The Demolitions Continue . . .

The pace of demolitions of historic homes is accelerating, and the latest one shows that even the largest, most beautiful houses are "in the gunsights".

This lovely, historic, 91 year old Eastmoreland house was purchased by a developer, through a middleman, and will likely be demolished next month. The developer appears intent on building multiple new houses on the property. Photograph from Portland Chronicle.

The house was in fine condition and sold for $725,000. The profits available through teardown and replacement with multiple new houses make even such houses targets for demolition. See more in the Portland Chronicle article.

The Eastmoreland neighborhood is currently working to be designated a Historic District. In a Historic District, this house would have been a "contributing" house and protected from demolition.

Our Laurelhurst neighborhood is not currently a Historic District, so the lovely houses around us - maybe your neighbor's house? - are all fair game for demolition. That is not just the houses on double lots. Under the city's Residential Infill Project zoning proposal, even a house on a single mid-block R5 lot could be replaced by two units as a duplex, while a house on a single corner lot could be replaced by units as a triplex. Houses on double lots could be replaced by small apartment complexes. See previous article: What The Proposed Residential Infill Zoning Means For Laurelhurst

(This same developer previously tore down a 97 year old Laurelhurst house at NE Cesar Chavez and NE Couch.)