Project Overview
There is a lack of appropriate play areas and equipment for parks visitors 0-5 years old. On April 28, 2021, Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) Commissioner Carmen Rubio allocated $1.75M in System Development Charges (SDCs) to add new equipment suited for toddlers and remove ADA barriers for better playground accessibility. PP&R will also be completing major maintenance to fix a restroom roof at the park (funded separately).
The Farragut Park Toddler Play Area will help ensure that PP&R is providing appropriate play opportunities for all ages and abilities.
In September 2022, PP&R announced the following changes and additions to the Farragut Park Improvements Project:
- The restroom building near N. Kerby Ave will be demolished due to structural issues, and two Portland Loo Restrooms will be installed.
- The basketball court near N. Kerby Ave will be demolished and replaced as part of the project and will be completed in the Spring of 2024 as part of the larger project construction effort.
Project Timeline
- Scope and Set-Up: Spring 2021-Fall 2021
- Community Engagement: Fall 2021-Fall 2022
- Virtual Open House #1: Tuesday, December 7, 2021 6pm-7pm - Explore community preferences.
- Community Survey: Open December 7-19, 2021 - Seeking community input
- Virtual Open House #2: Thursday, February 17, 2022 - Sharing 5 design options
- (TBD) Open House #3: Summer 2022 - Share final design for community feedback, with results to be shared in Fall 2022.
- Planning/Design: Fall 2021-Fall 2022
- Procurement/Bid: Fall 2022-Winter 2023
- Construction: Spring 2023-Spring 2024
- Basketball court to be completed by Spring 2024
Project Updates
April 2024
Contractor installed a new swing and continue to install amenities (logs, mushrooms, flowers) in the Toddler Play area. Benches and playground tiles and electrical work at the west side of the park is ongoing. An ADA ramp at N Kerby and N Farragut is in progress.
Coming up, construction crews will repave the sidewalk on N Kerby and add a ramp. The baseball field fence will be installed at the end of the month. The basketball court will be resurfaced at the end of the month, weather permitting as the surfacing is very sensitive to moisture.
March 2024
Construction crews completed modifications to the existing play structure to bring it to ADA compliance. Installed two Portland Loos, the toddler play structure, and Oodle swing.
Contractor installing the playground tiles, benches, and bike rack this month.
Upcoming: sidewalk repairs and storm water work.
February 2024
Construction crews completed ADA upgrades to existing playground equipment. Installed a new slide, basalt scramble, and Goric balls. Drainage added to the basketball court. Sidewalks and paths at the entrance of Farragut Park and near Applegate Child Center complete.
October 2023
Construction crews completed sidewalks and boulder placements. The basketball court reconstruction and paving is complete. Final surfacing of the Nike/Trail Blazers court will take place in Spring 2024.
Playground ADA compliance and construction and Portland Loo installation will be completed early Spring 2024.
August 2023
The splash pad is CLOSED for the season starting August 21; the restroom is also closed for replacement.
Construction still underway, please do not enter any construction zones as it is not safe without proper personal protective equipment (PPE).
July 2023:
Construction is underway and T-Edge Construction is clearing vegetation, setting the project entrance, and excavating until the end of August. Basketball court repair is expected to be done by the end of Summer 2023 and the playground and Portland Loo installation will be completed early Spring 2024.
June 2023:
Fencing will be installed around the existing bathroom as we prepare for the demolition of that building (due to structural issues) and two Portland Loo Restrooms will be installed on the site. While the water from the bathroom is unavailable, there is a drinking fountain behind the backstop of the ball field at Farragut Park.
March 2023:
We're one step closer to construction beginning! On Wednesday, March 8, 2023, Portland City Council approved T Edge Construction, Inc. as the contractor on the Farragut Park Improvements Project. Currently, we anticipate that construction will begin in early May. All project updates will be available on this page.
In recent years, T Edge Construction, Inc. has completed several park improvement projects for Portland Parks & Recreation, including Gilbert Park Renovation, Fernhill Park Improvement projects, and Colonel Summers Park Splash Pad.
September 2022:
PP&R has announced the following changes and additions to the Farragut Park Improvements Project:
- The restroom building near N. Kerby Ave will be demolished due to structural issues, and two Portland Loo Restrooms will be installed.
- The basketball court near N. Kerby Ave will be demolished and replaced as part of the project and will be completed in 2023 as part of the larger project construction effort.
March 2022:
Thank you to all who joined us on Thursday, February 17, 2022, for our second Farragut Park Toddler Play Area Open House. This Open House was accompanied by a community survey that closed on Sunday, March 6, 2022.
The survey was distributed to:
- The Farragut Park project email list
- Applegate Head Start families and staff
- 24,000 households in 10 North Portland neighborhoods via Nextdoor.com
- The PP&R Facebook account (31,000 followers)
Farragut Park Toddler Play Area survey themes:
- Design options #1 and #5 were most preferred
- Play Area location #1 was the most preferred location
- Themes from survey comments included:
- General safety (proximity to the street and proximity to the ballfield)
- The need for shade and seating
- The preference for neutral or earth-tone colors
- The need to repair the (currently closed) basketball court
December 2021:
Thank you to all who were able to join us for the Tuesday, December 7, 2021 Virtual Open House. In conjunction with the December 7 Virtual Open House, PP&R launched a project survey that was open for two week period.
The survey was distributed to:
- The Farragut Park project email list
- Applegate Head Start families and staff
- 24,000 households in 10 North Portland neighborhoods via Nextdoor.com
- The PP&R Facebook account (31,000 followers)
Farragut Park Toddler Play Area survey themes:
- Play Area locations 1 and 2 (nearest the existing playground) were the clear favorites amongst community members.
- Play Area 4 was the least preferred location and was eliminated from consideration.
- Physical Play was the clear favorite amongst the five types of play (receiving 50% of the "most preferred" vote)
- The Cognitive Play option was least preferred.
- The preferred "other amenities" were: Improved Lighting, Trash Receptacles, and Park Benches.
Toddler Play Area - Design Options
After feedback from the Farragut Park community in our initial survey, we have developed five unique designs for Farragut Park Toddler Play Area. We'd now like to hear from you about how well each design meets the community values for this project. -
Design Option 1
DESIGN OPTION 1 - Additional Images
This fun-packed play space offers something for 2-5-year-olds of all abilities. There are multiple opportunities for swinging, sliding, climbing, spinning, bouncing, and rocking with varying levels of difficulty. The ground-level and elevated sensory experiences are many and include GameTime’s Sensory Wave Climber, incorporating visual, auditory, and tactile sensors right into the climber for accessible, side-by-side play. GameTime’s ShadowPlay Flower casts beautiful colors on the ground as the kids turn the wheel learning cause and effect and offering a visual delight. Auditory senses are stimulated with the universal language of music; a Flower Chime Ensemble, multiple drums, and an array of chimes. The whirlwind spinner, swings, and slides makes for a fun and challenging physical play. This playground will keep everyone busy playing, learning, growing, and asking to come back!
Design Option 2
DESIGN OPTION 2 - Additional Images
This GameTime nature-themed play space incorporates an abundance of playful activities and enrichment for 2-5-year-olds of all abilities. The theme showcases a whimsical caterpillar climber, dragonfly teeter totter, split log balance beam, flower steppers, and GameTime’s interactive ShadowPlay Flower, which casts colors on the ground as it is turned. A broad variety of musical elements are incorporated into the play environment including a Butterfly Chime Ensemble, Melody Chimes, and Concert Trio. Cognitive, imaginary, and auditory sensory experiences are throughout, with climbing, balancing, swinging, rocking, sliding, and climbing among the physical play offerings. With this wide variety of play experiences, this space will offer playful experiences for years to come.
Design Option 3
DESIGN OPTION 3 - Additional Images
This design centers on the 2-5-year-old Hedra Scout structure. Developmentally appropriate activities populate this geometric circuit of continuous exploration. There are multiple entry points and interconnected experiences, creating a very social and imaginative play space, for children of all abilities. This design all features a Hedra Swing Bay with 2 Full Bucket Seats, and also includes our sensory-rich embankment roller slide, with an ADA bench for users that may need more time to exit the slide.
Design Option 4
DESIGN OPTION 4 - Additional Images
This design features our 2-5-year-old Sprig structure. A foliage-themed Marble Panel engages the senses at ground level while a leaf slider provides interaction from children navigating the bridge above. Tots can step or crawl across leafy pods, slide flower blossoms back and forth, or whoosh down one of two slides. Best of all, all these activities take place beneath a canopy of SkyWays shade fabric. Following the nature theme, this design has our Log Crawl Tunnel, Log and Mushroom Steppers, and Acorn Seats for a social area. Our Rhapsody Musical Instruments are sized for 2-5-year-old users, but are also easily accessible for users of all ages and abilities. Lastly, this design has both a single bay swing and also a stainless steel double embankment slide, complete with an ADA exit bench.
Design Option 5
DESIGN OPTION 5 - Additional Images
This design features a custom Birdhouse Theme for 2-5-year-old users. The belt bridge between the two Birdhouses creates a safe, yet challenging traverse for the users. There are a lot of imaginative play opportunities in this design, including custom Flower Chatter Noodle Talk Tubes. This design all features a single Arch Swing Bay with 2 Full Bucket Seats, and also includes a stainless steel double embankment slide, complete with an ADA exit bench. In addition to the embankment slide, we’ve utilized the slope to add challenging ways to ascend, with our Rope Pull Climber and Hill Loops. To complete the nature theme, we have log steppers, a log bench, a log balance beam, and even a butterfly spring rider.
Toddler Play Area - Location Options
After feedback from the Farragut Park community in our initial survey, we have narrowed the location options to the three locations illustrated below:
Area 1: Immediately west of the existing playground. This location benefits from its proximity to mature trees (increased shade), the existing playground, and is the closest location option to the splash pad.
Area 2: Located immediately east of the existing playground, along the ball field fence. The walking path would be altered to make room at this location. This location benefits from its proximity to the existing playground and is centrally located between Applegate Head Start and the splash pad.
Area 3: Located south and east of the existing pedestrian path, adjacent to the basketball court. This location is the closest in proximity to Applegate Head Start.
Toddler Play Area - Types of Play
The five images below represent five different types of play that could be included in the Farragut Park Toddler Play Area. Physical Play was the clear favorite amongst the five types of play (receiving 50% of the "most preferred" vote). The Cognitive Play option was least preferred in our December 2021 survey.
A) Physical Play has a range of dynamic options with the intent to encourage movement and build strength and coordination through activities such as climbing, sliding, swinging, spinning, and balancing.
View the full "Physical Play" pdf file:
B) Sensory Play features provide experiences that stimulate the senses such and auditory, tactile, visual, and smell, as well as quiet places for refuge from overstimulation.
View the full "Sensory Play" pdf file:
C) Social Play encourages social interaction, group activities, and imaginative play that fosters cooperation, teamwork, and a sense of belonging.
View the full "Social Play" pdf file:
D) Emotional Play requires varying levels of challenge and difficulty to help children test their limits of ability and build a sense of self and mastery.
View the full "Emotional Play" pdf file:
E) Cognitive Play features provide learning opportunities of varying complexity that promote intellectual development.
View the full "Cognitive Play" pdf file: