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Pittman Addition HydroPark
Public Art Advisory Committee for Pittman Addition HydroPark
A public meeting was held on November 4th to inform and inspire community members about the next steps for installing temporary public art at the new HydroPark. You can view the presentation here online to learn more.
This will be a long term process, and we are asking community members to serve on the committee for a two year term. If you are interested in serving on the committee, please submit a "letter of interest" by email to Darcy Cronin. Please include information about what skills and community experience you would offer the committee.
If you haven’t seen the new HydroPark, check it out for yourself, it’s just north of Going Street soundwall and the Concord St pedestrian overpass.
Indeed A Grand Opening A good time was had by all at the recent Pittman Addition HydroPark Grand Opening! Thanks again to Commissioner Leonard and David Shaff for the Portland Water Bureau's sponsorship of the project. Another big thank you to Tom Klutz and Rich Rice and his grounds maintenance crew.
The Electric Opera Company jammed with some classic rock style opera, and kids of all ages enjoyed the beautiful weather. Check out photos on our Flickr page!
Thanks again to everyone who came out to celebrate and to the many community members who helped make this event possible. In particular, Marci, Chris, Amy, Patty and Dale! A delicious thank you several community business who donated generously:
Background Information and Community Involvement:
Hidden behind the sound wall on the north side of Going Street, Pittman Addition HydroPark is a new neighborhood gathering place. The Portland Water Bureau owns the property, which is connected to the nearby Denver Tank, and worked with community members to design the site. The new HydroPark includes picnic tables and benches made from recycled materials by local artists. In the long term, the community is planning to create places for temporary sculptures to rotate.
The site is known as "Pittman Addition" for the platt of neighborhood houses that were leveled when Going Street was expanded for freight truck traffic. If you explore the full length of this long skinny site, you'll discover a fun surprise up in the apple tree: a woman woven of twigs. The natural sculpture was created by Nicodemus MacDonald, and was first located at the Oregon Country Fair. Community artists Marci Macfarlane and Chris Radcliffe were responsible for bringing the piece to the site, check out the Portland Tribune article Overlook Activists Spark Art Park.
Neighbors have been very engaged in the planning process since last October, and have volunteered at a clean-up and native planting events. Community artist Brian Borrello has also assisted in the design process and community meetings. There are also long term plans to add rotating sculptures to the site, once the community has secured funding and developed a jury process. Neighbors dreams of reclaiming this site as an urban oasis are now being realized.
Design and Features:
Pittman Addition HydroPark has been a unique transformation process, with lots of community input on the design. The parks' design incorporates a lot of the community's creativity, and features picnic tables and benches made from recycled materials by local artists. The tables are made from recycled steel cargo doors, old growth beams and mosaics by Chris Radcliffe and Marci MacFarlane, artists and neighbors. The benches are made from recycled wooden spools by community artist and fabricator, Matt Cartwright.
You may be wondering, how does a site like this become a "HydroPark"? Unknown to most neighbors, this site includes a large underground water vault that services Swan Island and the nearby Denver Tank. With Commissioner Leonard's leadership, the Portland Water Bureau has taken on the exciting challenge of turning water infrastructure sites into public open spaces. Since 2006, six new neighborhood parks have been opened around Portland. The Pittman Addition site will be the first HydroPark in North Portland.
For more information, contact Darcy Cronin at the Portland Water Bureau, 503 823-3520.
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