City Council to decide whether to foreclose on vacant Gordon’s Fireplace building

PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Portland City Council on Wednesday is set to decide the future of the vacant Gordon’s Fireplace building in Northeast Portland.

The graffiti -covered building off Northeast 33rd and Broadway has been deemed unsafe by Portland Fire & Rescue, and the city says there have been more than 30 police calls to the area in the last year.

KATU’s news partners at Willamette Week reported a developer bought the lot at the end of 2017.

City documents show the owners owe the city more than $20,000 in delinquent liens.

On Wednesday, City Council will take a vote on foreclosure.

The city’s Bureau of Development Services says foreclosure is a last resort when property owners won’t take responsibility for dangerous buildings.

“On the Gordon’s Fireplace property, we have received numerous complaints over this property over the past five years,” said Ken Ray, with the Bureau of Development. “We have issued at least seven code violation notices. And we have notified the property owner time and time again of concerns and issues at this property, that they have been unable or unwilling to address. We took the matter to a city code hearings officer in January, who issued a fairly lengthy order with several prescribed actions that need to be taken to fix up this property, and nothing’s happened.”

KATU reached out to the developer about the foreclosure vote.

If the foreclosure goes through, the lot will be auctioned off and the new owner will be responsible for fixing up the property.