Restore Oregon is calling on our friends in the historic preservation community to demonstrate a strong showing of support for curbing demolitions, protecting historic resources, and encouraging compatible infill on December 7th at City Hall. In their once-a-year opportunity to discuss the most important historic preservation issues with the Portland City Council, the Historic Landmarks […]
This Wednesday: Raise Your Voice to Protect Portland’s Neighborhoods
Update: City Council has extended the deadline to submit written testimony until Wednesday, November 23. The City of Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) wants to respond to Portlanders’ concerns about changing neighborhoods citywide. The Residential Infill Project was initiated in the fall of 2015 to address growing pains related to demolitions, the size of infill homes, and […]
Portland First in Nation to Mandate Deconstruction of Historic Homes
Effective October 31, any one or two-family home that was built in 1916 or earlier or is a designated historic resource cannot be demolished by the typical bulldozer process, but must be manually deconstructed and salvaged. In response to the demolition epidemic sweeping across Portland, the City convened a Deconstruction Advisory Group (DAG) to recommend […]
Internal Conversions: A Sensitive Solution
The City of Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability recently conducted a study to assess the architectural and structural feasibility of internally converting historic homes into two or more dwelling units. Internal conversion is when a home that has previously been used for a single family is divided into multiple apartment units or studios allowing […]
Portland Ends its 14-Year Violation of State Preservation Law
After years of pressure applied by Restore Oregon and others, the City of Portland today closed a loophole that affects over 2,700 significant properties on the City’s Historic Resources Inventory (HRI). As a response to preservationists’ recent State Supreme Court victory, the City’s Service Level Update will stop ranked properties on the HRI from being […]
Workmen Temple Replacement Design Gets Thumbs Down
Restore Oregon has been advocating for the preservation of the Workmen Temple since its removal from the Historic Resource Inventory in November 2015. Restore Oregon’s Executive Director Peggy Moretti provided testimony at the City of Portland’s Design Commission hearing on August 4th regarding the proposed demolition and replacement of the Ancient Order of United Workmen Temple. Restore […]
Eastmoreland Pursues Protection through Designation
Eastmoreland Neighborhood Association’s Board of Directors have voted to move forward with pursuing the designation of their neighborhood as a Historic District listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The neighborhood association organized an informational workshop about the proposed historic district designation on May 26. The neighborhood views this designation as a tool to […]
Portland: The Trailblazer for Planned Deconstruction
Portland is leading the country by requiring deconstruction of historic homes which are already planned for demolition. Any one or two family structure that was built before 1917 or is a designated historic resource will require a full manual deconstruction rather than mechanical demolition starting on October 31st of this year. Measures to address […]
Portland’s Neighborhood Character: Do Something About It
Portland’s growing pains have sparked discussions and proposals around density and affordability. How do we retain neighborhood character, but also meet the demand of growth in Portland? Restore Oregon was invited to sit on the City’s Stakeholder Advisory Committee, a group convened to advise project staff on the issues of residential infill across the city […]
A Ticking Clock
One of Pietro Belluschi’s landmarks faces demolition in downtown Salem. Despite its listing in the National Register of Historic Places, Pietro Belluschi’s First National Bank of Salem building will likely be demolished by September 6th. Constructed in 1946, the building’s design follows a mid-career trend in the work of Oregon’s foremost modernist and features the […]