While Last Thursday tonight on NE Alberta will see some hubbub in a bottom-up attempt to make the event car free, another intriguing negotiation among neighbors has been unfolding all year right in the center of Last Thursday’s territory.
The vacant lot on the corner of 20th and Alberta, across from the popular Mexican restaurant Don Pancho’s, has not seen $1 of improvements in ten years, despite the gentrifying boom in the rest of the neighborhood. Two years ago, the owners pitched the idea of building a 65-foot tall condo complex on the lot but neighbors were against the design (“It’s massive!”) and then the housing market went sour and the plan fell through.
Since 2006, the lot’s value has increased by $84,000, but the only development activity has been to acquire complaints about weeds and garbage.
But what’s interesting is what’s happened in the absence of development: people around Alberta have claimed the lot as a community place and are engaged in low-key, grassroots battle for the grassy space.
With weeds coming up in the lot rather than condos, neighbors started using the field as their own, partying on the grass and swiping blackberries and figs from the lot’s well-known row of trees. Then in 2007, a metal fence went up, encircling the lot and cutting neighbors off from their beloved figs. A few weeks later, though, the fence was mysteriously torn down in the middle of the night. The partying and fig-eating continued until last winter, when a new fence went up – this time it was painted red and covered in “No Trespassing” signs. But, one night in the Spring, some crew of rapscallions tore the fence down again. The fence lay on the ground for a while until apparently metal scrappers picked it up.
Alberta resident and artist Dan Beyer was glad to see the fence go — he describes the lot as a park. “The park is very uniquely Portland, it has very specific attributes that are unique to the neighborhood. It facilitates society, for crying out loud – people set up their art there, on Last Thursday people picnic there,” says Beyer, adding that one of its most appreciated qualities is simply, “It’s not a condo.”
This silent back-and-forth between neighbors and the lot owners continued into summer. In early July, a tiny gazebo appeared in the Alberta-side corner of the lot. It was a pretty little structure, about four feet tall with a roof over a pile of white stones and planted flowers. A hand-painted sign next to the gazebo declared the lot a guerilla garden. Two weeks ago, the gazebo and sign disappeared. Now all that’s left is the stones and weeds:
Thanks, I love these kind of neighborhood stories.
If they really want it to be a park, they’d better get somebody to get the city to buy it from the owner now, instead of waiting for the property to appreciate or turn into Homer William’s next big project.
So much for property rights. How about I just break into the trespasser’s home and start smashing shit? Assholes.
Before the fence was up (before it was taken down) I used to sometimes see families standing together, holding hands, and praying to God in the field. I’m not sure what was up with that.
Thank effing J.C. Chavez that no one’s said ‘Next’ yet.
I really enjoy this lot. Particularly since the clown house was removed, community spots on Alberta are increasingly precious.
I believe the lot was sold by the owners of the glass shop with the glass shop land for $1M to a developer. Also I think street blocking Magnus has significant investments on the street into millions.
It’s called PRIVATE PROPERTY, and these douchebag hipster/artist types should learn to respect it. They come tear down a fence on my property and they won’t be leaving breathing.
Eminent domain that shit.
If they want a community park, hold a fund raiser and BUY THE FUCKING LAND!
It’s no wonder rednecks want to keep their guns.
“Eminent domain that shit.”
And if they pay a fair price and use it as a city park, that would be reasonable.
SQUAT! SQUAT! SQUAT! LET’S GO SQUAT 20th and ALBERTA!!!
So sad some goons decided they could destroy private property (tearing down the fence – twice!); guess the goons feel their property is fair game for anyone in the ‘community’ that wants it. If the ‘community’ really wants to use this land, then they should raise the funds to buy it, improve and maintain it, and pay the taxes. So far the goons have been pretty lucky that they have not been jailed and then nailed with a property damage claim.
I used to bike over to the Alberta Co-op for groceries, and I passed by this field every so often–to the best of my knowledge, it didn’t seem to be used for much of everything. (Perhaps I just came at the wrong time?)
In any case, I’m sure if a group of people talked to the developer and discussed the possibility of planting a garden, rather than just doing it… well, it’s sort of akin to graffiti on a vacant building… it’s cool and all, but at the end of the day it still wasn’t your building.
It’s just that, in this case, the lot makes it easier to justify your decision because, hey, “it’s just land,” right?
the other night at around three in teh morning I was walking my dog and passed this lot that has become a den of freaks. grubby street urchins were sitting in the lot shooting up, smoking crack etc. and a fight ensued over a bicycle just a I was passing. I agree with the idea of making it community space but for the love of god, do something with it. If the owner wants to speculate that is his perogative but he has to expect the shit to move in if he just keeps it looking like shit. like attracts like. just like the alberta washhouse, that place was a wreck for three years because the owners just let it fall apart. same basic principle, the washouse attracted the nastiest shit you can imagine until they cleaned it up and had more than three working washers in there.