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11-08-2024 4:00 am • PDX and SEA Weather
MLK Breakfast
Portland Parks & Recreation’s new Washington Park South Entry project is now complete and open to visitors. The reimagined entrance has greatly improved the experiences of both park visitors and the world-renowned cultural institutions which call Washington Park home.
The south entry is one of the few ways vehicles can enter Washington Park and access its many attractions and cultural venues (Oregon Zoo, International Rose Test Garden, World Forestry Center, Hoyt Arboretum, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Portland Japanese Garden, and more). For years, park visitors traveling by car have faced challenging traffic, plus confusing wayfinding and bike routes.
“Washington Park is a destination for Portlanders, for people from across the region, and for people from around the world,” says Portland Parks & Recreation Director Adena Long.
“Which is why I’m thrilled about the benefits this project will bring to our community. Now we can manage stormwater runoff across four acres of park land, we’ve improved access to and within the park for people using any and all modes of transportation, and we’ve created the grand entry that a regional destination like Washington Park deserves.”
The updated entry was envisioned in the 2018 Washington Park Master Plan, a guiding document for the park’s development.
The Washington Park South Entry project is supplemented by $5.8 million in Park System Development Charges (SDCs), which ensured the project could be completed this year, on time.
Park SDCs are one-time fees assessed on new development. They are not General Fund tax dollars. SDCs help ensure that, as the city’s population grows, its quality of life keeps pace with its infrastructure needs. The funds may only be used to improve and expand park features and capacity.
Other funding to round out the $10.7 million PP&R project comes from these project partners:
Working together with Washington Park-based cultural institutions and other project stakeholders, PP&R identified the following three primary goals for the Washington Park South Entry project.
As part of existing conditional use requirements for the Oregon Zoo and Washington Park, the project was required to provide for a minimum of one acre of stormwater mitigation. To satisfy this requirement, the final design of the south entry centered around the creation of a stormwater garden. The stormwater garden has new landscaping and cascading weirs incorporating steel and stone.
Adding a grand entry is fitting as Washington Park hosts a variety of cultural sites and recreational activities. The park is home to the Oregon Zoo, World Forestry Center, Hoyt Arboretum, International Rose Test Garden, Portland Japanese Garden, Portland Water Bureau reservoirs, memorials, playgrounds, an archery range, and miles of trails. To develop the south entry into more of a grand entry, PP&R will be adding new signage, monuments, improved landscape, lighting, and site furnishings.
To better accommodate bicycle and pedestrian traffic, PP&R installed a six-foot-wide sidewalk that parallels both sides of Canyon Blvd. leading into the park. The project has also added bicycle lanes that parallel the new sidewalks.
