilot

Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) launched a pilot express shuttle service this summer to help people from all over the city reach Forest Park and Washington Park. Shuttle buses operate on a regular Friday and Saturday schedule with stops extending into neighborhoods within East, North, and Northeast Portland. Park officials hope this program will allow more people to connect with the vast park resources on the west side of the City.

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New Sidewalks and 25 mph Speed Limits on SE Thorburn

Drivers on SE Thorburn Street merging into SE Washington Street up to I-205 will see a new 25 miles per hour (mph) speed limit. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) reduced speeds on the roadway from 30 mph in June as its contractors began work creating approximately 355 feet of new sidewalk on the north side of SE Thorburn Street, between SE 73rd Avenue and SE 74th Avenue, filling a sidewalk gap.

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Extreme Heat and Burn Ban

High temperatures and low precipitation in the area caused officials to implement a burn ban starting on June 15th, 2026, and lasting through the summer months. An Extreme Heat warning has triggered Multnomah County's cooling centers to open for those who need relief from the heat, and TriMet will not turn away people who can not pay a fare when traveling to and from a cooling center between 11 a.m.

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Montavilla History Questions Answered: Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial through the lens of 1922 media Sunday, May 21, 1922, was going to be another sweltering day in Portland. So, 89-year-old Civil War veteran James Downing decided to read his copy of the Oregonian under a shade tree in his backyard. He had just returned from the Montavilla Methodist Episcopal Church morning service, where a fellow veteran had told him about an illustrated story on the new Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

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Archaeology Roadshow Returns to East Portland on May 30

In 2025, after a 12-year run downtown, the annual Archaeology Roadshow moved its educational and interactive showcase across the river to East Portland. For the second year, the organizers are taking over the grassy field at Gateway Discovery Park, 10520 NE Halsey Street, this May 30th with a theme of "Fire & Water." Historians, members of universities, Tribes, government agencies, museums, and nonprofit cultural organizations will present over 30 exhibits at this free event from 11 a.m.

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New NE 69th Ave Sidewalk Corners from Glisan to Flanders

Crews working with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) recently reconstructed sidewalk corners with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant ramps on NE 69th Avenue between NE Glisan Street and Flanders Street. This helps people with a variety of mobility needs travel from the high-traffic commercial and transit corridor to one of the City's Neighborhood Greenways designed for pedestrians and cyclists.

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Montavilla History Questions Answered: Laundry

Good-bye Washday Blues? Doing laundry using a machine washer. Source: Delineator magazine, July, 1927 In the early 20th century, Monday was typically washday for American housewives. It was an all-day affair, even if you were one of the few who owned a powered washing machine. Home laundry required multiple steps: rubbing each item with soap, soaking it in hot water, wringing it out, and finally hanging it to dry.

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Montavilla Picnic Shelter Added to Budget

On May 20th, at the end of a marathon budget session, the Portland City Council approved an $8.5 billion city budget for fiscal year 2026-2027 with a $755,000 line item for a replacement Montavilla Park picnic shelter. Portland City Council Member Tiffany Koyama Lane's amendment to the budget came back to consideration at the tail-end of the proceeding after a quick revision to specify…

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