PORTLAND, Oregon — The city of Portland is considering foreclosing on the old Gordon’s Fireplace Shop building in Northeast Portland. The historic structure has become a magnet for graffiti.
On Wednesday, city commissioners reviewed whether to foreclose on the building because of delinquent tax liens. The property owner has unpaid fines totaling more than $20,000 for code enforcement violations. A city council vote is scheduled for next week on whether to foreclose.
“The city is just deciding to move forward with something that seems to be unwarranted,” explained developer Rob Brewster in an email to KGW.
The iconic building on the corner of Northeast 33rd Avenue and Broadway is visible from Interstate 84, just east of downtown Portland.
A KGW investigation found that despite plans for renovation, the building has fallen into disrepair, generating neighbor complaints.
City records indicate the building was constructed in 1918 as a workshop for house parts, although an article in The Oregonian from August 1917 suggests it may have been earlier. The newspaper story titled, “Plane Plant Opens” described how workers built wooden airplane parts in the brick building, which would later referred to as the Aircraft Factory.
Over time, the building became a furniture store, then home to Gordon’s Fireplace Shop for more than 60 years. In 2016, Gordon’s Fireplace closed.
In 2017, Spokane-based developer Rob Brewster and his partners bought the building with plans to create office space and retail. But after the pandemic hit, they re-evaluated to focus on residential with 18 residential loft-style units and ground-level retail. Brewster blames bureaucracy for slowing down the project.
In January, Brewster told KGW construction work on the project would start within a month or so. To date, there’s been no such construction.
“The property is covered in graffiti, it is open to entry and has excessive trash and debris on site due to unlawful occupants who are camping at the site,” said a Foreclosure Recommendation Report filed by the city’s revenue bureau.
