Interstate Corridor:
Downtown Kenton Redevelopment Project Phase II:
The Denver Avenue Streetscape Project

• Denver Avenue Streetscape Construction Begins!

  The N. Denver Avenue Streetscape project began construction on September 29, 2009. The construction work, performed by R&R General Contractors of Wilsonville is renovating the four-and-one-half block stretch of Denver Avenue from Interstate Avenue to Watts Street. Improvements will take about four months and will be completed by early 2010.
  
  The Portland Development Commission (PDC) is funding this $2.85 million overhaul of the street and adjacent sidewalks. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will manage construction.

  Construction work will start from the south end of the project at N. Watts Street and proceed north toward Interstate Avenue. The makeover will include widening the sidewalks, installing new street trees, adding street level pedestrian lighting, installing benches, storm-water treatment planters, public art, and resurfacing the street.

  Helping small businesses along Denver Avenue during construction is a top priority for the Interstate Urban Renewal Area. As part of this “Open for Business” effort, PDC and PBOT have helped local merchants put together a coupon booklet offering a variety of discounts ranging from reduced price meals to auto repair discounts. (Note: we will post the booklet here for download shortly).

  Access will be maintained to all area businesses in the area during all of construction, with ramps and signage provided to assist shoppers and retailers.  The work will proceed block by block. Driving access will remain open during sidewalk construction; however each block will have to be closed to traffic for about 2 weeks to allow for street resurfacing.  Traffic, including buses, will be diverted during that time.

• Contact Jim Gladson, Project Public and Business Liaison, at jim.gladson@abam.com or 360-823-6121 for the most current project information.
  
  
• Paul Bunyan Gets a Makeover.

  The Kenton Neighborhood Association was just informed that it has received funding through the PDC Community Livability Grant Program to “spruce up”the now historically recognized Paul Bunyan statue.  The  $13,317 grant funding will be used to refurbish the statue, which stands at the intersection of Denver and Interstate Avenues at the gateway of the business district, and protect it from graffiti damage.  Paul was built in 1959 for Oregon’s Centennial Celebration and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  
  

• Kenton History Continues. Posies Café, a Kenton neighborhood coffee shop at 8208 North Denver Avenue, hosted the Oregon Sesquicentennial opening press conference on July 1. Pink Martini’s Thomas Lauderdale performed at the press conference along with members of the Oregon National Guard’s 234th Army Band. Metro Council President David Bragdon was among the speakers. Listen to audio from the conference here.
  
  
• New North Portland Library Branch to Open Soon. A new North Portland branch of the Multnomah County Library will open in the beginning of 2010 at 8226 North Denver. The 6,500-square-foot building is currently being redesigned by architects Henneberry Eddy. See the Multnomah County Library website for more details.
  
  
• Denver Streetscape Featured in Portland Monthly Magazine!
  Upgrade Avenue: Gritty Kenton gets a million-dollar makeover
  Portland Monthly, July 2009
  
  
• Frequently Asked Questions. See this quick guide that answers common questions about the streetscape.

The N. Denver Avenue Streetscape Improvement Project will widen sidewalks and install new street trees, lighting, benches, stormwater planters, and public art along N Denver Avenue from Interstate Avenue south to Watts Street. The purpose of the project is to support continued revitalization of the historic Kenton Business District.

PDC developed the conceptual designs for the Denver Avenue Streetscape Improvement Project in conjunction with a Citizen’s Advisory Committee (CAC), the Portland Bureau of Transportation, design consultants SERA Architects and Greenworks, and input from neighborhood residents and business owners.  

The selected design features:

• Widened sidewalks
• One auto lane in each direction
• Removal of center turn lane
• Widening of existing bike lanes
• Curbside loading for businesses
• Space for all modes of traffic: cars, bicycles, pedestrians, delivery trucks

Widened sidewalk streetscape Conceptual only

Bus stop at North McClellan Conceptual only

Public seating and stormwater planters Conceptual only

 

The design also adds several new features to revitalize the streetscape:

• “Business friendly” street trees
• Pedestrian-scale lighting
• Stormwater treatment
• Patterned sidewalks/crosswalks
• Street furniture
• Gateways
• Public art

Stormwater Planters

Stormwater planters, or “bioswales,” capture rain and run-off from the roadway and sidewalks, allowing water to naturally filter into the ground rather than carrying pollutants into our rivers. Stormwater planters will be located on both sides of the street, and along all four blocks of the streetscape project.

Pictured at right: Stormwater Planter at SW 12th and Montgomery

Street Trees

Two species of trees will be planted along Denver Avenue. Both were selected because of their “business-friendly,” airy leaf/branch patterns and less-invasive root systems, distinctive fall color and manageable size.

Left: Honey Locust trees will line the core area of Denver Avenue from Interstate to Schofield.

Right: Raywood Ash trees will be planted from Schofield to Watts. The different color and slightly wider canopy of these trees will help delineate the southern gateway of the business district.

  

 

Street Furniture: Benches and Lighting

Curved stone benches will be built in place at the NW and NE corners of Schofield and Denver, the NW and NE corners of Kilpatrick and Denver, and the SE and SW corners of McClellan and Denver. Designed in collaboration with Greenworks PC, each of the seven benches will have a precast concrete base with a granite bench cap and carved granite relief pilaster featuring a detail from the streetscape’s proposed freestanding sculpture (a trolley, birds, Babe the Blue Ox among them).

In addition to the benches, pedestrian-scale light fixtures will line Denver Avenue, and street sign caps will call out the historic identity of the neighborhood.

Recommended Light Fixture

White-on-Black Street Sign with Historic District Sign Cap

 

Public Art

With the help of the Regional Arts & Culture Council, artist and public art consultant Valerie Otani was brought on to the design team to make recommendations on themes, scale, and potential locations for art installations along the streetscape.

Project goals included featuring historical Kenton landmarks; having a contemporary folk art approach; having the artwork be pedestrian scaled, engaging, imaginative and finely crafted; have a whimsical style that captures the past; be family friendly with touchable elements; and contribute to the experience of being in a “magical space”.

RACC has commissioned local artist Mauricio Saldaña to craft a hand-carved and polished granite sculpture depicting a hand holding a book. The book will be open to pages that feature historic buildings in Kenton, various modes of contemporary and historical transportation, popular landscape features and other whimsical and imaginative details that make the neighborhood unique. Saldaña will also carve the granite bench tops described above.

Detailed Design

To see the design concepts in greater detail, please view the Denver Avenue Streetscape Plan.

Looking north on Denver Avenue in 1926 (Oregon Historical Society)

The Kenton business district, located on North Denver Avenue in Portland, in the Interstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area, offers a wealth of attractive, historic buildings, proximity to a light rail station and a large public park. Despite its many advantages and ongoing revitalization efforts, the area has not yet met its full potential, with many properties standing underutilized or vacant. The Portland Development Commission initiated the Downtown Kenton Redevelopment Project in September 2005 to help set the stage for the Kenton business district revitalization.

The first phase of the Redevelopment Project concluded in June 2006; among the most important work stemming from the Project was the development of preliminary streetscape improvement concepts for Denver Avenue. In addition to enhancing the commercial vitality of the street, the improvements are intended to enhance safety, neighborhood identity and stormwater management.

Over 40 participants turned out for the design workshop in December 2006.

Highlights from the streetscape improvements project to date:

• Formation of a 14-member CAC;
• Creation of project goals and criteria;
• December 2006 Public Design Workshop with the CAC and other members of the public which resulted in three options for the street cross section; and
• Public Open Houses in February, June and November 2007 focusing on narrowing design options for the plan.
• February 2008: the Denver Avenue Streetscape Plan with the Widened Sidewalks option is adopted by PDC Board of Commissioners and Portland City Council.
• April 2009: PDC Board of Commissioners approves Inter-Governmental Agreement with Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) for construction of streetscape.

2006	14-member Community Advisory Committee (CAC) begins meeting. December public design workshop draws 40 participants.
2007	Three public open houses (February, June, November) and continued CAC meetings help refine streetscape design concepts.
2008	Streetscape Plan adopted by PDC Board of Commissioners, City Council and Urban Forestry Commission in February.
March 2009	Design and engineering complete.
April 2009	PDC Board of Commissioners approves Inter-Governmental Agreement with Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) for construction of streetscape.
May 2009	Project goes out to bid.
June 2009	PBOT staff meet with business owners regarding access and loading issues during construction.
July 2009	Construction contract awarded.
August 2009	Construction begins with “Open for Business” press conference.
December 2009	Estimated project completion.

Streetscape Plan

• Streetscape Plan, adopted February 2008 (PDF)
• Street plan (engineering) (PDF)
• Denver Avenue Streetscape Plan Preliminary Concepts (PDF)

Background

• Goals & Criteria (PDF)
• Downtown Kenton Redevelopment Project: Streetscape
• Streetscape Case Studies (PDF)
  
• Oregon Historical Society Photos (PDF)
  

Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) Meetings

• CAC Roster (PDF)
• June 6, 2006 Summary (PDF)
• July 5, 2006 Summary (PDF)
• October 4, 2006 Summary (PDF)
• November 6, 2006 Summary (PDF)

Project Area

• Denver Streetscape Improvement Area Map (PDF)
  

Field Day October 2006

• Field Day Notes (PDF)

Streetscape Tour October 2006

• Streetscape Tour Notes (PDF)

Design Workshop December 6, 2006

• Workshop Sketches (PDF)
• Workshop Summary (PDF)
• Workshop Description (PDF)

Please contact Jim Gladson, Project Public and Business Liaison, at jim.gladson@abam.com or 360-823-6121 for the most current project information.

For more information about PDC’s efforts in Kenton, please contact PDC Project Manager Carol Herzberg Carol Herzberg, e-mail, (503) 823-3276.