Portland 'ghost buildings' hit auction block; 2 sell

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- A North Portland warehouse that caught fire in 2017 was one of six so-called "ghost buildings" that was up for auction on Monday. It didn't sell. In fact, only two of the six properties sold, both in North Portland.

Despite broken windows and graffiti, ghost buildings are like missing puzzle pieces, just hints of a story waiting to be completed, all full of potential.

At least that's how Doug Decker sees it.

"Well, the old buildings are kind of like time capsules. You know, they remind us who we've been and they connect us with who we're going to be," said Decker, a Portland State researcher and neighborhood historian behind the blog, Alameda Old House History.

As Portland confronts an affordable housing crisis, Decker stressed the need to balance new development with respect for the past.

"The growing pains associated with the affordable housing crisis put pressure on us to create change while preserving our history," he said.

To accelerate that vision, the Portland City Council slashed the redemption period for property owners to reclaim foreclosures from one year down to just 3 months.

If owners don't pay outstanding fines or liens, the properties go to auction, covering everything from single-family homes to factories.

One standout ghost building, the old Gordon's Fireplace Shop at NE 33rd and Broadway, saved itself from this auction. The city said it paid its outstanding fines on Friday.

Neighbors told KOIN 6 News the ghost buildings caused problems for years and brought unwanted crowds.

The city's goal is to improve neighborhoods and make it easier for new buyers to invest in these neglected properties. At the auction, the homes are sold as-is and a buyer has to pay the same day.

The City Council will add the four unsold properties from Monday's auction to its growing foreclosure list for another auction early next year.

Decker is hopeful about the other lonely spaces that dot the city.

"They're going to fall down or something," he said. "Something good is going to happen with them. Something needs to happen with them."