(Portland, OR) –
Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) has completed a new playground for East Portland’s Ed Benedict Park, located at SE 100th Avenue and Powell Blvd. PP&R crews replaced old equipment at the 13-acre park with a new, improved playground that has better stormwater drainage.
Ed Benedict Park serves more than 1,600 households within a half-mile radius of the park (based on 2024 Metro Housing data), in an area of Portland currently underserved by parks and natural areas.
New playground features include a climbing boulder and other play opportunities for younger children (around ages two to five). Fitness features and other play elements appeal to visitors aged five to 12.
Other playground attractions include:
- Slides
- Tightrope bridge
- Multiple climbing panels
- A bongo panel
- Pipe Barrier
- Swings
- Spinners
Funding for the improved play area and new stormwater drainage came from the bureau’s limited major maintenance allocation and General Fund dollars. These upgrades complement other recent projects at Ed Benedict Park. PP&R installed a restroom at Ed Benedict Park in 2018 and is planning pathway work to make the park more accessible this summer.
Special thanks to Portland Parks & Recreation staff for their work on this playground.
Many other playgrounds in the community’s park system need repairs. PP&R and its nonprofit fundraising partner, the Portland Parks Foundation, continue to work together to leverage private donations to improve playgrounds across the city. Visit the Portland Parks Foundation website for more information about rebuilding playgrounds.
About Ed Benedict Park
Comprising nearly 13 acres in East Portland, the site is named in commemoration of Ed Benedict, a statesman and park 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 was 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. The park was officially named at a ceremony on July 29, 1991.
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.
Skate Plaza Stats
18,000 square feet of street skating with ledges, edges, stairs, rails, and banks. By using recycled and 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.
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