Inka Bajandas//April 22, 2015//

A new park in Northeast Portland’s Cully neighborhood is set to open this week, and a federal grant will help Portland Parks & Recreation build another larger park nearby.
Construction crews from Wilsonville-based R & R General Contractors are wrapping up work on the 2.4-acre Khunamokwst Park, at Northeast 52nd Avenue and Alberta Street, and a fence blocking public access to the site is set to come down on Friday, Portland Parks spokesman Mark Ross said. An official grand opening ceremony is scheduled for May 16 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Portland-based GreenWorks designed the $2.5 million project, which includes a playground, skate park and picnic area.
Portland Parks, together with community organizations Verde and Help Us Build Cully Park!, also recently secured a $500,000 grant through the National Park Service to build the 25-acre Thomas Cully Park on Northeast 72nd Avenue, near the intersection with Killingsworth Street. With the grant, Help Us Build Cully Park!, a coalition of 15 community-based organizations, has now raised $4.85 million to transform the former landfill into a park, said Tony DeFalco, Living Cully coordinator for Verde. The first phase of the project is estimated to cost $6.7 million, he said.
Plans for Thomas Cully Park include an accessible playground, a walking trail with exercise equipment, scenic overlooks, an off-leash dog area and a youth soccer field.
ESA Vigil-Agrimis, which has a Portland office, is designing the park, and Portland-based Colas Construction will be the general contractor.
Initial site work is already under way on the project site and city officials hope to start construction by the end of this year, Ross said. The park is scheduled to open in late 2016 or early 2017, he said.