Oregonian: Park Blocks gain one more piece

Oregonian: Park Blocks gain one more piece [URL]

Director Park – as it is commonly called – is the first new downtown park since the completion of Tanner Springs Park in the Pearl District, which opened in August 2005.

Portland historian Chet Orloff praises Moyer and Schnitzer for their generous contributions to the project. This is a really classic example of the kind of public-private partnerships we boast about here in Portland,” says Orloff, who chaired the citizens advisory committee that helped design the park. “This is a good illustration of that principle in action.”

Ground was broken on the project in January 2008, with work scheduled to be completed shortly before the opening ceremonies, set for Oct. 27. The total budget is around $9.4 million, not counting the donated space. Funding includes $2.9 million in private donations, $700,000 in general fund dollars, $1.2 million in park system development charges and $4.5 million in urban renewal funds.

The finished park will feature many amenities, including the fountain, a 44,000-square-foot granite plaza, a glass canopy, public artwork, benches, trees and the new café Violetta operated by Dwayne Beliakoff, the former owner of North Portland’s popular Roux restaurant.

Director Park — as it is commonly called — is the first new downtown park since the completion of Tanner Springs Park in the Pearl District, which opened in August 2005, and the nearby Jamison Square, which opened in June 2002.