Connect > A.M. Kennedy, Vista Brook parks reopen after bond-funded redevelopment
A.M. Kennedy, Vista Brook parks reopen after bond-funded redevelopment
October 30, 2013
Major redevelopment projects at A.M. Kennedy Park and Vista Brook Park, funded by the Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District’s 2008 voter-approved bond measure, have been completed. Both neighborhood parks are now open to the public.
Both projects were designed with significant community input and included enhancements of natural areas by THPRD’s Natural Resources specialists. Their work will continue with the planting of additional native trees and shrubs at both sites.
A.M. Kennedy Park (10200 SW Kennedy Street, Beaverton) reopened Oct. 25, about a year after the $1.3 million project began at the 8.3-acre site in east-central Beaverton.
“It was mostly a wooded area, now it has a little bit of everything,” said Gery Keck, THPRD project manager.
A portion of the large wooded area was removed and significant grading work completed to accommodate a multipurpose athletic field, which is the park’s centerpiece. It is the third new youth athletic field funded by the bond measure and will be programmed for play next summer once the grass matures.
Thousands of native trees and shrubs were planted at the site. Among the new amenities are play equipment, an ADA-accessible community garden, a covered picnic shelter, and drinking fountains. A paved basketball court, one of the park’s only amenities before the redevelopment, remains.
The hard-surface trails in and around the remaining natural area have been augmented by gravel paths to provide even better access. Many of the trees cleared from the site remain as decorative logs, while others have been used to construct park benches.
Perhaps the park’s signature design element is a bridge constructed over Hall Creek to make the park accessible from the south via Laurel Street.
Vista Brook Park (6697 SW 88th Avenue, Portland, near Scholls Ferry Road) also reopened Oct. 25, about a month ahead of schedule, said THPRD project manager Tim Bonnin.
The 4.1-acre park closed in June for a $500,000 renovation that includes two new half-court basketball facilities as well as separate play equipment for younger (2-5) and older (5-12) children. Other improvements include a paved, ADA-accessible parking lot and two paved trails that connect the park to the adjacent Fanno Creek Trail.
“We really opened up the park,” Bonnin said. “It’s bright and far more inviting than it was.”
The Vista Brook site also includes a boardwalk and viewing platform to highlight the park’s pond and adjacent natural area. Partial funding was provided by a $25,000 grant from the Oregon Park and Recreation Department.
THPRD’s $100 million bond measure is designed to preserve natural areas, develop new trails and trail connections, add athletic fields, and upgrade or expand parks and recreational facilities across the district. About half of the 130 scheduled projects have been completed. For details, visit www.thprd.org/bondprojects.
About THPRD
Formed in 1955, THPRD is the largest special park district in Oregon, spanning about 50 square miles and serving 230,000 residents in the greater Beaverton area. The district provides year-round recreational opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. Offerings include thousands of widely diverse classes, 90 park sites with active recreational amenities, 60 miles of trails, eight swim centers, six recreation centers, and 1,400 acres of natural areas. For more information, visit www.thprd.org or call 503/645-6433.
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Contact:
Bob Wayt
Director – Communications
503/614-1218 (direct)
503/686-5134 (cell)
Date: October 30, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Click here for official release (PDF).