Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park Project

Information

The Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park Project will launch a national design competition to create a vibrant, inclusive space for recreation, and culture along the Waterfront Park.

Stay Informed

Project updates will be shared on this webpage and by email. Enter your email address below to receive alerts when Portland Parks & Recreation posts new updates or opportunities to get involved.

Current Opportunities

We invite everyone to take the Waterfront Park Community Survey

Share what activities, experiences, and park features are most important to you!

Take survey in english

Find more information below

Invitamos a todos a participar en la Encuesta Comunitaria del Parque Waterfront

¡Comparte qué actividades, experiencias y características del parque son más importantes para ti!

Tomar encuesta en español

Encuentra más información aquí

Project Updates

June 2026

Project Advisory Committee Meeting #3

The third PAC meeting was held Monday, June 1, 2026. PAC members provided input and insights for Waterfront Programming areas for the Design Competition Stage One materials.

May 2026

Project Advisory Committee Meeting #2

The second PAC meeting was held Thursday, May 21, 2026. PAC members reviewed the Aims, Vision, and Objectives for the Design Competition Stage One materials.

Project Advisory Committee Selected and Kickoff Meeting

The Waterfront Bowl Project Advisory Committee (PAC) has been selected and the committee held its first meeting May 5, 2026.

The PAC will help provide community-informed feedback and recommendations throughout the design competition and early planning phases.

Meeting materials and summaries will be posted to this webpage shortly. Please see the Project Advisory Committee section below for additional information about the committee and its role in the project.

Design Competition Manager Announced, Competition Launching Summer 2026

Malcolm Reading Consultants has been selected to manage the upcoming design competition for the Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park Redevelopment Project.

Also joining the project team is Portland-based social impact consultancy Interplay to support community engagement and public involvement throughout the design competition process.

The open design competition is anticipated to launch in Summer 2026 and will help shape the future redevelopment of the Bowl area within Waterfront Park.

Read the full announcement from Malcolm Reading Consultants here

January 2026

Project Advisory Committee Applications have closed. The project team will be reviewing applications and sharing updates within the coming weeks.

December 2025

The Project Advisory Committee Application open until January 26, 2026.

March 2025

The Metro Council awarded PP&R a $750,000 2040 Planning and Development Grant to support the Bowl Redevelopment Project at Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park and partnership development through an intergovernmental agreement (IGA).

Read the full press release here.

Project Advisory Committee

Waterfront Park Project Advisory Committee (PAC) is complete. From an applicant pool of 83 candidates, we have a final confirmed PAC roster of 18 individuals. We are very excited to begin our work with this dynamic and diverse group.

Committee members

Chantel Herbert, Christina Fuller, Debra Porta, Emily Howell Silverman, Jan Campbell, Jessica Green, JR Lilly, Kevin Shanley, Leah Nanpei, Cody McNeal, Leilani Garcia, Robert Coury, Steve Wytcherley, Suenn Ho, Willy Levenson, Xavier Stickler, Zari Santner, Alisha Sullivan

PAC members will:

Elevate and confirm community priorities for the project site and designs
Serve as a liaison between PP&R and broader Portland communities
Provide input on the design competition process and community engagement approach
Review and provide feedback on design criteria, site research, and programming
Work with PP&R staff and the selected finalist team to provide advisory input during design development for the Bowl area

Community Engagement

Community input is central to shaping the future of Waterfront Park. Engagement opportunities include advisory committees, public events, and recorded sessions available for ongoing review.

Community Survey Open- Help Shape the Future of Waterfront Park

Over 100 community members joined Portland Parks & Recreation at our June Community Workshop to provide ideas for the future of Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Participants shared hundreds of comments about recreation, river access, events, nature, civic and commercial spaces that will help inform the Waterfront Park Design Competition.

If you weren't able to attend, there's still time to participate!

Take the Community Survey and share what activities, experiences, and park features are most important to you.

Your feedback will help shape the information provided to design teams as they reimagine one of Portland's most iconic public spaces.

The survey takes about 5–10 minutes to complete.

Survey closes at 11:59 PM on Sunday, August 30.

Take Survey in English

Take Survey in Spanish

Community Listening Session- Recording and Materials

In October 2025, PP&R and BPS co-hosted a virtual community listening session. This session's goal was to share early Waterfront Park project context and gather public input. Our partners at BPS presented information on the Central City Waterfront Urban Design Study.

Watch the session recording and read transcript here.

View Session Presentation slides here.5.05 MB

Past Engagement Activities

Community Workshop: The Future of Waterfront Park | June 30, 2026

You are invited to a community workshop about the future of Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park.

When: Tuesday, June 30, 5:30 - 7:00pm

Where: The Portland Building, Leah Hing Room (Room 108), 1120 SW 5th Ave

Join us to learn about the project, how the design competition will work, and share your ideas for the future of Waterfront Park.

During the workshop, participants will explore questions such as:

What activities and experiences should Waterfront Park support in the future?
How can the park better connect people to the Willamette River?
What amenities, recreation opportunities, and community spaces are most important?
How can Waterfront Park reflect Portland's identity, culture, and values?

Your input will help inform the materials provided to design teams to reimagine the park.

No prior knowledge of the project is needed. Everyone is welcome; join us for this free, family-friendly workshop!

Food and light refreshments will be provided.

Materials provided in Spanish and English. Spanish interpreters present during the workshop.

Registration helps us prepare for the session, gives us a better sense of who plans to attend.

Access Information:

Street parking and parking garages located within three blocks of The Portland Building.
Bus routes 1, 8, 12, 105, 164, 10, 14, 19 stop within one block from The Portland Building.
The Portland Building and meeting space is ADA Accessible.

Virtual Community Listening Session | October 22, 2025

This session will feature two presentations: one on the Central City Waterfront Urban Design Study from BPS and one from the PP&R project team for the Tom McCall Waterfront Park Project. This session will include opportunities for Q&A with both teams This session will be recorded and posted online.

RSVP optional and encouraged for the Virtual session. It helps us prepare for the session, gives us a better sense of who plans to attend, and provides you an opportunity to share questions in advance for the project team to address.

In-Person Open House | October 14, 2025

JK Gill Building, 408 SW Fifth Ave.

Co-hosted with Bureau of Planning & Sustainability (BPS)

This in-person event will feature two sets of project boards: the Central City Waterfront Urban Design Study from BPS and Tom McCall Waterfront Park Project. This session will include opportunities for Q&A with both teams and time for community networking.

Sunday Parkways: Downtown Portland | September 14, 2025

Meet the project team and share your ideas for the Central City Waterfront! We’ll be joining our partners from the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability.

We will be at Booth #516 on the PSU Park Blocks by Smith Memorial Student Union (between SW Montgomery and SW Harrison Streets).

See the full route and learn more about Downtown Portland Sunday Parkways | Portland.gov

Project Overview

The Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park Project is a national design competition to reimagine the park and create the foundation for future improvements. This project, in combination with multi-bureau coordinated efforts, is one of the mayor's priorities for the Downtown Revitalization.

The process will invite national design teams to propose bold ideas that reflect Portland's values and priorities. Through community engagement, the project will identify a preferred design that leverages a high-visibility urban waterfront space; connects downtown Portland to the river; and supports community life, economic growth, housing, transportation, and tourism. The outcome of the project will be a vision for the Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park, and a more detailed development of the Bowl area including 30% design development, cost estimate, phasing and implementation strategies.

Key Features:

Integration of nature and habitat: The project will restore and enhance the river edge ecology at the Bowl by regrading banks, planting native riparian vegetation, creating shallow water zones for fish and wildlife, and improving upland zone biodiversity throughout the park.
Flexible, everyday Park use: The park will serve as a welcoming, year-round destination for residents, workers, and visitors. To support daily activity and seasonal use, the project may include retail, a café, or restaurant spaces.
River access: The Bowl shoreline will provide safe, inclusive and accessible water access, supporting river recreation and swimming, along with amenities to encourage active river recreation and play.
Willamette River Greenway Trail: The park will maintain and improve a critical link along the Willamette River Greenway Trail, improving circulation and the overall experience for trail and park users.
Defined outdoor performance areas and gathering spaces: The park will feature a defined venue space to support a range of performances, events, and community activities, with appropriate infrastructure to meet those needs.

When complete, the redeveloped Bowl will permanently enhance the Portland waterfront by strengthening connections between Downtown and the river, celebrating Indigenous and cultural heritage, and creating a unique Portland destination that supports community life, economic growth, housing, transportation, and tourism.

Project Schedule

The project will progress through several phases, with community engagement occurring throughout.

Summer 2025 Project Set-Up: Project team formation and early planning.

Fall 2025 to Spring 2027 Community Engagement: Ongoing opportunities for the public to provide feedback.

Winter 2025/26 Design Competition Manager contracted. Project Advisory Committee Recruitment.

Summer to Fall 2026 Design Competition Round 1: National design teams submit qualifications. Semi-finalists selected.

Winter 2026/27 to Spring 2027 Design Competition Round 2: Semifinalists refine design proposals for the Park. One finalist selected.

Spring 2027 to Winter 2027 Finalist contracted for Design Development focusing on the Bowl.

Winter 2027 Report to City Council

Project Background

Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park is one of Portland’s most iconic public spaces, stretching along the west bank of the Willamette River from the Steel Bridge to the Bowl. The Park is an essential public space and regional destination that draws locals and visitors to Downtown Portland; playing a key role in boosting the local economy and serving city and regional residents.

However, the park has not received significant investment in many years. Its amenities and infrastructure have deteriorated, limiting its appeal, accessibility, and ability to host the full range of activities Portlanders and regional residents expect. The Bowl area, located north of RiverPlace and the Marina and south of the Hawthorne Bridge, is especially underutilized.

In 2025, Portland Parks & Recreation received $750,000 from Metro’s 2040 Planning and Development Grant Program to address this need. This funding creates an opportunity to reimagine the future of the Bowl, and eventually the entire 30-acre Waterfront Park, through a national design competition that centers community values, cultural identity, and ecological sustainability.