8 • The Southwest Portland Post
NEWS
June 2017
Budget problems blamed for delay in Spring Garden Park development
By Erik Vidstrand
The Southwest Portland Post
Friends of Spring Garden Park have
been curious about the development
of their park. Hannah Davidson, a
leading activist in the Multnomah
neighborhood, contacted the city
after no word or action at the park
in some time.
The response was that construction
has been delayed due to budget
reconfigurations.
“They had planned to start in
April,” said Ken Boltz, a neighbor
who lives within earshot of the
proposed amphitheatre. “We had
an email from Travis Ruybal, the
park project manager, which said
the amphitheater was no longer on
the list.”
Because of the construction boom,
all of their bids came in too high
Boltz told The Post.
“Even with the lowest bidder,
[the park bureau] didn’t have
enough money for everything they
planned,” Boltz said.
“Thank you for your patience,”
Ruybal said. “We have been working
through the details of the contracting
process. We have a qualified low
bidder for construction and we are
working on contract execution.
“Portland is experiencing a
construction boom,” Ruybal said.
“The high demand for labor and
materials has significantly driven
up costs.”
As a result, the construction bid
came in over the project budget. The
park bureau is looking for ways to
reduce costs while maintaining
the integrity of the design. Some
items have been removed from the
plan, such as concrete pathways
and stairs. Tile would replace
rubber safety surfacing on the upper
playground.
The stone seat wall and concrete
pad at the gathering area, or as many
neighbors call it, “the amphitheater,”
will be not be included and the area
Dr. John Minahan (left) talks with neighbors Ken Bolz and Kathy Frost in July 2016
about development plans for Spring Garden Park. (Post file photo by Erik Vidstrand)
will be converted into a grassy bowl.
“This is good news for those of us
that were against the amphitheater,”
Boltz said. This was the biggest
contention of many of the neighbors.
“It looks like they won’t break
ground until sometime in June,”
Boltz said. “This makes it a two-
month delay in the overall project.”
Ruybal explained that the delay
was not caused by the weather but
by the budget. But he conceded
that it was unlikely that contractors
could have begun work any sooner
given the record amounts of rainfall
and the slope of the site.
“Even with these changes,”
Ruybal said, “the project will still
require additional funding that we
are hopeful will be approved.”
The city’s budget was recently
approved and the entire park
budget allotment was reduced by
$1.2 million.
“It is our intention to deliver the
park experience and aesthetic that
you all worked so hard for and are
so excited to realize,” Ruybal said.
“We are confident that these
changes will have limited impact
on the beautiful and fun park you
will soon be able to enjoy. The grand
opening won’t happen until spring
2018.”
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