Portland Parks & Recreation has acquired 2.5 acres of industrial property located at NE 52nd and Alberta St., which officials say is slated for a greenspace.
The $900,000 purchase was funded by a partnership which combined Park SDC (System Development Charge) acquisition funds and Portland's share of Metro's voter-approved 2006 natural areas bond measure funds.
"The Cully neighborhood has been recognized as one of the most park deficient areas of the city," said Parks Commissioner Nick Fish. "With this acquisition, we take a big step to address those deficiencies and add to the quality of life for residents of the Cully neighborhood."
The property is residentially zoned but its current industrial use is grandfathered to sellers who by agreement are leasing the site for up to two years after closing. In the long term, the site will be planned and managed as a local neighborhood park.
The property joins Thomas Cully Park, a 25-acre former landfill at NE 75th and NE Killingsworth St., as future parks in the Cully neighborhood. Portland City Council unanimously accepted the master plan for Thomas Cully Park in December 2008.
Although there is no money set aside for development of the park at this time, PP&R is exploring grants, sponsorship, capital improvement and other funding options.