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Portland State University architecture students’ efforts to design and build a 鈥�parklet鈥� on two parking spaces near campus have become a reality.

Volunteers and 20 students in a spring design-build course taught by assistant architecture professor B.D. Wortham-Galvin spent three days over Memorial Day weekend constructing the small park with seating and tables for patrons of food carts near the intersection of Southwest Fourth Avenue and College Street.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for June 1 at 11 a.m. to mark completion of the project, which gained city approval this past summer through the Portland Bureau of Transportation‘s Street Seats program.

Architecture students in another class taught by Wortham-Galvin this past fall designed the project in collaboration with residents and business owners in the South of Market neighborhood surrounding the university campus. PSU‘s School of Architecture and Institute for Sustainable Solutions together with the South of Market EcoDistrict Steering Committee then led a successful crowdfunding campaign to pay for the parklet. The fundraiser in January exceeded its goal by generating $15,640 to cover the costs of building materials, maintenance and city fees for lost revenue from the former parking spots.

Since helping design the parklet as an architecture student, PSU alumnus Michael Coon volunteered as a project manager to oversee its construction after graduating and starting to work for Portland-based GBD Architects. Only a few finishing touches remain for the parklet, he said Wednesday, after months of planning.

鈥淚’m personally pleased with how it turned out,鈥� Coon said. 鈥淲e built it really well 鈥� The best feeling was Monday when we saw people eating at it. I can’t even tell you what kind of cloud nine I was on. It’s great to know we can actually satisfy a need.鈥�