What was Funded
Cully Park is a 24.73 acre public park operated by the Portland Parks and Recreation Department. Northeast Portland’s Cully neighborhood is traditionally one of the most underserved and economically fragile in the Portland metro area. The project transformed the lot, which was once a landfill and before that a sand and gravel mine, into a park for the diverse neighborhood of over 500 families, with 53 percent people of color and 27 percent of households below the poverty line. Prior to the new park, the area was one of the most park-deficient neighborhoods in Oregon.
The park features a youth soccer field, walking paths, an off-leash dog area, a play area and space for future sports fields. In addition, the Native Gathering Garden at Thomas Cully Park, brought to life through community vision, is a catalyst for strengthening relationships with plants in a space designed for the community to gather, host cultural celebrations, and engage in Indigenous land practices and cultural values.
About the Match
In addition to the ORLP grant, funding for the park came from public and private partnerships with the Park System Development Charge — a one-time fee assessed on a development that covers a portion of the cost — and various private donations.
Quote
"The park construction would not have been accomplished without partners' efforts, and the completion of the first community-driven parks project in an underserved, diverse area of town is a testimony to collaboration by many individual and agencies." A. Fritz, Park Commissioner
