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Repairs to the large glass canopy at Director Park in downtown Portland are now finished 鈥� a week ahead of schedule.

Workers in September began to refurbish the 26-foot-high canopy, which covers about one-quarter of the half-acre park. The city learned last year that the wood beams supporting the canopy had moisture damage. Steel beams were chosen as replacements.

Portland Parks and Recreation spokesman Mark Ross said 鈥渘otable achievements鈥� of the project include improved durability and safety as well as preservation of 鈥渁rchitectural integrity and look of the structure.鈥�

The cost of replacing the canopy’s wood beams was $790,000. The city paid $188,000 for the work and ZGF Architects paid $602,000. The park was designed by ZGF and landscape architect Laurie Olin of OLIN.

Reid Blanchard, construction manager for the parks department, said that KPFF Consulting Engineers performed structural engineering for the project. ZGF was the architect and collaborated closely with general contractor R&H Construction.

鈥淩&H did an amazing job of coordinating everything and had a great plan in place to complete the work,鈥� Blanchard said. 鈥淲e had the area (under the canopy) closed off, but outside the fence line the rest of the park remained open.鈥�

Elephants in the Park, a restaurant that operates in the park, closed when construction began and will reopen Dec. 14, according to .

Director Park was built in 2009 at a cost of about $9.5 million. The Portland Development Commission contributed $4.5 million and the city gave $1.9 million. Developer Tom Moyer contributed $1 million and developer Jordan Schnitzer donated $1.97 million.

The park is named for Schnitzer’s grandparents, Simon and Helen Director, who came to Portland in the early 1900s, from Russia and Poland, respectively. Schnitzer wrote on the parks department’s website that his grandparents 鈥渨ere part of a generation of immigrants whose hard work helped build this city.鈥�

Director Park has been recognized as a successful downtown public park that connects Portland’s Park Blocks. The Sustainable Cities Collection website has titled, 鈥�21 Reasons Portland’s Director Park is One of the Most Successful Public Spaces in the World.鈥�

The last reason listed points to the park’s inclusivity: 鈥淧arents, kids, old people, young people, people of different ethnicities, tourists, locals, business people, the unemployed, people on bikes, people who are alone, people in groups, couples, singles and anyone else you can think of,鈥� the article states. 鈥淭his is the measure of a great public space.鈥�