Grounds Improvement Project

A remarkable grassroots project is in progress among the friends and neighbors of Irvington School in northeast Portland a bold, collaborative experiment in urban redesign. More than 30 years ago, with a dream and a drive, local people spearheaded an effort to buy and remove 10 houses next to the school to create a playground, park and community gathering place for a neighborhood that had no other greenspace or non-commercial community center. In the early 1990s, a school and community garden was created. In 1997, school children appealed to the school's PTA to upgradee the outdated and unsafe play equipment that had fallen into disrepair. A committee, formed to grant that wish, took a neighborhood survey, drew up a Master Plan for the entire park area highlighting school and neighborhood priorities, and raised $130,000 for improvements. New play equipment, an outdoor classroom, a drinking fountain, benches and a table were installed. Now, a new group of volunteers has formed to continue the vision, reassess the Master Plan and finish the projects outlined in it. At the top of our list is a plan to improve the school's playing field. Many people use Irvington's park and playground every season of the year. Basketballs pound the pavement, swings whisk back and forth, gleeful children slide and climb, run and jump, dogs bark and race. This historical area of Portland is home to a vibrant community that is economically and ethnically diverse. Mixed-use housing developments sit next to older homes with notable architectural details. The park is a glue that helps bind this healthy urban fabric. It's a place where people meet and chat and form relationships that are the building blocks for developing an important sense of community. Our mission: To unite the community to create a greenspace and outdoor classroom that builds healthy minds, strong bodies and a fun, safe gathering place for all. To that end, we are actively seeking funding for the final phases of this exciting project. More volunteers are needed, so if you would like to help us achieve our goals, please join us! For more information, contact playground committee chair Miles Woofter: . See you on the playground!

Last updated by szich on Oct 04, 2007 at 01:40 PM

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