Construction is nearly complete on Mt. Tabor Maintenance Yard and multimodal pathway project at Mt. Tabor Park which began in 2008 when City Council adopted the Mt. Tabor Plan Update, amending the 2000 Mt. Tabor Plan. Phase 1 was funded in fiscal year 2014/15 by Major Maintenance funds and in November 2014 voters approved the Parks Replacement Bond that included $10 million for maintenance facility work at Mt. Tabor Yard and Urban Forestry’s Yard at Delta Park. The multimodal path at SE 64th Ave. and Division St. was designed and constructed in Phase 2, funded by System Development Charges (one-time fees assessed on new development).
Mt. Tabor Maintenance Yard serves as the central dispatch for more than 160 Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) maintenance and horticultural service staff. These employees are responsible for maintaining park facilities and services across the city.
Many of the existing structures at Mt. Tabor Maintenance Yard were originally designed as horse stables in the early 1900s and were eventually converted to offices and workspaces. Many improvements were needed to make the area safe for workers and visitors.
The project includes a wide variety of new features and improvements. A long-awaited bike path and multiuse trail will create a safer, more accessible connection to Mt. Tabor Park for the South Tabor neighborhood. Street improvements include a new sidewalk along SE 64th Ave. between SE Sherman and Lincoln streets.
A new maintenance shop for PP&R’s skilled tradespeople provides improved workspaces, secure storage for equipment and safer working conditions. A fenced storage area between SE 60th and 64th avenues and SE Harrison and Lincoln streets will house potted plants and trees managed by PP&R’s Horticultural Service team. A new greenhouse in the Upper Nursery area north of Mt. Tabor Maintenance Yard. As part of native plants landscaping, over 100 new trees have been planted. A public art installation in partnership with the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC).
The city expects to finish and open the bike path and multiuse trail around April 1. A community celebration will occur once the project is complete.
New plant storage on Long Block looking west. Photo credit PP&R.
