Skate Plaza Stats
18,000 sq ft of street skating with ledges, edges, stairs, rails, and banks. By using recycled and/or sustainable materials in its construction, and with its native landscaping and on-site stormwater treatment, this site is considered to be the first environmentally sensitive skate plaza ever constructed. Tread Lightly is a multifaceted art installation by Dan Garland, integrated into the skate plaza. It is meant to provoke thought regarding the intersection between natural and man-made environments, and points towards a search for balance and sustainability.
Ed Benedict Park Restrooms and Pathways
Funding from the voter-approved Parks Replacement Bond was used to make restroom improvements at Ed Benedict Park to provide a year-round restroom option for park users, particularly those using the skate park. Ed Benedict Park currently has two restrooms:
- In the center of the park, near SE 102nd Avenue
- The east side of the park, near the Portland Memory Garden and Community Garden
The Parks Replacement Bond originally planned for the installation of a Portland Loo at Ed Benedict Park near the skate park. After further analysis, Parks staff has determined the existing restrooms nearest to the skate park in Ed Benedict Park (near SE 102nd Avenue) could be winterized with some minor improvements and kept open year-round to fill this need.
The winterization work was completed in 2017, and the asphalt and concrete pathways around and near the restrooms were replaced in September 2018 to meet ADA requirements.
Accessibility Notes
Parking
- Street parking
- 2 designated parking spaces
- Paved pathway to play area
- 50 feet to play area
Play Area
- Engineered mulch surface
- Ramp into play area
Play Equipment
- Transfer station
- Sensory play elements
Other Amenities
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible picnic table
Size in acres
Year acquired
History
The park was named in commemoration of Ed Benedict, a statesman and community activist who was instrumental in getting the park built. In addition to his work as a nurseryman and landscape contractor, he served three terms in the Oregon Legislature, and was a member of many community organizations, including Urban League of Portland, NAACP, and the East County Coordinating Committee. When the proposed Mt. Hood freeway project fell through, Benedict worked hard to ensure that the land that had been purchased as an easement for the freeway be developed as a neighborhood park. In 1988 the parcel known as Mt Hood Park was deeded to the City of Portland for "eventual use as a recreational park." Benedict died that year and, in his will, left money to establish a trust fund to develop the park. Ed Benedict Community Park was officially named at a ceremony on July 29, 1991. A granite and basalt sculpture entitled Contemplative Place by Michihiro Kosuge was installed in 1996 at the west end of the park. Each of the four stones is placed to represent the four directions. In 2009, the skate plaza was added to the park. In 2018, Ed Benedict Park’s restrooms nearest the skate park were renovated with funding from the 2014 Parks Replacement Bond so that they can be open year-round. Improvements included new ADA-compliant pathways to the restrooms.