Town Center Park
Encyclopedia
Town Center Park is a small municipal park in Wilsonville
, Oregon
, United States. Located in the middle of Wilsonville’s town center, the 5 acres (2 ha) park cost $4.5 million to complete. The park includes the Oregon Korean War Memorial
, a visitor’s center, paths, a play area, picnic tables, and an amphitheater among other features. Completed in 2005, Town Center Park is also home to Wilsonville’s first interactive water feature.
, a pond, a fountain, landscaping, picnic areas, a basketball court, a play area for children, gardens, paths, an amphitheater, lawns, and a pavilion area to be partially covered and used to host events such as street fairs. Parking was also to be built, which included spaces for recreational vehicle
s.
By October 1996, the estimated cost to build the park had increased to $3.3 million. All funding for the park had been secured at that time, and was to come from Wilsonville and the county’s lodging taxes and from a $1 million grant by the county’s tourism council to be used to build a visitor’s center. Wilsonville’s parks board approved of the plans that included the war memorial, the visitor’s center, gardens, paths, fountains, the amphitheater, and lawns at that time. The visitor’s center would also provide restrooms for the park, offer meeting space for the community, and be the home of the city’s chamber of commerce
.
In November 1996, Oregon voters passed Ballot Measure 47, which lowered property tax rates and imposed restrictions on raising those rates. Due to the passage of the measure, the city delayed the project because of concerns about the impact of the measure on funding for building and maintaining the park. The estimated cost to build Town Center Park at that time was $3.3 million. Plans for building the park later moved forward, and construction of the regional visitor’s center began in June 1998. The building opened at Town Center Park in April 1999 at a cost of $1.5 million.
Construction on the war memorial started with a groundbreaking ceremony on May 4, 2000. In September 2000, the memorial was opened in the park to pay tribute to those soldiers from Oregon who died in the Korean War
. During the summer months in 2000 and 2001 the park hosted a small farmer’s market run by the chamber of commerce. Also in 2000, the park began hosting the annual Wilsonville Celebration Days.
The park was completed in the Spring of 2005 when the final phase of construction finished after adding several features, including an interactive water play area
, the first in the city. The water feature had been delayed due to a water shortage in the city before the completion of a new water treatment plant. This last phase cost around $1.2 million and was paid for through funds generated by an urban renewal
district and built by Hoffman Construction. Total costs for building the park came to $4.5 million. The fountain had to be closed due to water quality issues in June 2007, but re-opened a few days later. In October 2008, free Wi-Fi service was added to the park by the chamber of commerce.
Tourism Development Council and is operated by the Wilsonville Chamber of Commerce. A brick, wood, and glass structure, it is located at the southwest corner of the park and was constructed by First Cascade Corporation. The building also includes the park’s public restrooms.
The park was designed by Murase Associates, headed by landscape architect Robert Murase
. Features at the park include a water feature for people to play in, an amphitheater with stage, a picnic shelter, picnic tables, children’s play equipment, paths, and a half-sized basketball court. The water feature is a zero-depth interactive element that has water cascade down a series of concrete channels to a small pond that contains bubblers. There is also the Rotary Rose Garden operated by the local Rotary Club and trees dedicated to the city’s sister city relationship.
Wilsonville, Oregon
Wilsonville is a city primarily in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. A portion of the northern section of the city is in Washington County. Originally founded as Boones Landing due to the Boones Ferry which crossed the Willamette River at the location, the community became Wilsonville in...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States. Located in the middle of Wilsonville’s town center, the 5 acres (2 ha) park cost $4.5 million to complete. The park includes the Oregon Korean War Memorial
Oregon Korean War Memorial
The Oregon Korean War Memorial is a war memorial located in Wilsonville, Oregon, United States. Completed in 2000, it honors the Oregon soldiers and the Korean people from the Korean War...
, a visitor’s center, paths, a play area, picnic tables, and an amphitheater among other features. Completed in 2005, Town Center Park is also home to Wilsonville’s first interactive water feature.
History
Capital Realty donated the land for a park in the center of the Wilsonville town center development in 1994 on condition that it be used as a park. In September 1996, the city started to get more input from city residents on the plans for what was then to be a $2 million park. Early plans for the park included a war memorial for the Korean War, a clock towerClock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
, a pond, a fountain, landscaping, picnic areas, a basketball court, a play area for children, gardens, paths, an amphitheater, lawns, and a pavilion area to be partially covered and used to host events such as street fairs. Parking was also to be built, which included spaces for recreational vehicle
Recreational vehicle
Recreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...
s.
By October 1996, the estimated cost to build the park had increased to $3.3 million. All funding for the park had been secured at that time, and was to come from Wilsonville and the county’s lodging taxes and from a $1 million grant by the county’s tourism council to be used to build a visitor’s center. Wilsonville’s parks board approved of the plans that included the war memorial, the visitor’s center, gardens, paths, fountains, the amphitheater, and lawns at that time. The visitor’s center would also provide restrooms for the park, offer meeting space for the community, and be the home of the city’s chamber of commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
.
In November 1996, Oregon voters passed Ballot Measure 47, which lowered property tax rates and imposed restrictions on raising those rates. Due to the passage of the measure, the city delayed the project because of concerns about the impact of the measure on funding for building and maintaining the park. The estimated cost to build Town Center Park at that time was $3.3 million. Plans for building the park later moved forward, and construction of the regional visitor’s center began in June 1998. The building opened at Town Center Park in April 1999 at a cost of $1.5 million.
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. During the summer months in 2000 and 2001 the park hosted a small farmer’s market run by the chamber of commerce. Also in 2000, the park began hosting the annual Wilsonville Celebration Days.
The park was completed in the Spring of 2005 when the final phase of construction finished after adding several features, including an interactive water play area
Water feature
In landscape architecture and garden design, a water feature is one or more items from a range of fountains, pools, ponds, cascades, waterfalls, and streams. Before the 18th century they were usually powered by gravity, though the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon are described by Strabo as...
, the first in the city. The water feature had been delayed due to a water shortage in the city before the completion of a new water treatment plant. This last phase cost around $1.2 million and was paid for through funds generated by an urban renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
district and built by Hoffman Construction. Total costs for building the park came to $4.5 million. The fountain had to be closed due to water quality issues in June 2007, but re-opened a few days later. In October 2008, free Wi-Fi service was added to the park by the chamber of commerce.
Amenities
Located within the 5 acres (2 ha) park are several structures and a variety of features. These include the Korean War Memorial and a visitor information center. The 5000 ft2 visitor’s center at the park was paid for by Clackamas County’sClackamas County, Oregon
Clackamas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county was named after the Native Americans living in the area, the Clackamas Indians, who were part of the Chinookan people. As of 2010, the population was 375,992...
Tourism Development Council and is operated by the Wilsonville Chamber of Commerce. A brick, wood, and glass structure, it is located at the southwest corner of the park and was constructed by First Cascade Corporation. The building also includes the park’s public restrooms.
The park was designed by Murase Associates, headed by landscape architect Robert Murase
Robert Murase
Robert Murase was a world renowned landscape architect. His work throughout the Pacific Northwest demonstrates the skill and passion he had for landscape design. He was known as one of the best landscape designers locally and internationally.-History:Murase was born in San Francisco as a third...
. Features at the park include a water feature for people to play in, an amphitheater with stage, a picnic shelter, picnic tables, children’s play equipment, paths, and a half-sized basketball court. The water feature is a zero-depth interactive element that has water cascade down a series of concrete channels to a small pond that contains bubblers. There is also the Rotary Rose Garden operated by the local Rotary Club and trees dedicated to the city’s sister city relationship.