(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)
We love Gateway Green, but it needs a lot more love to reach its potential.
The 25-acre bike park and green space in east Portland along a light rail line and bike path where I-84 and I-205 intersect, will be three years old this summer. Yet despite attracting thousands of people and hosting major events, it still doesn’t have a paved gathering area, lights, running water or bathroom facilities.
Beginning next month the Portland Parks & Recreation Bureau will start a $5.75 million project (funded through a Metro grant and $4.75 million in system development charges) that will come with a host of substantial upgrades. Working with partners and volunteers from the nonprofit NW Trail Alliance and Friends of Gateway Green, the project will build out Phase 2 of the park plans.
Once the park re-opens in early summer November of this year, users will enjoy trail and path upgrades, a new “gravity-oriented mountain bike trail”, a play area, habitat improvements, new plantings, a drinking founding, restrooms, and more.
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Juntu Oberg with NW Trail Alliance said in a statement, “We look forward to enhanced off-road cycling opportunities for local families and encourage everyone around the region to come to the park on public transit, supporting our ‘Ride to Your Ride’ mission.”
The project will be built by Raimore Construction, a locally-owned contractor with a field staff that’s over 60% minorities and women, and a management staff made up of over 80% minorities and women.
While Phase 2 is exciting, the final build-out promises to connect the park to the community in a major way. According to Portland Parks, the final phase of construction that’s still a few years down the road will come with a new park entrance to the south near the Gateway Transit Center (and a shopping center). TriMet’s Better Red project will add a second track and a new platform to the MAX Red Line. It will also add a new walkway and bike path to connect the existing Transit Center with the new platform that extends northward over I-84 to provide a new, more accessible route to Gateway Green (see graphic above)!
The $200 million Better Red project has an estimated completion date of 2023-2024.
The future is very bright for Gateway Green. Stay tuned for project updates and opportunities to volunteer for work parties.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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