(Photos by J. Maus/BikePortland)
We are excited to announce that six and-a-half years after we first told you about Gateway Green, supporters of the project have planned their first official bike event. Yesterday on their Facebook page, the Friends of Gateway Green unveiled plans for “Community CX,” a cyclocross exhibition race that will take place on November 15th.
The event announcement comes less than two months after the City of Portland officially took over ownership of the 30-acre parcel that sits adjacent to the Airport MAX and the intersection of I-84 and 205. Portland bought the parcel from the Oregon Department of Transportation for $19,300 and plans to develop the area as an off-road cycling destination.
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Portland Parks Commissioner Amanda Fritz said back in August that Gateway Green will, “boost Portland’s visibility as a world-class bike-friendly city,” and that it’s, “a tremendous use of the underutilized land.”
park’s southern end (near Halsey overpass).
Gateway Green’s topography and mix of open meadows and forested areas make it a natural place for cyclocross. Jocelyn Gaudi, a Friends board member, says she and other volunteers have designed “a dynamic course with plenty of great observation areas to entertain the whole crowd.” The Community CX event will feature a full slate of racing for all categories and there will also be activities for kids.
Gaudi adds the the event will be more of a community gathering and the race is meant to be “fun and casual.” It will also be historic, given that this will be the first-ever organized bike event at Gateway Green and, according to Gaudi, it’s the first cyclocross race to be held on a Portland Parks-owned property since 2002 (if you don’t count Portland International Raceway).
The race also marks the start of a major fundraising campaign. Race entries will be $20, all of which will go toward the $1.6 million that the Friends of Gateway Green must raise in order to cash in on the $1 million Metro grant they won back in July. When all this funding comes together, they’ll have $3 million to spend on the first phase of the park’s development.
— Check out the event schedule and stay tuned for updates by checking out the Facebook event page. If you have questions or would like to get involved with the event, contact Gaudi at jocelyn(AT)gatewaygreenpdx(DOT)org.