Creston Park Skatepark Project

Project Overview

In December 2022, PP&R City Commissioner Carmen Rubio announced $5 million in Parks System Development Charges (SDCs) for a new Skate Park in Southeast Portland.

• The Level of Service Guidance Developed Parks and Natural Areas Study (LOS) identifies that every household in the city should be within two miles of a skatepark. Sixty-five percent of households are not currently within two miles of a skatepark in the city. That's the largest percentage gap of the 13 assets in the LOS study. 
• Staff reviewed the LOS study and the Skatepark System Plan and identified three possible sites for the next Southeast Portland skatepark.

Candidate Sites

1. Creston Park (4454 SE Powell Blvd.)
2. Powell Park (2500 SE Powell Blvd.)
3. Glenwood Park (SE 87^th Avenue and SE Claybourne St.)

• Creston Park is located off SE Powell Blvd. adjacent to Creston Annex Head Start. The park currently includes a community pool facility, a new, recently constructed playground area, tennis courts/skate area, large open lawn area, picnic table area, a restroom building, and a parking lot. The tennis courts have been converted into a community-built skatepark with various street skate features all built up on the existing tennis court surface. Creston has the largest number of individuals in a two-mile service area, along with a higher number of youth and people of color than the other candidate sites. The LOS study identifies a gap in service for skateparks in the Creston Park area. The closest skatepark is Ed Benedict (2.8 miles), a small skate spot is under construction at Errol Heights Park (2.8 miles), and a larger skatepark (about 5000 square feet) at Berrydale Park is currently in design (3.6 miles away).
• Powell Park is located off SE Powell Blvd. between SE 22^nd Avenue and SE 26^th Avenue. The park currently includes a baseball field, basketball courts, playground area, wading pool (that requires decommissioning), restroom building, and an open lawn space. Many of the large mature trees are located on the east side of the property and around the perimeter of the park. Powell Park has the largest number of households within the two-mile skatepark service area, the highest percentage of households in poverty, and the highest number of households below poverty. Powell Park is 1.2 miles from Creston Park and does not include onsite parking.
• Glenwood City Park is located adjacent to Kelly Elementary School. The park currently includes a baseball and soccer field, tennis courts, playground area, and a restroom building. There is a large mixture of mature and newly planted trees, mostly within the northern portion of the site. There are also variety of trees around the perimeter of the site, including street trees. There is no onsite parking and there are residential single-family homes along three sides of the park. 

Site Selection Methodology

Choosing a site for the skatepark is best approached by nominating a group of possible locations and then prioritizing them based on their strengths and weaknesses. Each site was ranked based on the five following qualities:

Accessibility: How accessible is it (walks, curb ramps, grades)?
Visibility: How visible is it (what visual access is afforded to proposed skatepark location?
Activity: How active is it (what type of use currently exists on site and are uses compatible)?
Comfort: How comfortable is it (is the site safe, well-lit, and does it have areas for rest?                Feasibility: How practical would development be (what permitting requirements and non-conforming issues may need to be factored into project budget and schedule)? Is the existing infrastructure on site compatible with proposed use (i.e., parking)?

The five qualities used to rank the location (Accessibility, Visibility, Activity, Comfort and Feasibility) are critical for the skatepark’s long-term health.

Based on site selection methodology for skateparks noted above, staff recommend Creston City Park as the optimal location.

The most logical location for a new skatepark is at the existing tennis court area. This area is east of the community pool and occupies a large area for a significant sized skatepark. The community pool lacks Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) access from the existing parking lot. This project proposes to integrate a new accessible pathway that will provide ADA access to both the community pool and new skate areas, which solves a long-standing access issue at this location.

Skatepark selection criteria include selection of a site that:

• Is managed and operated by Portland Parks & Recreation.
• Fills the two mile skatepark level of service gap.
• Is conducive to skate park development.
• Requires little to no tree removal to maximize protection of the urban canopy.
• Has residential uses that are a significant distance at 500 feet from the suggested skatepark location.
• Is in the lowest elevation of the park to buffer the sound.
• Has an existing parking lot in place for cars and that meets code.
• Can accommodate new ADA paths for access.
• Has existing community interest such as a community driven skatepark that could minimize development improvement triggers and land use review.

Project Updates

May 2023

The first Community Meeting for project engagement was held virtually on May 3, 2023.  Participants had an opportunity to hear about the selection criteria and methodology for the decision on the optimal skatepark location. 

A Project survey was made available for community to share input on skatepark features and elements from May 3rd through May 19th. If you were unable to attend the virtual meeting, or complete the survey, there will be another engagement opportunity at our 2nd Community Meeting in early summer.   Please sign up for project updates below. 

Community Engagement Timeline

Community Meeting 1: Wednesday May 3^rd, Virtual Meeting – Project Overview and site selection decision based on Site Selection Methodology. View and discuss vision boards. 

Community Meeting 2: Summer 2023, Creston Park –Present skate park design refinements and show alternative designs. The design options will be based upon what we learned from survey results and community members at meeting #1 on May 3^rd, 2023, as well as feedback from internal staff and other city Bureaus.

Community Meeting 3: Late Summer/Fall2023 –Refinements to designs we heard during meeting #2. We aim to cultivate community support for a final design. 

Community Meeting #4 “If Necessary”

Planning and Construction Timeline

This timeline is subject to change based upon the number of community meetings that may be required.

• Conceptual Design and Analysis – Spring 2023 to Fall 2023
• Construction Documentation – Winter 2023 to Spring 2024
• Permitting and Bidding – Summer/Fall 2024 to Winter 2024
• Construction – Spring/Summer 2025
• Grand Opening – Spring 2026

Sign up for Project Updates 

If you would like to receive project updates, contact Odalis Perez-Crouse , at odalis.crouse@portlandoregon.gov to be added to the project e-mail list. 

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