November 29, 2005

MEDIA ADVISORY

CONTACT:

Julie Rawls, PDC (503) 823-3294 Ellen Vanderslice, PDOT Project Manager (503) 823-4638

Update on NW 3rd and 4th Avenue Construction;
Street Trees Arrive and Much More

Tree Plantings

Construction on the NW 3rd and 4th Avenue Streetscape Improvement Project is ahead of schedule and area improvements are already visible. New street trees are arriving in the project area and planting began on November 14. More than 125 new street trees will be planted and the various species have been carefully chosen to be beautiful without requiring extensive maintenance. Many of the new trees are of Asian origin and extend the botanical theme from the Chinese Classical Gardens into the neighborhood. The first trees were planted along NW 4th Avenue, between Burnside and Glisan streets. The area around each tree will be landscaped with groundcover. Property owners may choose from a variety of planting options depending on their interest in helping to maintain the plants outside their property.

The tree planting plan, developed by local landscape design firm Nevue Ngan Associates, has a pattern of two species on each block featuring "bookends" of gingko trees near the corners with another flowering tree species between the “bookends.” On the block between Burnside and Couch, the south “bookends” are missing because of the China Gate.

Festival Streets

At the heart of the design are the two Festival Streets, on NW Davis and NW Flanders. The Festival Streets are streets without curbs, where black granite bollards delineate the boundary between sidewalk and roadway. Cars can drive and park on the festival streets, but the streets are designed so they can be temporarily closed to traffic for neighborhood events. The street surface is scored concrete bounded by light-colored granite pavers.

The contractor is continuing to construct the Flanders Festival Street first and is ahead of schedule, having already demolished the existing street. When completed, the festival streets will provide the neighborhood with a place for festivals to draw thousands of visitors to the area each year. Efforts are already underway to plan the first major festival as part of the grand opening of the project late next summer.

First Bronze Plaque Arrives

The first bronze plaque was poured in September at the Shaanxi Five Rings Cultural Foundry in Xi’an, China, and arrived by airfreight in Portland on October 3. Eventually, twenty bronze plaques will be placed alongside the sidewalks of the project. The plaques are designed by local designer Suenn Ho, and include short anecdotes about the neighborhood selected by Dr Jackie Peterson from oral histories collected by the Old Town History Project. In addition to the stories, the dominant feature of each plaque is a depiction of a flower or plant with certain ethnic significance that reflects the rich and diverse history of the neighborhood.

New Sidewalks and Granite Pavers Installed

Black granite pavers from China now adorn the furniture zone (the area between the sidewalk and the street) along NW 3rd and 4th Avenues. Some of the granite in the project is the same material used in the Classical Chinese Garden and extends that theme of materials into the neighborhood. The pavers were installed in a basket weave pattern and set in sand, demanding old world masonry skills.

New sidewalks have been constructed throughout the project area. The new sidewalks are scored concrete, with black granite paving blocks near the curb and along the building fronts. Sidewalks on NW 3rd Avenue between Davis and Glisan have been widened and a bike lane will replace one car lane in the street. New streetlights and trash receptacles will be installed throughout the project area.

Public Art

The Regional Arts and Culture Council has commissioned eight public art “lanterns” for the project area from sculptor Brian Goldbloom. The sculptures celebrate the multi-cultural history and promise of the neighborhood and reflect its rich history and diversity.

Streetlights

Most of the new streetlights have been installed and the new poles are getting their first coat of red paint. Electrical work on the project is complete except for the Festival Street lights (on NW Davis and Flanders Streets) and the lighting for the public art which will be completed and installed in the spring. Until the new streetlights are installed on NW Davis next year, however, a few of the old streetlight bases will have to stay in order to keep the old poles lit over the winter.

Project Background

In September 2002, the Portland City Council adopted the Old Town/Chinatown 3rd & 4th Avenue Streetscape Plan, which identified substantial new street improvements aimed at revitalizing the neighborhood. The goal of the improvements is to strengthen the identity of this historic district, foster cultural and economic diversity, and promote a vibrant pedestrian environment for commercial, retail and residential uses. Extensive participation by the community guided the design of the improvements. For more information about the plan, visit the project website at www.portlandonline.com/transportation, click on “projects and plans.”

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