Jamison Square

Jamison Square is a city park in the area of downtown Portland, Oregon, known as the Pearl District. It was the first park added to the neighborhood.

Jamison Square
The park's wading pool in 2008
TypeUrban park
LocationPortland, Oregon
Coordinates45.5289°N 122.682°W / 45.5289; -122.682[1]
Area0.94 acres (0.38 ha)
Created2000
Operated byPortland Parks & Recreation
StatusOpen 5 a.m. to midnight daily

Design
The park in 2007

At a cost of $3.6 million, the park was designed and built during the 12-year tenure of Mayor Vera Katz.[2]

The park was designed by PWP Landscape Architecture. [3][4][5] The park was initially designed as an outdoor art gallery, with square rocks and steps at the center, but no water.[5][6] Water, running at random times over the rock, was added to keep skateboarding teenagers from using them.[5] The water on the rocks ended up turning the park into an urban beach, attracting children and families who use it as a wading pool, with the intermittent nature making it a "manmade tidal pool", also called "the community pond" by locals.[5][7][8][9] A wooden boardwalk, made of ipê, connects Jamison Park to Tanner Springs Park, two blocks away, and is intended to eventually connect to the Willamette River.[10][11][12]

One of the totem poles that also function as support poles for the Portland Streetcar's overhead wire.

The park design includes three main elements: a fountain, a boardwalk, and an outdoor gallery. The stone fountain metaphorically expresses the idea of an "aquifer," as water pours out of the stone steps, filling up the gently sloping ground until the water is about 12 inches deep, at which point the water drains back out and the ground is dry.[13]

The square includes four 30-foot modern totem poles, created by Kenny Scharf and Paige Powell in 2001, named Tikitotmoniki Totems.[14][15][16][17][18] The Oregonian lampooned the art in late 2002, saying "the Pearl Arts Foundation commissioned '80s art star Kenny Scharf to put up goofy Tiki Totems" in the park.[19] However, the totem poles are also functional, as they hide steel support poles for the overhead trolley wires that supply power to the Portland Streetcar, which began operation in 2001. The Portland Streetcar passes on two sides of the park.[7]

The Pearl District kept a cancer survivors' memorial from being placed in the park.[19][20] The park also features an orange steel sculpture called Contact II by Alexander Liberman.[10]

The park, considered a pocket park, opened in May 2002, based on a 1999–2000 master plan for parks in the Pearl District, all connected by a water theme.[21][22][23][24] It was named for William Jamison (1945–1995), an art gallery owner who was a proponent of the Pearl District and died of AIDS-related illness.[6][10]

Recreation

Many events are held at the park, including the Kids Marching Band, Kids in the Pearl Block Party, Movies in the Pearl, weekly Splashdance "movement-based storytelling" by BodyVox, Pedalpalooza, and Portland Bastille Day festival, complete with the French-inspired Portland Waiters Race.[25][26][27][28][29][30][31] The Portland Bastille Day festival attracted 5,500 visitors in 2007.[32] A form of boules, Pétanque, plays in a court at the park.[33][34] The park has also been home to portions of Portland Institute for Contemporary Art's Time-Based Art Festival, beginning in 2003 with a performance by Eiko & Koma, and Anna Halprin's "Blank Placard Happening" in 2008.[35][36] Fenouil, a well-regarded local French brasserie, had a special "picnic in the park" menu and delivered lunch to the park until it closed in 2011.[37][38]

Reception

The park has been very popular with locals, and has been considered a modern success in the vein of Pioneer Courthouse Square.[39][40] The Oregonian called it "Portland's biggest kid magnet".[41] Architect Laurie Olin remarked "I was astonished over the social conflicts there. They seem savage and uncivil, the poor behavior between the two groups: parents with kids and people with dogs. It seems like a health hazard. I find it puzzling in its sociology, not in its design."[42] It's been observed that it's a "water park for kids" that is "nestled among the Pearl's poshest pads and toniest boutiques".[43] The park has also been criticized for being a "missed opportunity to produce something visionary".[44] Joe Fitzgibbon of The Oregonian calls Jamison Square "just another symbol of the Pearl District's transformation from industrial neighborhood to sleek, 21st-century community."[45]

The popularity of the park with children led to requests and plans for a public restroom as early as spring 2009, but the idea encountered resistance from residents concerned about the noise and crime it might bring, due to its being planned to be open 24 hours a day.[9][46][47][48] A 24-hour public restroom called Portland Loo opened at the park in December 2010.[49]

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See also

References
  1. "Jamison Square". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. May 26, 2004. Retrieved February 26, 2010.
  2. Rivera, Dylan (September 26, 2004). "Plan Spares Historic Buildings". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  3. "Jamison Square". Portland Parks & Recreation. Retrieved February 26, 2010.
  4. Easton, Valerie (November 5, 2006). "Nature, Artfully Embraced". The Seattle Times. The Seattle Times Company. ISSN 0745-9696. OCLC 9198928. Retrieved February 26, 2010.
  5. Korn, Peter (October 30, 2008). "Oops! Portland's good intentions often have unexpected results". Portland Tribune. Pamplin Media Group. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
  6. Hyams, Juliet (July 27, 2007). "Fountains of life". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  7. Hill, Lisa (February 25, 2005). "Parking Places". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. p. DM3. ISSN 8750-1317.
  8. Daniels, Lisa (August 23, 2009). "Pack your bags -- and take off for downtown". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  9. Korn, Peter (October 19, 2008). "How do you spell relief? T-O-I-L-E-T". Portland Tribune. Pamplin Media Group. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
  10. Gragg, Randy (June 10, 2002). "Going with the Flow". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  11. Gragg, Randy (January 16, 2005). "Standing Tall in the River District a Reassessment of Goals is Needed Before Moving Onward (and Upward) in Northwest Portland". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  12. Sarasohn, David; Zusman, Michael C.; Butler, Grant (June 15, 2007). "The urge to splurge". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  13. http://www.pwpla.com/projects/jamison-square/&details
  14. Row, D. K. (August 11, 2005). ""Portlandia" by Raymond Kaskey". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  15. Gallivan, Joseph (October 23, 2007). "Body blogger builds community through art". Portland Tribune. Pamplin Media Group. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
  16. Perry, Sara (March 1, 2009). "Sara Perry profiles the eclectic interests of Portlander Paige Powell an advocate for art and animals". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  17. Libby, Brian (March 14, 2008). "Balancing new, familiar". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  18. Dworkin, Andy (December 16, 2007). "Footsteps lead from fountains...". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  19. Mitchell, S. Renee (September 18, 2002). "In the Pearl, not even best gems make cut". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  20. "Pearl District votes against park for cancer survivors". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. June 18, 2001. p. E02. ISSN 8750-1317.
  21. Bondarowicz, Marv (May 21, 2002). "Choice Seats". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  22. Green, Susan (August 4, 2005). "Briefly: Tanner Springs Park will open this weekend". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  23. Redden, Jim (October 8, 2009). "Park Blocks gain one more piece". Portland Tribune. Pamplin Media Group. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
  24. Laskin, David (December 17, 2006). "Visiting Asia Without Crossing the Pacific". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. ISSN 0362-4331. OCLC 1645522. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
  25. Stabler, David (August 24, 2007). "Performance/classical". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  26. Sommer, Joshua (August 24, 2007). "Art in the Pearl". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  27. Koffman, Rebecca; Carpenter, Holly (July 10, 2008). "Neighborhood News Updates". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  28. Green, Susan (August 7, 2008). "Neighborhood News Updates". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  29. "Downtown Calendar". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. August 22, 2008. ISSN 8750-1317.
  30. Koffman, Rebecca (July 31, 2008). "Neighborhood News Updates". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  31. "Head out". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. June 15, 2008. ISSN 8750-1317.
  32. "Scene & Heard". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. September 29, 2007. ISSN 8750-1317.
  33. Balmer, Kay (August 13, 2009). "Home-field advantage". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  34. Butler, Grant (November 23, 2008). "Mix Magazine". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  35. Cirillo, Joan (August 22, 2008). "Move into the moment, then hold it in your hand at Time-Based Art festival". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  36. Butler, Grant (September 15, 2008). "TBA '08: The 'here' was here". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  37. Puro, Emily (September 9, 2009). "Sampling the 'Neighborhood of Dreams'". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  38. Russell, Michael (April 1, 2011). "Fenouil restaurant in Pearl District to close Sunday, the Dussin Group announces". The Oregonian. Retrieved May 6, 2012.
  39. Solomon, Christopher (November 6, 2005). "Portland, Ore". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. ISSN 0362-4331. OCLC 1645522.
  40. Johnson, Barry (December 14, 2009). "Halprin plazas tell story of city plan". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  41. Cole, Katherine (August 25, 2006). "Fancy feasts, pure kid stuff". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  42. Gragg, Randy (November 8, 2006). "Sight Lines - Of parks and plazas". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  43. "In the Mix". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. July 29, 2008. ISSN 8750-1317.
  44. Row, D. K. (May 31, 2009). "Memorial Coliseum emerges as a crucible for Portland creatives Cultural interests coalesce into a movement to assert a leadership role in the city Coliseum: Forces to save the building were strong Crucible for creatives". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  45. Fitzgibbon, Joe (February 22, 2007). "Out with the Kids Night on the Town". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  46. Mayer, James (December 3, 2009). "Jamison Square's restroom put on hold". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  47. Harden, Kevin (August 29, 2009). "Flush with a new contract, more Portland Loos are coming". Portland Tribune. Pamplin Media Group. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
  48. Beaven, Stephen (December 9, 2008). "City's new public toilet is open for business, with more on way". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317.
  49. Hottle, Molly (December 16, 2010). "Northwest Portland: Portland Commissioner Randy Leonard to christen city's fourth loo today". The Oregonian. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
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