A new playground area, pathways, benches, irrigation improvements, and other park amenities will be added to Verdell Burdine Rutherford Park, thanks to funding from the Parks Replacement Bond and System Development Charges. Verdell Burdine Rutherford Park is located at SE 165th Ave and SE Market St.
Location
Project Overview
Through a Project Advisory Committee and Community Open House events, the community helped guide the development of a concept plan for the layout of the park and the design of the playground.
Project Updates
March 2020
Construction is beginning to wrap up, and public art has been installed. The main step remaining is the installation of the poured-in-place rubber surfacing. A community celebration will be held when it is safe to hold large public gatherings.
May 2019
Construction mobilization will start the week of May 13, 2019.
During construction:
- Contractors will typically work Monday through Friday, 7am – 4pm. Some work may occur on Saturdays, but all work will be within the City of Portland’s allowed construction hours of 7am - 6pm (Monday - Saturday).
- Construction access will primarily be from the north park entrance via SE 167th Ave and Market Street, with some intermittent access to from the south at SE 164th Avenue for work on the soccer field and pathways.
- Limited pedestrian access will be maintained through Verdell Burdine Rutherford Park from the south entry at SE 167th Avenue towards Patrick Lynch Elementary and their ball fields. There will also be pedestrian access at the southern entry at SE 164th Avenue to the soccer field until construction work begins to improve irrigation for the soccer field (anticipated to begin late summer 2019).
- In general, neighbors should not anticipate to have access from the northern park entrance at SE 167th Avenue into the park or Patrick Lynch Elementary's ball fields.
April 2019
Parks Commissioner Nick Fish has approved additional System Development Charge funds for this project to allow for the installation of a Portland Loo (permanent restroom) as part of the improvements at Verdell Burdine Rutherford Park. The Loo will be located near the new playground, in a location that was previously planned to have a porta-potty. (The playground will be located along the eastern edge of Lynchview Park, near the park entries at SE 167th Avenue). View a map of the Loo location here.
In our outreach process during the design phase, we heard interest from many neighbors about having a restroom near the playground, and a Loo was rated as one of the top desired passive amenities.
Portland Loos have been installed in many Portland parks, including Waterfront Park, Gateway Discovery Park, Raymond Park, and Parklane Park. Made primarily of steel, they are a single-user restroom that is designed and manufactured in Portland to be ADA-accessible, safe, and graffiti-resistant. Port-a-potties do temporarily fill the need for a public restroom, but they are frequently targets of vandalism in neighborhood parks.
The Loo at Verdell Burdine Rutherford Park will be unlocked/locked daily and will be open on a seasonal basis (spring to fall). Learn more about about the Parks Bond Replacement Portland Loo features.
Project Advisory Committee Members
Andra Cassen, Yesenia Delgado, Brian Flores Garcia, Emily Garafalo, Jenny Glass, Jennifer Hopkins, Michone Moore, Madelyn Morris, Gayle Palmer, Ana Pineda, Amber Stadler.
Project Timeline
- Summer 2017 - Winter 2017/18: Concept Development and Public Involvement
- Community Gathering #1 - September 7, 2017
- Community Gathering #2 - November 15, 2018
- Community Gathering #3 - February 8, 2018
- Community Gathering #4 - April 5, 2018
- Winter 2017/18 - Spring 2018: Construction Documents
- Spring 2018 - Fall 2018: Permitting
- Fall 2018 - Spring 2019: Bidding and Contracting
- May 2019 - Spring 2020: Construction