On March 20, the Metro Council awarded $750,000 to Portland Parks & Recreation to reimagine Tom McCall Waterfront Park in the Portland City Center.
The funding comes from Metro’s 2040 planning and development grant program, which awards up to $4 million each year for projects that create new opportunities for housing and commercial development, revitalize town centers and grow employment areas.
“We are thrilled to kickstart the creation of a new Portland landmark,” says Metro Council President Lynn Peterson. “This is precisely the type of project Metro is here to support: spaces that bring people together, promote community and culture, foster connection to the environment and make all of us proud of our region.”
Over the course of two years, the City of Portland will facilitate a national design competition for the iconic bowl section of Tom McCall Waterfront Park, located between RiverPlace and the Marina, south of the Hawthorne Bridge on the west side of the Willamette River.
In partnership with Portland Waterfront Pavilion and the Human Access Project, the project hopes to create a vibrant, sustainable space that integrates public river and swim access, including a Willamette River beach and shoreline redesign, as well as an outdoor entertainment stage for regional events.
“Portland is at a critical moment in its growth, and this project represents an exciting opportunity to create a vibrant, sustainable space that will attract visitors and foster community connection,” said PP&R Director Adena Long. “Together with our partners, we’re poised to bring a bold new vision to life for all Portlanders.”
About the 2040 planning and development grant program
In 1995, thousands of Oregonians came together to help create the 2040 Growth Concept, which addressed how the Portland region would grow over the next 50 years. To help implement the 2040 vision, a grant program was developed to invest in community projects using funding from a construction excise tax that applies to most development across the region.
These grants play an important role in helping implement the 2040 Growth Concept—our region’s vision for the future. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and grant awards are announced quarterly.
Learn more about the 2040 planning and development grants program