On October 1st, APANO Communities United Fund will host an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. to gather Jade District residents’ perspectives on access to green space. Participants attending the drop-in gathering within the community room at 8118 SE Division Street will join a focused conversation about a roughly 1.5-acre property owned by Metro on the southeast corner of SE 89th Avenue and 90th Place. All area residents, whether or not they attend, can complete an anonymous online survey to share their opinions.
Oregon Metro owns the large parcel at 2815 SE 90th Place after purchasing the property in July 2025 for planned Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). Community advocates have long envisioned the large property as a neighborhood park and recently sought support for that project. Last March, APANO collected 149 community member signatures on a letter calling for meaningful engagement and substantial green space at the site. This support follows the 2014 Jade District community visioning plan and the 2018 EPA Greening the Jade project work. That previous community outreach recorded in those documents showed a desire and expressed need for green space across all groups in the neighborhood.
Since sharing that letter, organizers have focused on developing plans based on current capacity for new parks, indicating the need for a practical shared-use model for the site. A standalone park or community garden without housing would require another organization to purchase the property from Metro and take responsibility for long-term maintenance. A mixed housing and green space approach could include shared outdoor areas for residents or a combination of affordable housing and publicly accessible green space, community gardens, paths, or gathering areas. They expect the open house and survey results will help rank community priorities for affordable housing, outdoor recreation, and public access to green space. APANO will compile the results into a community engagement report for Metro to inform its plan for the site and shape Request for Proposal (RFP) language used to secure future development.
Although creating a full site park is less likely, APANO staff expect an opportunity for public use of part of the 1.5-acre site, and survey and open house input could support that initiative. The open house will have language support in Vietnamese, Cantonese, and Mandarin. People needing childcare or American Sign Language support to participate should call or text (503) 922-3910 by September 24th. The venue is wheelchair accessible and off the 72 and FX 2 TriMet bus lines. No registration is needed to attend this family-friendly event.
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