Construction progressing at several THPRD sites

The Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District has begun construction of a 21.5-acre community park in Aloha. Work is also progressing on three other major projects:

• A new one-mile segment of the Westside Trail in the Bethany area.
• A new synthetic turf athletic field at Conestoga Middle School.
• A new segment connecting the Westside and Waterhouse Trails.

All four projects are designed to meet the growing recreational needs of residents in THPRD’s 50-square-mile swath of the greater Beaverton area.

New Community Park -- Aloha

Through an agreement with the Beaverton School District, the new community park will include Mountain View Middle School plus other parcels of land THPRD has acquired around the school.

Features will include side-by-side synthetic turf fields with lights, a Champions Too field for athletes of all abilities, and a natural grass baseball field with a multipurpose outfield. Other amenities: a 6,500 square-foot inclusive play area, tennis courts, community garden, picnic shelters, a restroom and concession stand, pathways, an open lawn area and parking.

Construction of the community park – funded by THPRD’s 2008 voter-approved bond measure – is scheduled to be completed in the fall of next year.

P&C Construction, a THPRD contractor, started this summer by stripping and removing topsoil from the existing athletic field areas. This year’s work is also focused primarily on installation of underground utilities, retaining walls and drainage systems.

After the site was surveyed, workers began moving soil from the south side of the site to the north side for the new side-by-side fields. P&C's goal is to have the major grading complete by this fall and to build the restroom, concession stand and picnic shelters this winter.

New trail segment – Bethany area

Thanks in large part to a federal grant, THPRD has also begun construction on a project to further expand the Westside Trail. The project, which is scheduled for completion in the winter of 2016-17, will provide the following improvements:

• One mile of new trail and boardwalks within the powerline corridor (south of NW Springville Road and east of NW Kaiser Road).
• A link between the Rock Creek Regional Trail and NW Kaiser Road.
• A connection from THPRD’s Hansen Ridge Park in the Bethany area to the Westside Trail.

The contractor, Carter & Company, is currently grading the one-mile, 10-foot-wide trail corridor and preparing the trail base for construction. Most work to date has been within the northern portion of the trail project between the Rock Creek Trail junction and NW 147th Avenue. The contractor will continue to work southward in August with grading and trail preparation.

New athletic field – Conestoga Middle School

In the northeast quadrant of Conestoga Middle School, the park district is converting an athletic field from natural grass to synthetic turf. Lights will be installed for increased playing time and ADA-accessible features will be added. Construction started this summer and will be completed in the fall.

After the middle school students left for summer break, THPRD’s contractor, Benchmark Contracting, stripped the grass off the existing field to make way for the new synthetic turf. The contractor regraded the field and has started to build a perimeter retaining wall to accommodate the new layout. By late August, the foundations for the field lights will arrive and Musco Lighting will set the light poles. Synthetic turf installation is scheduled for October.

Westside-Waterhouse Trail Connection

This project will connect the north end of the Westside Trail to the Waterhouse Trail on the west side of 158th Avenue and Merlo Road. It’s one of the final links in a mostly continuous THPRD trail backbone extending 10 miles from the PCC Rock Creek area to Barrows Road. Work began this spring and is still on track for completion in the early fall. The project is funded by the 2008 bond measure.

About THPRD
THPRD is the largest special park district in Oregon, spanning about 50 square miles and serving about 240,000 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, more than 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.