On December 19th, Portland Water Bureau (PWB) announced a complete switch to groundwater from Portland's Columbia South Shore Well Field in response to higher amounts of organic material suspended in the Bull Run Watershed after this week's heavy rainstorm. City ratepayers receive water from two primary sources that utility operators can switch between or blend together based on supply and environmental conditions.

As part of the 82nd Avenue Transit Project currently under development, Oregon Metro and TriMet have launched a survey to gauge the impact of station construction on recreational and historic areas along the planned Bus Rapid Transit route. Provided details and several questions focus on work to convert the existing bus stop in front of the Montavilla Community Center, at…

Cleanup crews from Central City Concern (CCC) began providing basic sidewalk cleaning services in Montavilla's major business corridors in October. The Public Environment Management Office (PEMO), part of Portland Solutions, contracted with the employment opportunity program operator to improve conditions around neighborhood economic centers, aiming to create safer, more welcoming spaces. The rollout's timing coincides with the critical holiday shopping season when small businesses depend on customers coming out to local storefronts and shopping within the community.

Starting in the middle of December, Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) maintenance crews will return to the Montavilla area to grade and re-gravel unpaved residential streets as part of the City’s Gravel Street Service enacted in 2018. The program rotates crews on a three-year cycle between areas of the city, working from November through February, mostly on weekdays, from 7 a.m.

Q – Was cycling popular in Montavilla's early years? A – Soon after the invention of the modern two-wheeler, the bicycle craze swept the country. It reached its peak in the 1890s and early 20th century. In Montavilla, there were not only local bicyclists but also Portlanders who liked to head for the countryside in east Multnomah County. A popular bicycle route, the Base Line Cycle Path, went right through Montavilla on what is now Stark Street.

Sadie Veterinary Urgent Care at 8037 SE Stark Street will expand into the adjacent storefront that most recently hosted Union Rose before it relocated to the Plural Collective in Sellwood. Pending building permit approval, renovation work on the neighboring space will begin in the first half of 2026, with an anticipated completion in the summer. The frequently busy care center for cats and dogs will remain open during renovations, with minor disruptions as staff reorganize the facility to make better use of the significantly larger space.

Crews began work at the site of a new mini-roundabout along NE Halsey Street on Monday, December 8th, blocking NE 80th and NE 81st Avenues to car traffic. NE Halsey remains open for east-west through traffic, with some delays while flaggers pause vehicle flow to allow heavy construction equipment to navigate the in-street job site. Contractors working with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) are installing underground stormwater management pipes to connect with relocated catch basins as part of this street reconfiguration, which should improve the flow of rainwater runoff in the area.

Leaders across Oregon want developers to build more homes. Governor Tina Kotek set a statewide housing production goal in 2023, aiming to add 36,000 units per year, and although that goal was not met, it remains a key talking point for the administration. Locally, past and present Portland City Council members, along with the Mayor, have tried to reorganize the City's permitting structure…

On December 2nd, crews working with a crane unloaded prefabricated mobile buildings that will support the residents and site operators of Harrison Community Village at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue. This installation marks a significant milestone as the Multnomah County Homeless Services Department (HSD) prepares the site to house a new sober shelter operated by nonprofit Do Good Multnomah. Principal work on this project began in August, when…

On November 6th, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) opened its fourth round of the Community Charging Rebates (CCR) program, which subsidizes the cost of installing electric vehicle (EV) chargers for businesses, nonprofits, public entities, Tribes, EV service providers, and owners of multifamily home complexes. Large sections of Montavilla and East Portland reside within the project's "Priority" area, and organizations that add to the charger network could receive $8,000 per Level 2 charge port installed or up to 80% of eligible expenses.

Once again, the opening of Red Shed Christmas Trees officially starts the holiday season in the area with the reopening of its Montavillage market in the Vinje & Son's parking lot near SE 78th Avenue and Washington Street. That festive start leads to the public Tree Lighting Ceremony on Saturday, December 6th at 5 p.m. in the Public Plaza at…

Crews recently replaced the speed and red-light enforcement cameras on 82nd Avenue after Portland City officials switched vendors this summer. The pole-mounted equipment appears inactive, with the Tuffak polycarbonate lens covers still donning its logoed protective film. However, drivers can anticipate the system's activation, with a period of warning letters issued before the City switches to issuing citations for excessive speeds, failing to stop for a red traffic signal, or going through a yellow light when the driver could have stopped before entering the intersection.

On November 13th, Endless Wonders Books opened a sales corner at Hungry Heart Bakery, 414 SE 80th Avenue. The new integrated business relationship between the distinct companies adds operating hours to the storefront while offering a selection of titles featuring marginalized communities or written by authors identifying as members of underrepresented groups. Owners Zo Nicole and Mags Burke created Endless Wonders Books as a mobile and online bookstore before meeting Hungry Heart's owner, Jax Hart, at a pride pop-up event at the Jupiter Hotel.

Recently, crews working with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) added a new line of street trees along NE 82nd Avenue adjacent to Glenhaven Park's parking area. The new plantings occupy a 600-foot-long planting strip created by shifting the formerly curb-tight sidewalk west, closer to a mature tree line on the city park's edge. This pedestrian update will improve the daily walk many schoolchildren take on their commute to Leodis V.

Over the last several months, crews working with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) have created new segments of sidewalk along NE Halsey Street between NE 84th and 92nd Avenues as part o…

Portland transportation officials have begun public outreach and project development for the SE Stark and Washington Street Safety Project, with an expected groundbreaking in 2028. The streetscape improvement work will focus on the SE Stark and Washington one-way couplet, from 92nd to 108th Avenues, adding protected bike lanes with enhanced pedestrian crossing points and updates to transit stops. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) also plans to upgrade traffic signal systems at six intersections.

Crews working with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) activated the new left-turn signal at SE 82nd Avenue and Washington Street on November 12th, allowing left turns at this high-traffic intersection for the first time in decades. This change is part of work underway on SE 82nd Avenue around the SE Stark Washington couplet, where PBOT added center lane medians with space for street trees and raised concrete turn lane separators.

On November 12th, crews completed the installation of a roughly 5-by-10-foot art display within the Montavilla Street Plaza at SE 79th Avenue and Stark Street. The artistic representation of a historic streetcar is part of a grant-funded program titled "Meet Me in Montavilla," with a focus on celebrating the town-turned-Portland-neighborhood's diverse history while attracting present-day Portlanders to its vibrant community.

A new tattoo shop and retail storefront will open at 7925 SE Stark Street in the former Maintain Yourself PDX space on the historic downtown Montavilla main street. Blackfang Tattoos and More will have space for five resident tattoo artists, along with an all-ages storefront featuring works by local artists, stickers, clothing, plants, and jewelry. Owners Alyssa Black and Gerrit Smith live blocks away from their new shop and have strong ties to the neighborhood.

On November 1st, Holy Moly Salon and Gallery opened at 7819 SE Stark Street in the former Harashay storefront with four stations and a back wall dedicated to showcasing local artists. The owners designed the newly renovated space to offer an "elevated experience" that is approachable to area residents and serves the full spectrum of haircare desires for all people.

In 2021, two Portland restaurateurs partnered to build food cart pods that better support the local culinary entrepreneurs they host, recently opening the Hawthorne Street Food and Bar location at 4225 SE Hawthorne Boulevard. The team working under the B&U Properties name intended to open their first pod at SE 82nd Avenue and Ash Street. However, uncertainties around the former State Highway's transformation prompted them to refocus on a second site, 40 blocks west, that officially opened in April.

Q – Did Montavilla ever have streetcar service? A – Montavilla was actually served by two separate lines, plus one very short-lived one. These routes were part of the expanding streetcar service east of the Willamette to provide transit for the Portland area’s rapidly growing population of the 1880s. Montavilla’s first subdivision—and its namesake Mount Tabor Villa Addition—went on the market in 1889.

On November 1st, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) began its 2025-26 Leaf Day season. For over 30 years, the City of Portland has offered select geographic areas a curbside collection and cleaning service that prevents streets from flooding in locations that account for the majority of dropped leaves on city streets. This year, the program extends to four new Montavilla zones, assisting residents with extensive tree canopies in keeping the public right-of-way clear during the autumn season.

Starting October 26th, youth visitors to the Montavilla Farmers Market can sample a seasonal food item selected from market vendors. Participants aged two to 12 will receive $3 vouchers to spend at a farmer's booth after sampling the food. For the last decade, this program, highlighting the "Power of Produce"(POP), has run through the market's winter season. With grant funding from the East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District (EMSWCD), the Kids' POP Club not only helps young people expand their tastes for fresh, local vegetables but also supports market vendors during the quieter winter months.

On Thursday, October 30th, Montavilla Brew Works (MBW) will host a food bank benefit with matched food donations to Mainspring Community Pantry and the Oregon Food Bank amid a looming food crisis brought about by the Federal Government's shutdown. Attendees can bring unexpired non-perishable food items to 7805 SE Stark Street from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., and the organizer will match that donation with an equivalent amount of similar food items.