(Portland, OR) –
Portland Parks & Recreation’s (PP&R) improvements at Farragut Park (N Kerby Avenue and Farragut Street) are substantially complete, and new features are in place to welcome park visitors. A new playground, ADA upgrades to the existing playground, splash pad repairs, two Portland Loo restrooms, pathways and sidewalks, and a new basketball court are open for public use.
The Bureau installed more play equipment for park visitors ages five and under, helping to ensure that PP&R is providing appropriate play opportunities for more people of all ages and abilities.
The Farragut Park project also features benches, a picnic table, a drinking fountain, and new ADA-accessible ramps leading to the park and pathways.
Park visitors can now enjoy the interactive water play area with fountains and dumping buckets—perfect for cooling off in this summer heat. While construction work continues to relocate utilities, finish sidewalks, and construct a new ADA ramp at the N Vancouver area of the park, all work is expected to be completed by mid-August.
There are many other playgrounds across the community’s parks system that need repairs. PP&R and its nonprofit fundraising partner the Portland Parks Foundation continue to work together to leverage private donations for improving playgrounds across the city. For more information about rebuilding playgrounds with the Portland Parks Foundation, click here.
System Development Charges (SDCs) have funded most of the improvements at Farragut Park. Park SDCs are not General Fund tax dollars; they are one-time fees assessed on new development. SDCs help ensure that Portland’s quality of life keeps pace with its infrastructure needs as the city’s population grows. As directed by Oregon law, SDC funds are only available to improve and expand park features and capacity.
The Farragut Park project used $1.75M in System Development Charges to add new equipment suited for toddlers and remove ADA barriers for better playground accessibility.
Additional funding
- $800,000 in Parks Major Maintenance funds for the new basketball court.
- $455,220 in General Fund dollars made the Portland Loos possible.
Project page:
www.portland.gov/parks/construction/farragut-park-improvements-project
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