$1.2 million federal grant will improve downtown, Portland officials say

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - Portland will receive a $1.2 million federal grant as part of the American Rescue Plan, which will build 32,000 square feet of street plazas downtown, the Portland Bureau of Transportation announced on Friday.

PBOT said the funds will go toward permanent improvements for Pride Plaza at Southwest 12th and Harvey Milk Street, where a temporary plaza was created during the pandemic, and create green public space to connect the Cart Blocks food cart pods at Ankeny Park West to O’Bryant Square Park.

Transportation Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty said she’s grateful to the Biden administration and Congress for the grant.

“During this pandemic, we learned how important it is to use our outdoor public space for community members to come together,” Hardesty said. “Plazas like these downtown will help us make Portland a more inclusive, equitable place, and help grow our small businesses and cultural destinations.”

The community will be invited to participate in the design process for the Harvey Milk Plaza improvements, which will start in early 2023, and construction will begin in the fall, PBOT said.