Completion of Mill Park Playground Approved

Commissioner Dan RyanPortland Culture & Livability Commissioner Dan Ryan secured city council approval Wednesday for a construction contract with Raimore Construction, LLC for the Mill Park project. Mill Park, a 6.2-acre site located at SE 117th Avenue and Lincoln Street in East Portland, is currently an open grassy area with no amenities beyond some mature trees, a park sign, and a bench. The development of Mill Park will include a playground, fountain, new Portland Community Garden, picnic shelter and tables, chin lone*/volleyball court, Portland Loo, fitness area, paved paths including a central promenade, public art, and other park amenities.

“This is a huge win for East Portland and for the Mill Park community,” says Ryan.

“The park will greatly enhance one of Portland’s most diverse neighborhoods – an area with one of the city’s highest concentrations of underserved community members. And on top of that, the project will be completed by a local company. It’s a win-win.”

Raimore Construction, the firm that won the contract, is a Portland-based minority-owned general contractor. Over 80% of Raimore staff, including all supervisory and management personnel, are people of color.

“It is a delight to see this project, years in the making, really gain steam,” says Portland Parks & Recreation Director Adena Long. “Mill Park will be a wonderful community centerpiece and a beloved destination for the neighborhood – and in particular, for the adjacent school.”

Mill Park illustrative plan. (courtesy of Portland Parks & Recreation)
Mill Park Elementary School, next door to the park, has 475 students. Approximately 77.5% of students identify as people of color and/or Native/Indigenous, and 48% are enrolled as English as Second Language learners. About 68% qualify for free/reduced lunch.

Ryan has added an additional $2.8 million in system development charge (SDC) fees to the project budget in order to ensure the full project can be constructed. This was necessary, given the ongoing impact of inflation, supply chain and labor issues across the construction industry. The project’s total budget is $13.22 million.