$1 million might get park on track

A private backer has pledged $1 million to help build a new destination bike park in a 35-acre no-man’s land between Interstates 84 and 205 near the former Rocky Butte jail.

For now, the supporter wants to remain anonymous, but the promise of money gives the “Gateway Green” project a much-needed push, said developer and area landowner Ted Gilbert, a major supporter of the plan.

“Momentum is building, but I don’t pretend it can happen overnight,” Gilbert said.

The proposed park, which is on state land, would link to Portland’s extensive bicycle commuting network and contain mountain bike trails, a cyclocross course and a free-riding area, he said. The trails would be in a wooded area of the site, while the southern end, with its rolling hills, is ideal for the gravity-fed activities, he said.

Gilbert said he sees the park as a “rebranding” tool for East Portland, an area of neglected neighborhoods that lack basic amenities such as sidewalks and parks.

“We want the public to take a fresh look at East Portland,” he said. He said he hopes the park will offer bicycle tourism with national-caliber events. A national cyclocross championship, for example, could draw 2,000 entrants, he said.

– Excerpt from The Oregonian, April 14, 2009