A design competition to reimagine a portion of Tom McCall Waterfront Park will kick off this summer and run for six months. The tentative plan is to issue a request for qualifications (RFQ) in July, Portland Parks & Recreation spokesperson Mark Ross stated in an email.

Interested firms will need to propose a design team, including a qualified architect/landscape architect of record (registered in the state of Oregon).

RFQ responses are expected to be judged in the fall. That process will result in a short list of three design teams. They will then be invited to respond to a request for proposals (RFP), which will have more detailed evaluation criteria, Ross stated.

The city’s goal is to reimagine how Portlanders and visitors connect with the Willamette River by redeveloping the park’s bowl. At this point it would include improving river access, adding flexible park spaces, and restoring river edge ecology.

Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) has hired architect search specialist Malcolm Reading Consultants (MRC) of London to manage the competition.

Portland-based social impact consultancy Interplay will lead the competition’s community engagement strategy, including focus groups, public events and feedback sessions.

PP&R has also formed a Waterfront Park Bowl Project Advisory Committee (PAC) made up of 18 individuals to help inform project decisions. PAC members will confirm community priorities for the project site, provide input on the design competition process, review and deliver feedback on design criteria and programming, provide advisory input during design development, and more.

The project team will work with the PAC and the Technical Advisory Committee to develop details of the competition’s scoring system and design criteria, Ross stated.

Jurors will be selected by MRC and PP&R.

Through community engagement, PP&R heard that some people believe there is limited access and visibility of the Willamette River. Community members also believe the lawn is under-activated with a lack of opportunities for play and recreation, food and beverage options, and restrooms. For the bowl specifically, there is a strong demand for water activities such as swimming, kayaking and paddleboarding, as well as a desire for a reimagined seawall, terracing, stormwater management and flood resilience. This information was shared with the PAC and the Technical Advisory Committee earlier this month.

At this time, funding for the project includes a $750,000 2040 planning and development grant, which Metro awarded last year.

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