With a new playground and splash pad, as well as the city’s first court for the traditional Myanmar sport of chinlone, a renovated east Portland park has reopened to the public.
The David Douglas School District’s Mill Park Elementary, whose 78% of students identify as people of color or Indigenous, is adjacent to Mill Park, which is situated on six acres at 1949 SE 122nd Ave.
The park has a communal garden and 74 recently planted trees that will provide shade to an area of the city that has not had enough trees.
According to a news release from Portland Parks & Recreation Director Adena Long, the new Mill Park will serve as the focal point of a vibrant neighborhood.
After the city bought a 22,000-square-foot property next to the park to build a new access, the park expanded. Under the direction of the park’s master plan and community feedback, construction got underway in August 2023.
In the sport of Chinlone, participants use just their heads and feet to pass a wicker ball. In Southeast Asia, particularly in Myanmar, it is frequently played. A sizable portion of the student body at the David Douglas School District is made up of Karen people from Myanmar.
A form must be completed by anyone wishing to seek a community garden plot.
Portland artist Alex Chiu created new public art as part of the renovation of Mill Park.Portland Parks & Recreation is the source.
This spring, some final details, such as a picnic shelter, will be finished. As the weather warms, water fountains and a standalone restroom will reopen. The grand opening of the Parks Bureau is scheduled for the spring.
Long continued, “It is a neighborhood gem with plenty of space to play, exercise, and reflect, from the splash pad to the playground and gardens.” Additionally, families and students from Mill Park Elementary will adore going there.
For The Oregonian/OregonLive, Zaeem Shaikh writes about criminal justice problems and the Portland Police Bureau. You can reach him on X@zaeemshake or at 503-221-4323, [email protected].
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