The Sunnyside Neighborhood Association has announced the opening of a new pedestrian plaza on SE 37th Ave. at Hawthorne Blvd., a project led by the Hawthorne Boulevard Business Association (HBBA). It is part of the Portland Street Plaza Program and will provide a space to relax, eat a bite and enjoy art and performances.
The Hawthorne Pilot Plaza and Kiosk project is a community-driven initiative aimed at enhancing the Hawthorne District by creating a seasonal public plaza. The plaza will feature an active gathering space, seating, street mural, landscaping, solar kiosk offering wayfinding maps and information.
The location was selected as a pilot in August 2024 because it has the right ingredients for success, including active restaurants, frequent pedestrian and bike traffic, adjacency of a bus line and proximity to the iconic Bagdad Theater. Careful consultation with community members and organizations was done during site selection and PBOT’s traffic engineering shows this area would work to close the street.
The project is funded by a $46,000 grant from Venture Portland to the HBBA to create a solar kiosk mini-resiliency hub. A portion of the grant funds will be used to secure a maintenance and management contract for ongoing care and cleaning of the plaza. This includes bi-weekly trash pick up, sweeping and maintaining landscape planters, graffiti removal and general upkeep to ensure the plaza remains clean, safe and working.
Currently kiosk permits and structural review are taking place along with a naming/mural design competition. Installation, mural painting and opening celebration will follow in May/June.
Sustainability Plaza Example Concept Idea created by Hawthorne intern Alex Yarovaya.
