Project Background
Over 50 years ago, the Portland Development Commission (PDC), now Prosper Portland, took the bold step of redeveloping a 55-block swath of the city as its first urban renewal project in the South Auditorium Urban Renewal Area. In what would become a tradition of making public spaces an intrinsic part of modern Portland’s urban fabric, the PDC set aside three full blocks and a series of adjoining streets for parks and garden-lined pedestrian walks. To design the ensemble, PDC hired one of the most visionary landscape architecture firms of the 20th century: Lawrence Halprin and Associates.
The Source Fountain, Lovejoy Fountain, Pettygrove Park, Forecourt Fountain (later renamed Ira Keller Fountain), and the adjacent pedestrian malls were collectively dubbed by Halprin as the Portland Open Space Sequence (the “Sequence”). Their design and construction changed the history of American urban space, pioneering a path from passive parks and squares to a more dynamic, participatory merging of parks and art.
The mission of the Halprin Landscape Conservancy, a non-profit organization formed in 2001, is to honor and preserve the Sequence by increasing awareness of the Sequence as an important city and national cultural resource, improving the Sequence according to the original vision of Lawrence Halprin, and assuring the Sequence's upkeep at the level of a residential garden. Since its formation, the Conservancy has worked with the City, surrounding stakeholders, and donors to carry out several aspects of this mission.
The Conservancy submitted a nomination to the National Parks Service, and the Sequence was designated as a National Historic Registry District on the National Register of Historic Places in March 2013. The Conservancy is pursuing a National Historic Landmark designation at the National Park Service for the Sequence, which will recognize the international significance of the Sequence and its architects.
Thanks to a 1979 ordinance, various city bureaus have had responsibility for the operation and maintenance of various elements of the Sequence. However, over time, simple aging along with deferred maintenance due to City budgeting challenges, have left the plazas and fountains in dire need of care and restoration. The City recognized the international significance of the Sequence and wanted to seek additional support through charitable contributions and participation by the community. The City recognized the contributions of the Conservancy in support of these goals and the Council adopted Ordinance No. 184646 on June 8, 2011, authorizing an agreement with Halprin Landscape Conservancy to fundraise and undertake repair and maintenance of the fountains and surrounding park areas in the Portland Open Space Sequence.
In December 2016, the City of Portland worked with the Conservancy to generate local support and create a voluntary local improvement district to restore the historic fountains and plazas. $2.15 million will be provided by the LID and $1.7 million by the City of Portland for the Portland Open Space Sequence Restoration Project.
Project Updates
July 2019
Portland Parks & Recreation and The Halprin Landscape Conservancy (HLC) are pleased to announce that restoration of the four historic sites within the Portland Open Space Sequence is complete. Work has wrapped up on repairs to each site within the sequence: Keller Fountain Park, Pettygrove Park, Lovejoy Fountain Park, and the Source Fountain. All of these decorative fountains are now open once again.
March 2019
The Phase 2 spring work at Lovejoy and Keller underway; Pettygrove work starting in March!
Phase 2 Work – Winter and Spring 2019
The second phase of the restoration work began January 21, with electrical work that will be ongoing at Keller and Lovejoy for the next few months. Keller and Lovejoy Fountains may not be turned on in May as usual, but will be operational, and yours to enjoy, as soon as work is completed at each park. Only the work at Pettygrove Park will require construction fencing and partial park closure. Keller, Lovejoy, and Source Fountains should require only limited areas of fencing to keep pedestrians safe. The upcoming work includes:
Keller Fountain Park
During the last week of January, the contractor began the Keller electrical work, which is expected to take go into mid to late March:
- Wall and fountain lighting replacement
- Feature mast pole lights installation. There will be some minor tree pruning March 5 to accommodate the installation of the four new light poles planned for March 13.
Following the electrical work, the other remaining work at Keller this spring will include:
- Catch basin grates replacements
- Concrete fountain and pavement joint sealing and patching
- Punchlist work
Lovejoy Fountain Park
Upon delivery of the light fixtures, the remaining electrical work will begin, which is expected to take about 6 weeks:
- Wall and fountain lighting replacement
- PGE meters installation and power switch over
Following the electrical work, other remaining work at Lovejoy to occur this spring includes:
- Trench drain grates replacements, utility cover replacements
- Pavement joint sealing and patching
- Punchlist work
Portland Parks’ Urban Forestry Division plans to install the new trees around the perimeter of Lovejoy Fountain Park in early March. The trees were removed over the past few years as they became infected with Dutch Elm Disease. The replacement Elm trees will be a variety proven to be resistant to this disease.
Source Fountain
Source Fountain completion work is expected to occur during April:
- Trench drain grates replacements
- Concrete pavement joint sealing
- Punchlist work
Pettygrove Park
Pettygrove’s improvements are anticipated to begin March 4, and be completed by the end of May:
- Phase One – Storm Pipe Work – during March (work area fenced)
- Storm drain pipe replacement
- Phase Two – Paving and Completion Work – during May
- Repaving over storm pipe trenches
- Catch basin grates replacements
- Punchlist work
January 2019
The Phase 2 Spring work at Lovejoy and Keller will be starting early!
Phase 2 Work – Winter and Spring 2019
The second phase of the restoration work will kick off with electrical work that will be starting about 6 weeks earlier than previously anticipated to help ensure the project gets completed on time by the end of June 2019. Keller and Lovejoy Fountains may not be turned on in May as usual, but will be operational, and yours to enjoy, as soon as work is completed at each park. Only the work at Pettygrove Park will require full site construction fencing and park closure. Keller, Lovejoy, and Source Fountains should require only limited areas of fencing to keep pedestrians safe. The upcoming work includes:
Lovejoy Fountain Park
Electrical work to get remaining components installed and ready for PGE crews to install the new meters will start January 21. This work will only take about 3 days, after which the electrical work will start at Keller Fountain Park.
In the last half of March, the remaining electrical work will begin, which is expected to take about 6 weeks:
- Wall and fountain lighting replacement
- PGE meters installation and power switch over
Following the electrical work, other remaining work at Lovejoy to occur this spring includes:
- Trench drain grates replacements, utility cover replacements
- Pavement joint sealing and patching
- Punchlist work
Portland Parks’ Urban Forestry Division plans to install the new trees around the perimeter of Lovejoy Fountain Park this winter. The trees were removed over the past few years as they became infected with Dutch Elm Disease. The replacement Elm trees will be a variety proven to be resistant to this disease.
Keller Fountain Park
During the last week of January, the contractor will begin the Keller electrical work, which is expected to take about 6 weeks:
- Wall and fountain lighting replacement
- Feature mast pole lights installation
Following the electrical work, the other remaining work at Keller this spring will include:
- Catch basin grates replacements
- Concrete fountain and pavement joint sealing and patching
- Punchlist work
Source Fountain
Source Fountain completion work is expected to occur during April:
- Trench drain grates replacements
- Concrete pavement joint sealing
- Punchlist work
Pettygrove Park
Pettygrove’s improvements are anticipated to begin in early April, date depending on weather due to the nature of the work, and take about two months to complete:
- Storm drain pipe replacement
- Catch basin grates replacements
- Punchlist work
December 2018
- Keller Fountain Park is open
- Source Fountain will reopen in early December
- Spring work at Keller, Pettygrove, Lovejoy, and Source Fountain
Keller Fountain Park
Keller Fountain Park reopened November 19, 2018 after our contractor, Stacy & Witbeck, completed the planned fall 2018 restoration work. More improvements to come in Phase 2 (spring 2019).
Source Fountain
The Source Fountain mechanical work is completed, and the paving work is underway to install new bricks. This fountain area should be reopened sometime during the first week of December. More improvements to come in Phase 2 (spring 2019).
Lovejoy Fountain Park
Concrete pavement replacement, and electrical service modification required by PGE are complete. More improvements to come in Phase 2 (spring 2019).
Pettygrove Park
Improvements to come in Phase 2 (spring 2019).
Overall Project Status
With historic restoration projects, we know to expect the unexpected. True to form, there were numerous unexpected issues that arose this fall. For example, we discovered undermined pavement, poor soils, lots of large tree roots (some of them mysteriously far away from any current or past tree), abandoned utilities, buried old 12” thick street pavement, large underground concrete obstructions, and irregularities of all sorts. Despite these challenges, our contractor was able to stick to the schedule fairly well. However, they were not able to complete the lighting work or the drain grate replacements. These improvements will better match the historical design and materials, while still improving drainage and maintainability. Look for the installations of new LED light fixtures and drain grates in the spring 2019 second phase of work. Thank you for your patience and support as we work to restore these local treasures.
Below are lists of what has been completed, and what remains to be completed in the spring.
Phase 1 Completed – Summer and Fall 2018
The first phase restoration work includes:
Keller Fountain Park
- Fountain concrete restoration
- Fountain runnel grates replacement
- Added and replaced stairway handrails
- Concrete pavement replacement
- Foundations for mast light poles installed
- Irrigation repairs and west side berm replanting by Portland Parks crews
Lovejoy Fountain Park
- Electrical service modification required by PGE. Meters to be set in spring by PGE.
- Concrete pavement replacement
Source Fountain
- Brick pavers replacement
- Fountain mechanical vault wall rebuilt
- Fountain mechanical system and piping replacement
Phase 2 Work - Spring 2019
The second phase of the restoration work will occur in the spring and should be completed by the end of June 2019. Keller and Lovejoy Fountains may not be turned on in May as usual, but will be operational, and yours to enjoy, as soon as work is completed. Only the work at Pettygrove Park will require full site construction fencing and park closure. Keller, Lovejoy, and Source Fountains, should require only limited areas of fencing to keep pedestrians safe. Spring work will include:
Keller Fountain Park
- Wall and fountain lighting replacement
- Feature mast pole lights installation
- Catch basin grates replacements
- Concrete fountain and pavement joint sealing and patching
Lovejoy Fountain Park
- Wall and fountain lighting replacement
- PGE meters installation
- Trench drain grates replacements, utility cover replacements
- Pavement joint sealing and patching
Pettygrove Park
- Storm drain pipe replacement
- Catch basin grates replacements
Source Fountain
- Trench drain grates replacements
- Concrete pavement joint sealing
Trees
Portland Parks’ Urban Forestry Division will install the new trees around the perimeter of Lovejoy Fountain Park over the winter. The trees were removed over the past few years because they were infected with Dutch Elm Disease. The replacement Elm trees will be a variety proven to be resistant to this disease.
PROJECT UPDATE - October 2018
Lovejoy Fountain Park
Lovejoy Fountain Park reopened on October 1, 2018, after the first phase of restoration work was completed. There will be minor ongoing work during October in the SW area with small areas barricaded. The second phase of work to include trench drain and utility covers, fountain and wall lighting replacement, and concrete joint sealing will occur Spring 2019. The fountain will remain off until that work is complete in Summer 2019.
The Source Fountain
Restoration work at the Source Fountain, located just north of Lincoln on the 2nd Avenue pedestrian mall, is anticipated to begin October 15, 2018 and be completed in early November.
Keller Fountain Park
Keller Fountain Park closed on September 10, 2018 for restoration work. The park will remain closed until late November for this second phase of the park’s restoration work, which includes storm drain, concrete paving, stair handrails, and electrical work all being performed by our contractor, Stacy & Witbeck. Additionally, Portland Parks & Recreation crews are doing some landscape restoration work. During this time, some pedestrian walkways adjacent to the park on SW 3rd and 4th Avenues, and SW Clay and SW Market Streets will be intermittently closed. Alternative pedestrian routes around active work zones are established.
PROJECT UPDATE - September 2018
Keller Fountain Park will close on Monday, September 10, 2018 for restoration work.
The park will remain closed until late November for this second phase of the park’s restoration work. During this time, some pedestrian walkways adjacent to the park on SW 3rd and 4th Avenues, and SW Clay and SW Market Streets will be intermittently closed. Alternative pedestrian routes around active work zones will be established. This phase of work is anticipated to be completed by late November.
Lovejoy Fountain Park
Restoration work continues at Lovejoy Fountain Park. Crews are pouring new concrete sections along the park’s east and south sides and installing new electrical service in the southwest corner. Repaving will continue on the park’s west side (3rd Ave pedestrian mall) over the first two weeks of September. Portland Parks & Recreation anticipates the park will be partially reopened on September 10th, when construction fences will be replaced with localized pedestrian barricades to protect only the most recently poured concrete areas and other ongoing work. The fountain will remain off until Summer 2019.
PROJECT UPDATE - August 2018
Keller Fountain Park
The fountain reopened on Thursday, August 9, 2018, thanks to construction crews completing the work on schedule to restore the fountain’s concrete walls. The fountain and park will remain open until September 10, when crews will close the entire park for the second phase of restoration work. During this time, some pedestrian walkways adjacent to the park on SW 3rd and 4th Avenues, and SW Clay and SW Market Streets will be intermittently closed. Alternative pedestrian routes around active work zones will be established. This phase of work is anticipated to be completed by late November.
Lovejoy Fountain Park
Restoration work continues at Lovejoy Fountain Park. Concrete pavement demolition is completed along the park’s north edge, and crews are now pouring new concrete sections. Select concrete demolition is underway along the park’s east edge and a few other locations. This concrete demolition / replacement work will continue at least through August. Portland Parks & Recreation anticipates this first phase of work to be completed by late Fall 2018.
The Source Fountain
Work is anticipated to begin in Spring 2019.
Pettygrove Park
Work is anticipated to begin in Spring 2019.
PROJECT UPDATE - June 2018
Now that the construction documentation, permitting, and bidding processes are completed, construction began in June 2018.
Keller Fountain Park
To begin the first phase of repairs, the fountain was turned off on June 25, 2018 to restore the fountain's concrete basin and walls. The park and plaza will remain open to the public during this phase of work, which will continue through the month of July. We anticipate turning the fountain back on in early August.
In phase two, crews will turn the fountain of again and close the entire park in early September to complete the project. During this time, some pedestrian walkways adjacent to the park on SW 3rd and 4th Avenues, and SW Clay and SW Market Streets will be intermittently closed. Alternative pedestrian routes around active work zones will be established. This phase of work is anticipated to be completed by late November 2018.
The final phase will begin April 2019, when crews put the final touches on the restored fountain and plaza. This work will not significantly impact the public’s access to the park or adjacent streets.
Lovejoy Fountain Park
Crews will turn off the fountain, close the entire park, and set up construction fencing on July 23, 2018 to begin work. During this time, some pedestrian walkways adjacent to the park on the SW 2nd and 3rd Avenue pedestrian malls will be intermittently closed. Alternative pedestrian routes around the active work zones will be established. We anticipate reopening the park between late fall 2018 and early winter 2019.
The final phase will begin in April 2019, when crews put the final touches on the restored fountain and plaza. This work will not significantly impact the public’s access to the park.
Source Fountain
Work is anticipated to begin in spring/summer 2019.
Pettygrove Park
Work is anticipated to begin between fall 2018 and spring 2019.
Project Schedule
December 2016
City Council approved formation of Portland Open Space Sequence Local Improvement District (LID)
Spring 2017
PP&R hired design team, led by PLACE Studio, to take drawings from 30% Design to 100%
Spring 2017 – Spring 2018
PP&R hired Construction Manager/General Contractor - Stacy and Witbeck. Construction documents, permitting, and subcontractor bidding completed.
Summer 2018 – Summer 2019 anticipated construction sequence
Keller Fountain Park Construction
- Late June – Early August 2018
Phase 1 – Fountain concrete repairs (limited areas of park open) - September – November 2018
Phase 2 - Park and fountain restoration (park closed) - April – May 2019
Phase 3 - Finishing work (limited areas of park open)
Lovejoy Fountain Park Construction
- July – October 2018
Phase - 1 – Park and fountain restoration (park closed) - April – May 2019
Phase 2 - Finishing work (limited areas of park open)
Pettygrove Park Construction
- April – May 2019
Pettygrove Park – park restoration (park closed)
Source Fountain Construction
- March - April 2019
Fountain restoration (fountain area closed)