By Kris McDowell
Metro Council approved more than $2.5 million in funding this summer through the Nature in Neighborhoods capital grants program. Five projects in greater Portland were selected to receive funding, including SE’s Depave.
Depave empowers disenfranchised communities to overcome social and environmental injustices and adapt to climate change through urban re-greening. They transform over-paved places, create resilient community greenspaces, promote workforce development and education and advocate for policy change to undo manifestations of systemic racism.
Metro awarded Depave $784,366 to retrofit an over-paved street in Portland’s Central Eastside to improve bike and pedestrian safety, manage stormwater and boost tree canopy. The project will create a public greenspace that will benefit thousands of low-income Portlanders. Depave worked on this project with PBOT, Portland BES, Prosper PDX, Zucker Eng. & Design, Knot Studio, KPFF, UWD PreBuild, GPT Construction, Ground Score, CEIC/Central Eastside Together, Friends of the Green Loop, Friends of Noise, Art Heaux Studio, Bike Loud, Better Block and Push Movement.
Stormwater engineer, Adam Zucker, approached Depave five years ago pitching this project for the site at SE 7th Ave. and Sandy Blvd. as a continuation of his work at SE 9th Ave. and Sandy Blvd. He had applied for city funding to create bioswales and a ponderosa pine medium on Sandy to help regreen the area and provide stormwater management. Since then, Depave has been working with the city (PBOT and BES) who are supporters of the project. PBOT, who owns the street, has greenlighted the project to break ground in 2026 if the project can raise enough funds.
Over the next year, Depave will be working to raise those funds to be able to fully complete the project, called the Future Green Plaza, and begin to hone the project design. According to Katherine Rose, Depave Communications and Engagement Coordinator, PBOT has approved the current 10 percent project design and supports the cul-du-sac concept for the site. Earlier this year, Depave and project partners met with PBOT suggesting a phased approach to the project to partially depave the site. PBOT said they wanted the project to be completed in “one fell swoop” once the needed funds were secured. Rose said, “This was a huge moment for the project because it demonstrated PBOT’s enthusiasm and commitment to the project.”
In July Depave hosted their annual BIG BREAK BLOCK PARTY, launching a two-month closure of the site using the 10 percent project design as a template to trial run the future plaza. They followed that up with an August fundraiser with collaborator Push Movement that involved skateboarding, music, art and vendors in a family friendly environment and a giant puppet show with String and Shadow Puppet Theater.
Starting off September, there will be an Adidas skate team jam Thursday, the 5th, 5-7 pm. The event will feature world class skaters Miles Silvas, Mark Siciu, Lil Dre, Vincent Milou, Jenn Soto and others. Events continue Friday, September 20-Sunday, September 22, when Depave will celebrate Parking Day, a global, public, participatory project. People across the world temporarily repurpose curbside parking spaces and convert them into public parks and social spaces to advocate for safer, greener and more equitable streets for people. They’ll have interactive engagement activities, project designs, opportunities for feedback and lawn games to create a playful and engaging “park” in the street at the Future Green Plaza project site. Parking Day will also be the culmination of the two-month closure of the site. The Depave block parties have provided feedback about the site and there will also be future community design events about the project.
Depave continues to invite the community to host events at the site; those interested can apply at bit.ly/3MfUtCU. If the plaza remains open past the anticipated reopening of the street Sunday, September 22, other community event popups will be hosted.
2024 BIG BREAK BLOCK PARTY. Photo by Elle Hygge.
