Foreclosure Auction Expected for Former Gordon’s Fireplace Store in Portland

The Portland City Council unanimously decided to initiate foreclosure on a building on June 12. This concerns a property in northeast Portland, previously dismissed by city officials earlier this year, and now scheduled for a foreclosure auction.

The former Gordon’s Fireplace store, located at 3312 NE Broadway, will be auctioned in the coming days with an opening bid of $500,600. This is the second-highest opening bid among the properties in the upcoming foreclosure auction.

For various reasons, the Portland City Council unanimously voted to foreclose on this building and three other “nuisance” properties. The building has been vacant since 2016, and although a new owner obtained remodeling permits in March 2022, the renovation did not proceed, and the property continued to deteriorate.

Ken Ray, the spokesperson for Portland Permitting & Development, stated that the owners received multiple fines totaling more than $20,000 over nearly five years due to issues such as crumbling bricks, broken windows, and inadequate security. To date, these fines remain unpaid, and city records indicate that by December and early 2024, the owners did not attend two code compliance hearings regarding these issues.

Developer Rob Brewster, who opposed the foreclosure, mentioned that the owners initially intended to transform the building into office space but switched to considering apartments due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Brewster also explained to city council members that it was a very difficult process for them. “We were told it would take six months to get our permits. It took 14… It got tangled up with the city’s requirements for a new signal at the intersection and infrastructure redesign, which is very unreasonable.”

Some residents of the Grant Park neighborhood consider the property an eyesore that attracts graffiti and poses safety risks.

Available Foreclosures: 

Portland: 4 homes available.

By Elias DaSilva | October 11, 2024.