Your future parks are taking shape!

Mill Park Design Elements	Midland Park Design Elements
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Central lawn with space for sports and leisure activities Community garden Playground and splash pad Circular pathway and soft surface trail Picnic shelter and tables Landscaping with trees and native plants	Playground with natural play features Reading area near library windows Gathering area and game tables Paved pathway with benches Native landscaping with nature trails

These park designs were drawn from the thoughtful ideas and feedback provided by diverse communities in East Portland. They reflect a collaboration involving neighbors and community groups to create a welcoming space with activities for people of all ages.

Project Background

In November 2014, Portland City Council designated $300,000 from 2014’s fall supplemental budget for new master plans for eastside parks. In April 2015, PP&R, the East Portland Neighborhood Organization (EPNO) Parks Committee and Commissioner Amanda Fritz engaged the community in a public outreach process to determine which sites should be prioritized as part of the eastside park master planning process. Based on that process and PP&R staff input, Commissioner Fritz selected to fund a master plan for Mill Park and Midland Park, in a concurrent process, as requested by the Mill Park Neighborhood Association.

Overview

We are working with the community to design two new parks, Mill Park and Midland Park in Southeast Portland. We are designing the two parks in a concurrent process due to their close proximity to each other. At the end of this project, we will have a general outline (master plan) of what these two parks will become when they are built. Based on community ideas and feedback, the plan will identify the primary uses and features (for example: will there be places for soccer, gardening, and a picnic area), and begin to arrange these features within the park space. This finished master plan will then be presented to the Portland City Council for approval. When funding becomes available, we will again work with the community to refine the Master Plan, adding specific details to the park design, like the size of sport field, the kind of play equipment, and number of picnic tables.The community is a key partner all along the way in the process.

Mill Park
Located adjacent to Mill Park Elementary School, the Park has very little street frontage, and access is primarily from the school property. The Park contains an informal soft-surface walking trail and several trees, but it is otherwise vacant. Master planning efforts will consider Mill Park in its context with surrounding parks and the facilities they currently provide, and with Midland Park, located approximately ½ mile away.

Midland Park
Because this Park is located very close to Mill Park and involves many of the same neighborhoods, its master planning effort will occur concurrently with that of Mill Park. Several other City of Portland parks are located within one mile of Midland Park and master planning efforts will also consider the surrounding park context and the facilities they currently provide for residents.

Local neighborhood leader Jane Baker envisioned using this previously-overgrown vacant lot as a teaching tool for students in local schools. This living lab would allow students to learn how plants and animals live together in a natural habitat in an urban setting. The park’s location adjacent to Midland Library is complementary to this vision of an instrument for education. The site has many trees, thus offers potential for increased habitat enhancement.

Project Schedule

• December 2015 - RFP for park master planning is issued
• March 2016 - Hire design team
• March 2016 – April 2017 - Complete planning and public involvement process
  
• Fall 2016 - Site Analysis
• Winter 2017 - Draft of Master Plan Alternatives
• Spring 2017 - Preferred Master Plan Alternative

Project Manager
Maya Agarwal, maya.agarwal@portlandoregon.gov