Parklane Park
Portland, Ore.
Landscape/Urban Development
Sent by: Stacy Witbeck
Region: ENR West
Owner: Portland Parks and Recreation
Main design company: Walker Macy
General contractor: Stacy Witbeck
Civil Engineer: Standridge Inc.
Structural Engineer: Grummel Engineering
MEP Engineer: PAE
Skate Park Designer: Grindline Skateparks
Irrigation: Landarc associates
When the design reached 30% of the Parklane development project in East Portland, Oregon, the estimated cost increased to almost $30 million from the original estimate of $8 million. But the collaboration between owner, designer and contractor improved that cost by about $10 million and finally fulfilled a community vision that began more than a decade ago.
A 5-acre park built on a former quarry is now a 25-acre park that includes a community garden, an off-leash dog area, a pavilion, soccer fields, basketball and tennis courts, skating, bathrooms, a splash pad, three playgrounds and a covered picnic area along with public art installations and hundreds of trees, providing an environment for hundreds of boys and girls
Stacy Witbeck, the construction manager’s general contractor, worked with Portland Parks & Recreation (PPR) and lead designer Walker Macy for three years in preconstruction “to figure out how to make it happen,” says project manager Brent Allison. A series of value engineering and design review sessions identified cost savings opportunities and prioritized features that most closely aligned with the community’s needs and vision. For example, changing some concrete paths to asphalt or pea gravel significantly reduced costs without compromising functionality.
A former park and quarry is now a haven for children.
Photo courtesy of Stacy Witbeck
The old quarry had filled in and settled over time, Allison says. “This package was under water about three months out of the year.” The team suggested to PPR that instead of buying and transporting all of the roughly 75,000 cubic meters of fill needed, it could import 50,000 cubic meters from other projects across the region. In doing so, he saved himself a million dollars. However, the wet conditions posed another challenge for the planned new trees. “We’re taking a deep dive into tree species that are more tolerant of saturated root conditions,” Hanson says. “It has become a de facto science experiment.”
The teams found themselves underground with blocks the size of a bus. “The blocks were a challenge, but they turned into a fantastic design opportunity to tell the story of the quarry,” says Taj Hanson, senior associate at Walker Macy. They were reused as landscape elements along with paths.
Recycled materials were prioritized: the aggregate base consists of recycled concrete, asphalt and rock. The steel waste was recycled. Construction water came from an on-site well, and the project’s work trailer used rain barrels to supply toilets and sinks.
The project is the first to implement Portland’s regional labor equity agreement and construction diversity inclusion policy. The agreement, adopted in 2022, expanded labor and hiring requirements for city projects of more than $5 million to promote the participation of women, minorities, apprentices and disadvantaged business enterprises. Parklane Park met the targets of 9% WBE, 25% MBE and 20% apprentices, says Allison.
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