With the help of Governor Ted Kulongoski’s Oregon Solutions team, Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder and other community leaders met recently to advance Gateway Green, a project aimed at turning an unused swath of land between two freeways in Portland into a recreational area for off-road bicycle riding, hiking and more.
A leadership team convened by Burkholder, Jay Graves from the Bike Gallery and the Oregon State Parks Commission also includes representatives from Oregon Department of Transportation, Portland Parks & Recreation, Oregon Parks and Recreation, the City of Maywood Park and Friends of Gateway Green.
The vision of Gateway Green is to convert an 35-acre parcel owned by the Oregon Department of Transportation between Interstates 205 and 84 into a bicycle recreation area. Sustainability is also a key focus. The concept plan includes a stormwater treatment facility to be designed as an aesthetic rain garden, alternative energy demonstration projects, erosion prevention and management and more.
Oregon Solutions helps projects that are a high priority for the state and that have a strong sustainability component. The projects also must bring together a wide range of community stakeholders. Graves and Burkholder are working with Oregon Solutions and serving as high-profile public champions of the project. As conveners of the Gateway Green project, Burkholder and Graves are working to create a formal work plan and strategy among the Portland Parks & Recreation, Metro and other agencies for the development, operation and maintenance of the project.
"This is a great project because it is focused on making the most of some seriously underused land right in the middle of a major urban area," Burkholder said. "By working together, government and citizens can create outdoor recreation opportunities in the heart of a city. People won’t have to travel to the edge of the urban growth boundary to take advantage of the great natural and recreation resources our region has to offer."
At a meeting on Nov. 20, the Leadership Team agreed to develop information to help tell the story and highlight the challenges and opportunities associated with the project. They also identified subcommittees to work on various aspects of the project. They include sustainability, design and programming; community engagement, partnerships and branding; governance, finance and resource identification.
Gateway Green project team members
- Tom Archer, Northwest Trail Alliance
- Bill Barber, Central NE Neighbors
- Steve Bryant, Oregon Solutions
- Rex Burkholder, Metro (co-convener)
- Jenn Cairo, Oregon State Parks & Recreation
- Jeff Cogen, Multnomah County Commission
- Jim Desmond, Metro Sustainability Center
- Jillian Detweiler, Tri-Met
- Chris DiStefano, Chris King Components
- Mark Ellsworth, Governor's Economic Revitalization Team
- Jean Fike, East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation Districtc
- Warren Fish (alternate for Jeff Cogen)
- Kim Freeman, Mt Hood Community College Maywood Park Campus
- Meyer Freeman (alternate for Drew Mahalic)
- Ted Gilbert, Friends of Gateway Green & Gateway Urban Renewal PAC
- Jay Graves, Oregon Parks Commission & Bike Gallery (co-convener)
- Mayor Mark Hardie, City of Maywood Park
- Brian Heron, East Portland Action Plan Advisory Committee
- Emily Hicks, Office of Commissioner Nick Fish
- Alison Hill-Graves, Community Cycling Center
- Brett Horner, Portland Parks & Recreation
- Denver Igarta, Portland Bureau of Transportation
- Glen Lewis, A-loft Hotel at Cascade Station
- Drew Mahalic, Oregon Sports Authority
- Marci Marshall (alternate for Mayor Mark Hardie)
- Gail McEwen, Oregon Solutions
- Ted Miller, Oregon Department of Transportation
- Mary Rose Navarro (alternate for Jim Desmond)
- Linda Robinson, Friends of Gateway Green & Gateway Urban Renewal PAC
- Shelli Romero, Oregon Department of Transportation
- Zari Santner, Portland Parks & Recreation
- Chris Scarzello, Portland Bureau of Planning & Sustainability
- Tim Smith, SERA Architects
- John Sygielski, Mt Hood Community College
- Jason Tell, Oregon Department of Transportation
- Kim Travis, Oregon Solutions
- Jill Van Winkle, International Mountain Biking Association
- Scott West, Travel Oregon