PORTLAND, OR – Two historic Portland homes were removed from a lot on SE Hawthorne Blvd. two years ago, and the site now hosts a large, mixed-use complex.
The two houses, located between SE 26th and SE 27th, were purchased by PHA Venture LLC in September 2012. The houses were being used commercially as office space. Shortly after the sale, Aaron Jones, a developer affiliated with PHA Venture LLC, informed the tenants they had 30 days to evict the premises, as the buildings would be demolished and the lot would be redeveloped.
The 105-year-old house on the corner of SE 26th was demolished, with the materials going to the Rebuilding Center to be repurposed.
Its neighbor, the historic Phelps-Montgomery House, was moved to a vacant lot a block away on SE Madison. This came about through a joint effort between many parties: the neighborhood, Rivermark Credit Union (which allowed the house to be moved across its parking lot), city officials, and especially the owners of the vacant lot. The house has been remodeled and contains seven rental apartments.
Construction on the new development at SE 26th began in 2013. The city received a complaint in March that the construction was violating the city’s noise ordinances, as it was continuing long after 6:00 pm. The complaint also cited workers operating on scaffolding without lights in the dark.
The building, called Hawthorne Twenty-Six, opened in early 2014. It is located in a CS (Commercial Storefront) zone, and its ground floor contains several businesses, including Coava Coffee and Prettyman’s General (a specialty beer and wine bar advertising “daily goods and evening vices”).
There are studio apartments currently available ranging from $1,280 to $1,545, and a one-bedroom available for $1,495.
The Hawthorne Twenty-Six is owned by PHA Venture LLC, whose registered agent is Cable Huston LLP. PHA Venture LLC includes as members Gordon Bloomquist, Michael Gordon, Otto Gaither, Investment Management Development LLC, and Yoshio McKennon LLC. Aaron Jones makes up half of Yoshio McKennon LLC.