Residents
Owning in Irvington
Design Review Consult & Land Use
All new construction and most exterior alterations are subject to historic resource review in order to preserve the historic character of the neighborhood. The City of Portland officially began regulating the Irvington Historic District on November 2, 2010.
The Irvington Community Association's Land Use Committee can help property owners who have questions about determining if their changes to their property are subject to a historic resource review.
The nomination form for the National Register of Historic Places can be used to learn a little bit about the structures in the district. This document IrvingtonDistrictNominationComplete2010 has most buildings. It is 324 pages long, but can be searched with the Ctrl-F feature. Some additional material for a few structures can be found in smaller files NationalRegister_Noms_10000850_Addtl, NationalRegister_Noms_AD10000850 (which pertains only to 3224 NE 25th Ave), and NationalRegister_Noms_AD10000850_3 (which pertains only to 2107 NE 14th). It might be easier to call the 3rd and 4th files simply by the address, since they only refer to one structure each.
Tax Incentives
With the designation of the Irvington Historic District, all “contributing” properties - over 85% of the buildings in the District - are potentially eligible for two important programs that could save you money, depending on your tax situation and your specific plans for the property.
Oregon Special Assessment Program
The most widely applicable of these two programs is the Oregon Special Assessment. The program offers a 10-year special assessment of the property's assessed value for building that will be significantly, but appropriately rehabilitated and maintained. Thus the increase in assessed value triggered by major rehabilitation or expansion of your home will be put off by 10 years while you enjoy the benefits of the investments immediately. Both commercial and residential properties are eligible for two 10-year terms of the benefit - providing that for the second term (only) the application must include work addressing improvements in seismic, energy conservation, ADA, sustainability, or a combination of these.
Read more about this program, eligibility, and requirements.
Federal Historic Property Tax Credit
The second important tax-saving program your property may be eligible for is the Federal Historic Property Tax Credit program. This program is aimed at Contributing income-producing properties - of which there are a great many in Irvington, both rental real estate and commercial/retail properties.
Living & Working in Irvington
Boundaries
Neighborhood Boundaries
The Irvington Community Association (ICA) is recognized by the City of Portland as the neighborhood association for the area bounded by NE 7th Avenue on the West, NE Fremont Street on the North, NE 26th Avenue on the East, and NE Broadway on the South.
Historic District Boundaries
The Irvington Historic District includes the area from the middle of NE Fremont Street south to the middle of NE Broadway Street, and from the middle of NE 7th St. east to the east side of NE 27th St. A small portion of NE 28th St., between NE Tillamook St. and NE Hancock St., is also included.
Century Homes
Is your home 100 years old? Get an Irvington Century House sign to display in your yard - celebrate local history and your home.
Learn about the Mary and Smith Piper Century House Program, how to determine your home’s age, and how to get your sign or contact historicpreservation@irvingtonpdx.com.
Historic District
On October 22, 2010,the U.S. Secretary of the Interior added the Irvington neighborhood to the National Register of Historic Places. Irvington now benefits from important protections that encourage preserving the area’s character and livability for future generations.
Read about the benefits of a historic district and how property owners are affected.
Neighborhood Services
Services like Irvington NET serve residents of the neighborhood.
Parks
Irving Park, administered by Portland Parks and Recreation, occupies about sixteen acres in the northwest corner of the Irvington neighborhood bordered by NE 7th Avenue and NE Fremont Streets.
Schools
These public schools serve the Irvington Neighborhood. View the attendance map if you are unsure which school serves where you live.
The Irvington School, built in 1932, is a contributing resource in the Irvington Historic District. It features historic Ed Quigley murals inside the lobby.
Tree Information & Resources
Window Weatherization
The Irvington Community Association spearheaded and funded the development of a guide to window repair and weatherization for historic homes (pdf), in partnership with the Architectural Heritage Center.
Zoning
The Irvington Community Association (ICA) closely tracks Portland’s zoning changes as it relates to both Irvington and the city-at-large. Find more information regarding the ICA’s involvement and stance on those issues on the Land Use page.