RESTORATION IS UNDERWAY!
The long-awaited project is thanks to the vision of the local property owners and business leaders, who are committed to the vitality of the neighborhood and the reinvigoration of the parks, plazas and fountains in the Portland Open Space Sequence. In partnership with the city of Portland, Halprin Landscape Conservancy successfully completed a volunteer local improvement district to fund the restoration of this collection of historic parks.
Built in the likeness of the nearby Cascade Mountain Range and Columbia River, Halprin’s work has been referred to as a “Mid-City Mountain Stream” by Life magazine and continues to inspire its visitors. These mid-century modern parks stand as some of Portland’s most influential works of landscape architecture and have won the city international recognition. As Portland’s continues to grow, we are seeing rapid growth and change in the south end of downtown, an area which employs more than 13,000 and houses 5,400. With increasing demand for vibrant parks and open spaces, but no new parks in the works, the importance of restoration and maintenance of our existing parks becomes paramount.
For the remainder of 2018 and into 2019, visitors to the Sequence may notice that the fountains are closed for construction. A majority of the work to be done in each park will involve: the installation of new fountain pumps and related plumbing; redoing and updating underground utilities; rebuilding walls and concrete structures, and; addressing drainage and mechanical system issues. Each of these changes will help to improve the safety, accessibility and energy efficiency of the parks.
The dust, noise and construction-related safety concerns of our restoration effort will certainly limit public events in the coming future. However, this effort and the coalition behind it aim to renew these public areas for a livelier downtown and a brighter future for Portland’s open spaces.
