Montavilla Community
Share your story. Ask a question. Propose an idea. This space belongs to everyone working to protect Montavilla's most important gathering place.
For a lot of us, the market on SE Stark isn't just a place to buy vegetables — it's a Saturday ritual, a place where you run into neighbors, where kids grow up watching the seasons change through the vendors' tables. We'd love to hear your story. How long have you been coming? What would it mean to lose it?
7700 SE Stark has been a gathering place for almost two decades, but the neighborhood's history runs much deeper. Long-time Montavilla residents — what do you remember about this block and this street before the market? We want to tell a full story, not just the last 19 years.
We're actively building out the team. Here's where we have gaps right now: - **Legal**: nonprofit formation, real estate, land trust bylaws - **Finance**: nonprofit accounting, CDFI relationships, grant writing - **Design**: site planning, architecture, landscape - **Organizing**: outreach, coalition building, event logistics - **Communications**: media, social, copywriting If any of these fit you — or if you have something else to offer — reply here or email info@montavillalandtrust.org.
We need organizations, businesses, and institutions to stand with us publicly. Neighborhood associations, schools, churches, local employers — who in Montavilla and greater SE Portland should we be talking to? Drop names, introductions, or connections below. Warm introductions move faster than cold outreach.
CLTs have preserved community spaces in cities across the country — from urban farms in Detroit to market halls in Oakland. If you've lived somewhere a CLT protected something worth protecting, we'd love to hear about it. Real examples help us make the case to funders and skeptics alike.
Portland rain is real. The current setup makes November markets a gamble. The plan includes industrial shade structures and landscape design to make the outdoor market work in any weather. Have you been to year-round markets in other cities that got it right? What made them work?
The vision includes a mass timber building with a commissary kitchen and cold storage for vendors. But what else should be in there? A community meeting room? A tool library? Space for neighborhood organizations? This is your chance to help design it before it's built.
This is your space. Share your story, ask questions, propose ideas, and connect with neighbors who care about Montavilla's future. The steering committee will post updates here as the campaign moves forward. In the meantime — introduce yourself, tell us what the market means to you, and let's build this coalition together.