Old Wives’ Tales Demolished for 69 Residential Units

PORTLAND, Ore. – A one-story building formerly home to Old Wives’ Tales restaurant has been demolished after residing on the site since 1931, to be replaced by four stories of multifamily housing.

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

The property, previously covered by the Portland Chronicle in February and November, sold for $1,250,000 to Dennis Sackhoff‘s Urban Development Group last spring, operating under the subsidiary business name UDG 13th & Ankeny LLC. The cross street is part of the name likely to differentiate this development from another Urban Development Group project at SE 27th and Ankeny St.

The former property owner was Holly Hart, also owner of the restaurant that had been open for 34 years before its 2014 closure.

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Urban Development Group applied for and received a demolition permit for the 84-year-old building on Jan. 27.

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

In place of the restaurant building Sackhoff will construct a four-story structure with 69 residential units. There will be some amount of automobile and bicycle parking, though the exact number of spaces is unclear.

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

The parking lot behind the former Old Wives’ Tales building will be part of the new development.

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

The sidewalk has been blocked to pedestrian access while the demolition and construction takes place.

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Sackhoff has also blocked a well-utilized lane of parking along Southeast 13th while work on the project gets underway.

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

A building on East Burnside Street adjacent to the former Old Wives’ Tales building is not owned by Urban Development Group and does not appear to be part of the multifamily housing development, giving the new building a potential L-shape as the parking lot wraps around the adjacent building.

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

Photo credit: Portland Chronicle

The Bureau of Development Services approved and issued the permit for new construction on Feb. 27.