- Developer Applies for Division Complex, Nearby Action Planned
- Fourteen Units on Site of 1902 Division Home
PORTLAND, Ore. – A three-story apartment complex has been applied for on the site of a 113-year-old house in the Richmond neighborhood of Southeast Portland, two blocks from a planned demolition-related protest later this week.
As reported by the Portland Chronicle in March, a 1902 house located at 5134 SE Division St. sits on the lot proposed for new development.
Photo credit: Portland Chronicle
Since publication of that article the city received an application for demolition of the two-story 2,085-square-foot home on April 17. The permit was subject to the 35-day demolition delay, as even though the application was submitted prior to new demolition regulations taking effect the delay was activated as the developer plans to replace the home with multiple new units.
The property is owned by Division Street Flats LLC following a sale on Feb. 23 for $660,000. Division Street Flats LLC is registered to Urban Asset Advisors LLC, which in turn is registered to Tim O’Brien. Urban Asset Advisors is also working on a six-story building in the central east side.
On June 29 the Bureau of Development Services received an application for construction on the site of the 113-year-old home, for a three-story 14-unit apartment complex with underground parking. The listed contractor is Erik Opsahl of Rainier Pacific Development LLC.
In May Urban Asset Advisors representatives presented plans for the development at a neighborhood meeting, but attendees were discouraged from taking photos of renderings to share the design of the complex.
Since that time a rendering has been publicly shared by the developers via a “company introduction” file that lists current company projects including the Southeast Division Street site.
Photo credit: Portland Chronicle
Rendering from Urban Asset Advisors
The document also provides some additional information about the project, which has a projected budget of $3 million.
The project is “located on SE Divisions (sic) St., one of the hottest and fastest-growing retail streets in Portland,” the document states. “Division St. is quickly becoming Portland’s ‘East Side’ version of the famous NW 23rd Ave.”
The developers also anticipate that “with the volume of new vertical apartment construction on Division lacing (sic) parking, the Division Street Flats will be welcomed by the neighborhood.”
Photo credit: Portland Chronicle
A protest focusing on demolition and development reform citywide is scheduled for Friday afternoon two blocks to the west of this proposed development. Hosted by activist group Stop Demolishing Portland, the protest has a number of stated awareness-raising goals.
“This is a demonstration to let the city’s leaders know that we will no longer tolerate the demolition of the city’s affordable housing, the rapid gentrification of our neighborhoods, the increase in homelessness and income inequality, and the loss of our urban tree canopy and wildlife,” event organizers wrote on a promotional event page.
The intersection at Southeast 50th Avenue and Division Street. Photo credit: Portland Chronicle
The protest is scheduled for 4 p.m. Friday at Southeast 50th Avenue and Division Street. Besides being two blocks west of the Urban Asset Advisors project, the protest location is:
–At an intersection with an upcoming 134-unit apartment complex (which recently received wider media attention for a problematic demolition);
-Four blocks south of an 18-unit townhouse development that required demolition of a church;
–Six blocks south of a 63-unit Urban Development Group project that required demolition of a warehouse (and has apparently been lessened in scale from the originally-proposed 84 units); and
–Seven blocks south of a 12-unit townhouse complex that began with the demolition of two 1920s houses (midway through this article is a focus on this development).
For more information visit the event page.
Photo credit: Portland Chronicle
The demolition permit on the 1902 home at Southeast 52nd Avenue and Division Street has been issued. The construction permit is still under review.