Construction is well underway at Berrydale Park, where crews have installed the majority of new skatepark elements and made substantial progress on installing the park’s adjacent sidewalks. Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) anticipates completion in Fall 2025.

Behind the construction fencing closing the park to visitors, people will now see the telltale shapes of purpose-built skateboard amenities, including a prominent clover bowl, mini-ramp, railings/rails, and other skills-building elements. Crews have created the outlines of three new play zones north of the skatepark. However, only the surrounding park benches are visible, as the selected play equipment will arrive later in the construction schedule.

Pedestrians will soon gain some new sidewalk sections on SE 89th Avenue and SE Taylor Street. However, the new sidewalk sections are not continuous and only surround the park at 9004 SE Taylor Street and the frontage of one private residence. Planners working on the project did not include connected sidewalks around the park’s block and across SE 89th Avenue from Berrydale Park as first planned because most property owners did not want to participate in a Local Improvement District (LID) that would have required those participants share in the construction costs. The expense to each participant would have been less than if each homeowner conducted the work individually, but the $24,000 share was more than some residents wanted to pay.

Without the larger LID, the City only improved a little over 200 feet SE 89th Avenue with a standard curb and sidewalk segment built on the east side. The west side received a small concrete lip to mitigate gravel spilling from the unpaved shoulder onto the asphalt. They also created asphalt driveway connectors or stubs over the gravel parking strip to minimize wear and further contain gravel spillage. The resulting street appears narrow and unfinished, with the new infrastructure stranded mid-block. However, as property in the area redevelops over the coming decades, those property owners will need to build sidewalks and complete the road along their frontage.

Crews will work to complete the new skatepark facility, new pathways, new lighting, and a new playground this spring and summer leading up to a grand opening. Until then, onlookers will continue to see the once-sleepy park grow, offering enticing amenities for parkgoers of all ages.