City, Portland Public Schools Partner to Replace Grant Bowl
The field replacement is complete, and the Grant Bowl is now open for use. Vibrant Communities Commissioner Dan Ryan facilitated a successful meeting on October 16, 2023, involving representatives from Grant High School, the Grant neighborhood community, Portland Public Schools, and PP&R leadership. An agreement was reached: PPS will lease the Grant Bowl, track, and upper sports fields from PP&R, with PPS being responsible for renovation, upkeep, and maintenance. Grant High School students and feeder schools can use the track and fields, while public access remains available for community sports organizations.
Read the press release for more information.
Grant Athletics Upper Fields Project
For information on the Grant Athletics Upper Fields Project and construction impacts, please visit the Grant High School Modernization webpage.
Dog Off-Leash Area (DOLA) Proposal Process
In 2015, the Grant Park Neighborhood Association submitted an application through the Parks Proposal Process requesting a permanent, fenced Dog Off-Leash Area (DOLA) in Grant Park. The Neighborhood Association submitted the Parks Proposal based on their experience that the current system of alternating DOLA sites was problematic. Three possible fenced alternatives were identified as supportable by PP&R staff and the GPNA.
In October 2015, PP&R worked with the GPNA to host a public meeting to provide the community with the opportunity to review and discuss the alternatives. At the end of this process, PP&R committed to working with the GPNA to develop Option A.
Since that time, PP&R has determined that locating a permanent fenced DOLA in the location of Option A is no longer possible, due to the close proximity to park neighbors and other site concerns (trees, grading, and drainage). These same concerns led to the closure of the fall Off-Leash Area in 2016.
Project Updates
May 2017
A community meeting was held on April 20 to discuss the future of the Dog Off-Leash Area (DOLA) and consider recommendations to improve its function within Grant Park.
Grant Park Dog Off-Leash Area Proposal (pdf)
Grant Park is an extremely well-used and highly programmed park. We are hopeful that the community can work together to accommodate the variety of needs and uses. If the level of inappropriate use or user conflict increase, we may consider closing the Dog Off Leash Area.
- The currently marked DOLA in Grant Park (south of the paved park path) will remain open for use throughout the year (including Fall).
- PP&R will consider ways, such as striping, to demarcate the DOLA boundary; the DOLA will be unfenced.
- The DOLA is closed while the sports field is in permitted use.
- PP&R Rangers will monitor DOLA use; Rangers may issue tickets for failure to adhere to DOLA rules.
- PP&R asks that dog park users and Grant park visitors work together to ensure proper use of the park by obeying all rules, minimizing conflicts, and respecting each other so that facilities and recreational opportunities in the park can be safely enjoyed by everyone.
To report problems in the Dog Off-Leash Area, contact the Ranger Hotline at 503-823-1637, or visit parkscanpdx.org
March 27, 2017
PP&R plans to hold a community meeting on April, 20, 2017 to discuss the future of the Dog Off-Leash Area and how we can improve its function and compatibility in the park.
Thursday, April 20, 2017 | 6:30 - 8:00PM
Grant Park Church
2728 NE 34th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97212
January 26, 2016
PP&R Designates Future Fenced Dog Off-Leash Area (DOLA) Location at Grant Park
Based on community feedback, Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) has designated a future location for a fenced DOLA. The designated location will be north of the asphalt pathway, between NE 35th Ave and NE 35th Pl on the north side of the park. The fenced DOLA will be built when funding is available.
The current system of alternating DOLA sites between the Fall DOLA and the Winter/Spring/Summer DOLA next to the soccer field has proven to be problematic over the years. Issues include:
- Confusion of which DOLA is active throughout the seasons
- Non-compliance of leash laws by dog owners who allow dogs off leash outside of the DOLAs
- Collisions of dogs with bicyclists and pedestrians on the asphalt pathways next to the open DOLAs
- Conflicts between dogs and sports users on the field adjacent to the Winter/Spring/Summer DOLA
In recent years, the public has requested a fenced DOLA to resolve these ongoing issues through PP&R’s Project Proposal Process. After thorough review, PP&R identified three possible locations for a permanently fenced DOLA at Grant Park. PP&R worked closely with Grant Park Neighborhood Association (GPNA) representatives to engage the public in the process of finding a solution.
On October 1, 2015, GPNA and PP&R held a public meeting at Grant Park Baptist Church for the public to provide input concerning the DOLA improvements. More than 50 people representing nearby neighborhoods, Hollywood/Portland Youth Soccer, and nearby schools attended the meeting. Participants provided feedback regarding the three options for a fenced DOLA in the park (see Grant DOLA Service Areas.)
After the meeting, PP&R asked attendees to complete a survey, which was also available online for two weeks, and coordinated with GPNA to share the survey through their website, a private social network called Nextdoor, and their Facebook page. 230 individuals participated in the Grant Park DOLA Survey. As a result, PP&R made an informed decision on designating Option A (see Survey Summary) as the future fenced DOLA location based on the majority view of participants.
The project is estimated to cost $19,000 for fencing, irrigation capping and modification, and surface improvements. Since the fenced DOLA project will cost more than $10,000, the project will be added to PP&R’s Capital Improvement Project (CIP) list. Community fundraising would allow the project to move forward more quickly. At a recent Board Meeting, GPNA pledged $500 toward the DOLA project. The present DOLAs at Grant Park will continue to alternate seasonally as usual until funding can be secured for the project.
Grant Park Historical Information
The park is named after Ulysses S. Grant who visited Portland three times, a rare thing for a president to do in the days before air travel - or even before standardized rail travel! Grant was first assigned to Fort Vancouver where he made friends with many of Portland's politicians.
Grant Park was the setting for many scenes in children's books by Beverly Cleary. In 1991, a group of teachers, librarians, and business people formed the Friends of Henry & Ramona, and began to raise funds for the Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden for Children. Portland artist Lee Hunt created life-sized bronze statues of three of Cleary's best-loved characters - Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, and Henry's dog Ribsy. Scattered around the concrete slab are granite plaques engraved with the titles of the Cleary books that take place in Portland - and a map of the neighborhood showing where events in the books "really happened." The Sculpture Garden was dedicated on October 13, 1995.