Listen to this articleA Portland-area development company has run afoul of city code enforcement for letting a century-old commercial building in Sellwood-Moreland fall into disrepair.
Portland Permitting & Development ordered the sidewalk closed at Southeast 13th Avenue and Tenino Street in a posted notice dated June 26. The notice cites “damaged and deteriorated siding, trim, fascia and parapet. Fall hazard risk at sidewalks.”
A fence blocks pedestrians from using the sidewalk.
The property at 1269 S.E. Tenino St. is owned by a limited liability company connected to VWR Development LLC. VWR is the development entity of longtime local developers Walter and Vic Remmers, who list an address in Beaverton.
The property was purchased for $1.9 million in March 2022, records show. The two-story, 1,562-square-foot building was completed in 1912. Material appeared to be hanging off the façade above the doorway on 13th Avenue during a recent visit.
The developers did not respond to a message seeking comment.
Thirteenth Avenue is the main commercial artery through Southeast Portland’s Sellwood-Moreland neighborhood, and the sidewalk is heavily used by pedestrians. The property’s condition has not gone unnoticed. Someone wrote “Clear the fence, free the sidewalk!” on the city’s notice.
The city’s posted notice requests the owner “engage a structural engineer to determine repair or demolition needs ASAP.”
A “demolish or repair” notice was issued on July 2, said Ken Ray, spokesman for Portland Permitting & Development. The property owner is required to restrict access, immediately disconnect utilities, install 6-foot-high security fencing and more. The owner has 30 days to apply for permits for long-term repairs or demolition.
On Tuesday, the owner notified the agency that a temporary sidewalk would be installed, and a professional engineer would evaluate the property.
“The owner is moving forward as of today,” Ray stated in an email message on Thursday.
Walter and Vic Remmers have developed multiple small multifamily projects in Sellwood-Moreland. They delivered 19-unit buildings at 1313 S.E. Lambert St. and 1313 S.E. Spokane St., and a 30-unit building at 1280 S.E. Nehalem St. Some of those buildings have since been sold to other real estate investors.
VWR may be trying to offload the Tenino Street property instead of developing it. Capacity Commercial Group has the property listed for sale at $3 million. The listing touts “two 19-unit development opportunities” that are not subject to inclusionary zoning.
