Milwaukie Riverfront Park

Marking another major leap in realizing the long-term goal of reclaiming one of the most beautiful views of the Willamette River and building a park to draw people from around the region to enjoy it, construction of Phase II of Milwaukie Riverfront Park began in June 2014. A Grand Opening Ceremony was held on May 1, 2015.

Please click here for a schematic describing Phase II work.

Phase II elements include:

• Replace boat ramp with one-lane ramp
• Install boarding float for pedestrian use and temporary boat tie-ups
• Modify McLoughlin Boulevard vehicle access to park
• Install small restroom
• Install parking for boat trailers and cars
• Complete riverside plantings in southern portion of park
• Relocate power poles
• Re-grade the center portion of the park
• Install a riverside path connecting Phases I and II
• Complete riverside plantings in center portion of park

Funding partners for the $2.2 million project include the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, Oregon Marine Board, Clackamas County, Kellogg Good Neighbor Committee and the City of Milwaukie.

During construction access to the boat ramp and Milwaukie Riverfront Park will be closed.

PROJECT BACKGROUND
Milwaukie Riverfront Park is located on an 8.5 acre site adjacent to the City’s downtown, and is nestled between the Willamette River to the west, Kellogg Creek to the south, Johnson Creek to the north and McLoughlin Boulevard to the east.

Planning for Milwaukie Riverfront Park began in earnest in 1998 with the establishment of the Milwaukie Riverfront Task Force. The  Downtown and Riverfront Land Use Framework Plan, adopted in 2000, identified development of the Riverfront Park as a high priority project.

Planning for the current park design began in 2005 with a survey to determine what components the community would like to see included in the park. City Council approved of the preliminary plan in 2006, and approved a contract with David Evans and Associates (DEA) for final design. The design for what will become the City’s “Living Room” was developed by DEA and was approved by the Milwaukie Design and Landmarks Committee and Milwaukie Planning Commission in 2010.

The existing site contains a boat launch, parking areas and a small restroom. The completed park design will include new parking areas north and south of Kellogg Creek, a play area for children, one large and one small restroom facility, an amphitheater for performances, a festival lawn, two overlooks for river viewing and pathways for pedestrians and bikers. View the approved park design here.

PROJECT STATUS

Permitting:

• Joint Department of State Lands (DSL) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) permit submitted January 2009
  • Department of State Lands (DSL) approval received April 2009
  • USACE approval pending
• Milwaukie Planning Commission approval received May 25, 2010

Construction:

• Phase I of construction (Klein Point overlook) completed November 2012
• Phase II of construction began in June 2014 and will be completed in May 2015
• Capital Campaign underway to construct Phases III - IV

Fundraising:

• The City has a capital campaign in place to facilitate fundraising for "Riverfront Park on Milwaukie Bay". As part of this effort, a project prospectus packet has been developed (see attached below), a steering committee has been established and a capital campaign fund has been established with the Oregon Community Foundation for accepting donations.  Steering Committee members include Dave Green and Gary Klein from the City's Riverfront Task Force, Jonathan Nicolas, from ODS Companies, Mike Richardson, of Dark Horse Comics, Craig Van Valkenburg, of Willamette View, and Tom Kemper, of KemperCo.
   
• In July 2013, the City was awarded two grants for the development of the next phase of the park. One grant is from the Oregon Marine Board, for $1.2 million, and will be matched with $1 million in City funding via the Kellogg Good Neighbor Committee. The second grant is from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, for $221,000, and will be matched with $147,500 in City funding.  Construction will begin in June 2014 and be completed in May 2015.  Together, these two projects will install a new boat launch and boarding float, a riverside pathway and plantings, a small restroom, parking areas north and south of Kellogg Creek and vehicle access improvements along McLoughlin Blvd. The Jefferson Street boat ramp will be closed between June and October of 2014 to allow construction to be completed.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Kelly Brooks
Assistant City Manager
503.786.7573
brooksk@milwaukieoregon.gov