Upcoming Cathedral Park Projects
Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Cleanup: N. Bradford Street Project Update
The State of Oregon is addressing elevated levels of soil contamination in the area in and around the railroad adjacent to Cathedral Park and in the park (N. Bradford Street – PCBs Cleanup Project). Testing does not indicate any short-term health risks to the public; more testing will be done.
Cleanup Program
Peninsula Iron Works and Union Pacific Railroad, both of which may have contributed to the PCB contamination in this area, have signed agreements coming into DEQ's voluntarily cleanup program. The Cleanup Program is a polluter pays program, meaning the party (or parties) responsible for the contamination will fund the cleanup effort.
Recent testing by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has detected the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, around the North Bradford Street right-of way and portion of Cathedral Park.
No Immediate Threat
DEQ has confirmed that the level of PCBs detected around North Bradford and in Cathedral Park do not pose an immediate risk to public health. DEQ and OHA has not made any recommendations to the City of Portland to alter park activities. PP&R will monitor the situation closely and advise all park users to learn more and stay up to date on the DEQ blog.
"Cathedral Park is a valuable resource to the community, and we are committed to working with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and Department of Environmental Quality to make sure that the public remains informed about public safety and the next steps in cleaning up this area, including more testing throughout Cathedral Park," said PP&R Director Adena Long. "Parks Commissioner Carmen Rubio and Bureau of Environmental Services Commissioner Mingus Mapps are supportive of this direction and I appreciate their leadership."
Current Status
In May 2023, DEQ and Peninsula Iron Works entered into a consent order to address areas with the highest concentrations of PCBs. Peninsula Iron Works placed a temporary cover along the railroad right-of-way in May 2023 while a work plan proposing a more robust, long-term solution was being prepared.
In August 2023, DEQ approved Peninsula Iron Works cleanup work plan, which outlined the removal of contaminated soil along the railroad right-of-way adjacent to the Peninsula Iron Works building and along the southern wall of the building.
In November 2023, Peninsula Iron Works completed a removal action to address contaminated soil along the railroad right of way.
Next Steps
Starting on the week of July 22, 2024, Peninsula Iron Works began sampling soil in Cathedral Park in anticipation of a removal action in the park.
Peninsula Iron Works will develop a work plan based on the Cathedral Park sampling results and submit it for DEQ approval.
Once DEQ receives the sampling results from Cathedral Park, it will host a community meeting to share those results and talk about next steps.
For more information
For the most up to date information on this project and answers to frequently asked questions, visit the DEQ Cleanup: N. Bradford Street Project webpage.
DEQ Contact: NBradfordSt@deq.oregon.gov
Join the DEQ email list for project updates
City of Portland sampling in Cathedral Park June 2023
The City of Portland collected soil samples in the portion of Cathedral Park closest to the N. Bradford Street project on June 12 and 13, 2023. See the figure below for the area that was sampled. PCBs were detected at concentrations significantly less than the concentrations detected in the vicinity of the railroad tracks. DEQ and OHA both reviewed the recent data collected by the City and determined that PCB concentrations are below short-term and long-term health screening levels indicating that this area of the park is safe for people to continue to use. This data will also help DEQ more fully understand the reach of the contamination and support an efficient cleanup.
Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) St. Johns Bridge Repair Project
ODOT is improving the long-term safety and lifespan of the St. Johns Bridge by repairing the concrete on the pier columns and arches under the bridge. Repairing the concrete will protect the bridge's steel internal frame and reinforcements from corrosion, maintaining the service life of this beloved Portland Historic Landmark. For more information, visit ODOT's St. Johns Bridge Repair Project webpage.
Cathedral Park Nature Patch
Completed in 2024, this floral masterpiece is composed of several natural garden spaces at the top of the park under the St. Johns Bridge. This horticultural and ecological showcase features a wholly unique arrangement of flowering native and ornamental plants as well as log and basalt elements that complement the beautiful bridge steps celebration venue, performance stage, and picnic nooks.
Learn more about Nature Patches in Portland
Portland Parks & Recreation is adding nature patches to developed park landscapes to provide natural experiences for people and habitat for wildlife. Nature patches are unique natural garden spaces that support native pollinators and offer fun opportunities for education and exploration.
Cathedral Park Tree Tour
The site which now bears the name Cathedral Park is steeped in history. It is believed to be one of the 14 Lewis and Clark landing sites in the Vancouver-Portland area: William Clark and eight men camped there on April 2, 1806. This spot had been a fishing and camping site for many area Indian tribes. In 1847, the founder of St Johns, James John, settled on the site and operated a ferry to Linnton across the Willamette River. In 1931, the St Johns Bridge was built on the site with 400-ft towers and a main span of 1,207 feet. It is the only steel suspension bridge in Portland.
In the early 1970s, Howard Galbraith, the "honorary mayor" of unincorporated St Johns, got tired of the junkyard state of the area under the eastern end of the bridge. He organized a drive that eventually raised $7.5 million to build a park. After eight years of community fundraising, combined with state, county and city funding, the park was dedicated at a community celebration on May 3, 1980. It got its name from a photo of the St Johns Bridge by Al Monner that appeared on the front page of the Oregon Journal in 1968. Reference was made to its beautiful cathedral-like arches and the park found its name.
In June of 1980, the Cathedral Park Committee sealed a time capsule (complete with ash from Mt St Helens) into the Wall of History in the Memorial Garden in the park. The time capsule will be opened in 2030. Measurements for how to find the capsule (which is covered with a stone that matches the rest of the wall) have been left with the Oregon History Center. Committee chairperson Sharon Roso said, "We want to make sure that in 2030 people will remember there's a celebration due in St Johns."
In 2008, a sculpture by Donald Fels was installed beneath the St Johns Bridge. Drawing on the River reflects back on a century of industry in St Johns and is an homage to both the mills and the workers who ran them. The piece also invokes the river itself, which powered the mills and is the reason the workers settled here.