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The Portland City Council on Wednesday approved two grants totaling $20,000 to support workforce training and hire workers for two East Portland park projects.

Oregon Tradeswomen Inc. and Portland YouthBuilders each received $10,000 to work with neighborhoods near Beech Park and Gateway Park. OTI‘s grant is a piece of a larger $51,000 contract with the city it signed to ensure that residents near the new parks in neighborhoods traditionally underserved by recreational amenities benefit economically from the $12 million project. Specifically, Portland Parks and Recreation intends to recruit and hire from the zip codes 97220, 97230, 97216, 97233, 97266 and 97236.

Beech Park will be approximately 16 acres between Northeast 126th Avenue and Beech Street, adjacent to Shaver Elementary School in the Argay neighborhood. The park will feature a sports field and a basketball court, play and picnic areas, shelters, paths, parking and a fenced off-leash dog area. The project is expected to cost $7.7 million.

Gateway Park will be four acres off of Northeast Halsey Street between 104th and 106th avenues. The park will serve the Gateway neighborhood, and feature a green space, a playground, a picnic area and a plaza available for festivals and farmers markets. The project is expected to cost $4.7 million.

Costs for both projects are being covered by system development charges.