Skip to page content
  • Go to the main menu
  • Go to the search form
Metro

Main menu

▼
Open menu
▲
Close menu
  • Parks + Venues
    +
    Open this submenu
    −
    Close this submenu
    • Parks
      +
      Open this submenu
      −
      Close this submenu
      • Oxbow Regional Park
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Camping at Oxbow
      • Blue Lake Regional Park
      • Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area
      • Graham Oaks Nature Park
      • Cooper Mountain Nature Park
      • Mount Talbert Nature Park
      • Scouters Mountain Nature Park
      • Chehalem Ridge Nature Park
      • Canemah Bluff Natural Area
      • Newell Creek Canyon Nature Park
      • Orenco Woods Nature Park
      • Killin Wetlands Nature Park
      • Howell Territorial Park
      • Mason Hill Park
      • Broughton Beach
      • Glendoveer Golf Course and Fitness Trail
      • Farmington Paddle Launch
      • Boat ramps
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Chinook Landing Marine Park
        • M. James Gleason Memorial Boat Ramp
        • Sauvie Island Boat Ramp
      • Disc golf course

      • Parks and nature activities
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Guided nature activities
        • Nature learning resources
      • Picnics and special use
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Picnics at Blue Lake
        • Picnics at Oxbow
        • Picnics at Graham Oaks
        • Picnics at Mount Talbert
        • Picnics at Scouters Mountain
        • Picnics at Chehalem Ridge
        • Caterers and amusement providers
        • Special use permits
      • Water safety
      • Pets policy
      • Hunting policy
    • Venues
      +
      Open this submenu
      −
      Close this submenu
      • Oregon Convention Center
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Oregon Convention Center hotel
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Jobs and job training
          • Economic impact
          • Global reach
          • Hotel progress
      • Oregon Zoo
      • Portland Expo Center
      • Portland'5 Centers for the Arts
    • Historic cemeteries
      +
      Open this submenu
      −
      Close this submenu
      • Services and fees
      • Visit the cemeteries
      • History of Metro's cemeteries

      • Brainard Cemetery
      • Columbia Pioneer Cemetery
      • Douglass Cemetery
      • Escobar Cemetery
      • Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery
      • Gresham Pioneer Cemetery
      • Jones Cemetery
      • Lone Fir Cemetery
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Chestnut Grove Memorial Garden
      • Mountain View Corbett Cemetery
      • Mountain View Stark Cemetery
      • Multnomah Park Cemetery
      • Pleasant Home Cemetery
      • Powell Grove Cemetery
      • White Birch Cemetery
    • man and boy walking on trail at Oxbow Regional Park
      Buy a parks pass
  • Tools + Services
    +
    Open this submenu
    −
    Close this submenu
    • Tools for Living
      +
      Open this submenu
      −
      Close this submenu
      • Garbage and recycling
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Find a recycler
        • Find your hauler
        • Metro Central transfer station
        • Metro South transfer station
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Metro South trash cam
        • Code of conduct
        • Lighten your load and save
        • Recycling at home
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Home recycling collection
          • Glass
          • Metal
          • Plastic
          • Paper
          • Christmas tree recycling
        • Reducing waste at home
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Waste-wise holidays
          • Stop junk mail
          • Back to school tips
        • Neighborhood collection events
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • 2025 neighborhood collection event schedule
        • Report dumped garbage
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • RID Patrol work transition program
        • Ask an expert
      • Healthy home
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Household hazardous waste disposal
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Adhesives and glues
          • Aerosols
          • Air fresheners and deodorizers
          • Ammunition
          • Antifreeze
          • Arts and crafts supplies
          • Asbestos
          • Batteries, auto
          • Batteries, household
          • Bleach
          • Brake fluid
          • Carpet and rug cleaners
          • Chemistry sets
          • Cleaners, all-purpose
          • Degreasers
          • Detergents, dishwashing or laundry
          • Disinfectants
          • Drain cleaners
          • Fertilizers, chemical
          • Fingernail polish and remover
          • Flea control
          • Gasoline, kerosene and diesel fuel
          • Hair products
          • Hand cleaners, mechanic or painter
          • Lighter fluid, charcoal
          • Lubricating oils
          • Medicines, unwanted or expired drugs
          • Mercury- and PCB-containing items
          • Moss killer
          • Mothballs and moth crystals
          • Motor oil and oil filters
          • Oven cleaners
          • Paint and clear wood finish
          • Paint strippers or paint scrapings
          • Paint thinners
          • Paint, water-based
          • Pesticides
          • Photographic chemicals
          • Polishes and cleaners, metal
          • Polishes and waxes, wood furniture and floors
          • Polishes, cleaners or waxes, automotive
          • Polishes, shoe
          • Pool or spa chemicals
          • Septic tank cleaners
          • Smoke detectors, ionizing type
          • Soot remover or creosote destroyer
          • Stain and spot removers
          • Transmission fluid
          • Windshield wiper solution
          • Wood preservatives
        • Green cleaning
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Air fresheners and deodorizers
          • All-purpose cleaners
          • Aluminum cleaners
          • Antiseptic soap spray
          • Bathroom soft scrub
          • Bronze, brass and copper cleaner
          • Chrome cleaner
          • Coffee maker cleaner
          • Countertop and appliance top cleaner
          • Dish soap
          • Disinfectants
          • Drain cleaner
          • Floor cleaners
          • Glass and window cleaners
          • Hand cleaner
          • Laundry bleach
          • Laundry cleaners
          • Leather cleaner
          • Oven cleaners
          • Scouring powder and paste
          • Silver cleaners
          • Spot and stain removers
          • Toilet bowl cleaners
          • Tub and tile cleaner
          • Urine stain removers
          • Wall cleaner
          • Wallpaper cleaner
          • Wet spotter
          • Windshield wiper fluid
          • Wood cleaners
          • Wood furniture polish
        • Home pest control
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Ants
          • Asthma, pests and pesticides
          • Cockroaches
          • Fleas and ticks
          • Fruit flies
          • Mice and rats
          • Moths
          • Spiders
        • Buying safer cleaners
        • Safe personal care products
        • Storm and fire cleanup
        • Online learning
        • MetroPaint
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Retail locations
          • Colors and product information
          • MetroPaint Outlet
          • MetroPaint virtual painter
            +
            Open this submenu
            −
            Close this submenu
            • Living room
            • Bedroom
            • Dining room
            • Entrance
            • Upload a photo
      • Yard and garden
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Learning gardens
        • Garden basics
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Soil amendments
          • Mulch matters
          • Soil prep for your edible garden
          • Watering tips
        • Garden problems
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Azalea lace bug
          • Aphids
          • Cabbage butterflies and leaf miners
          • Mosquitoes
          • Moles, voles and gophers
          • Slugs and snails
          • Yellowjackets
          • Wildlife issues
          • Lawn moss
          • Black spot, rust and rot
          • Powdery mildew
          • Weeds
          • Proper disposal of pesticides
        • Lawn
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Mow
          • Grow
          • Water
          • Weed
          • Lawn alternatives
        • Plants
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Native plants
          • Plant a shrub
          • Plant a tree
          • Fall and winter gardening
          • Growing roses
          • Getting started with edibles
        • Backyard habitat
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Beneficial bugs
          • Pollinators
          • Protecting songbirds
          • Feeding and caring for wildlife
        • Composting
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Composting methods
          • Tips for composting success
          • Compost trouble-shooting
          • Build a compost bin
          • Worm composting
          • Worm bin trouble-shooting
        • Grow Smart, Grow Safe
        • Garden pledge
    • Tools for working
      +
      Open this submenu
      −
      Close this submenu
      • Thông tin về amiăng
      • Guide to construction salvage and recycling
      • Guide to managing paint waste
      • Guide to recycling and waste reduction at work
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Guide to choosing single-use service ware
      • Business hazardous waste disposal program
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Business hazardous waste disposal signup
      • Reducing food waste
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Preventing food waste
        • Donating food
        • Composting food scraps
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Composting options outside the Portland metropolitan area
        • Food scraps separation policy
        • Local success stories
      • Regional contractor's business license
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Contractor's business license application and renewal
        • Contractor's business license lookup
      • Tools for haulers and facility operators
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Accounts for haulers
        • Construction waste
        • Special waste disposal
        • Regional solid waste facilities
        • Forms for solid waste facilities
        • Rules, procedures and guidance
        • Solid Waste Information System
        • Solid waste authorizations
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Solid waste facility complaint form
          • License for Grimm’s Fuel Company
            +
            Open this submenu
            −
            Close this submenu
            • Updates
        • Solid waste enforcement
        • Public notices for garbage and recycling facilities
      • Travel options for employers
    • Tools for Partners
      +
      Open this submenu
      −
      Close this submenu
      • Grants and resources
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • 2040 planning and development grants
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Past grant cycles
        • Brownfields assessment grants
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Background
        • Civic engagement grants
        • Climate pollution reduction planning grants
        • Community enhancement grants
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Metro Central Enhancement Grants
        • Community Placemaking grants
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • How to apply
          • 2023 grantees
          • 2022 grantees
          • 2021 grantees
          • 2020 grantees
          • 2019 grantees
          • 2018 grantees
          • 2017 grantees
        • Cooling corridors study
        • Housing and homelessness resources
        • Investment and Innovation grants
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Past grant cycles
        • Landlord incentives
        • Large-scale community visions
        • Local share
        • Nature grants
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Capital grants
          • Community choice grants
          • Community stewardship and restoration grants
          • Nature education grants
        • Parks and Nature community partnerships
        • Partnerships and social innovation program
        • Regional Refresh Fund
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Frequently asked questions
        • Regional Travel Options program
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Safe Routes to School program
            +
            Open this submenu
            −
            Close this submenu
            • Safe Routes to School safety campaign toolkit
        • Transit-Oriented Development Program
      • Guides and tools
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Community Investment Toolkit
        • Designing livable streets and trails
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Conversations about performance-based design
        • Economic Value Atlas
        • Greater Portland Economic Recovery Plan
        • Guide to equitable housing
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Build Small Coalition
        • Jurisdictional transfer assessment
        • Local transportation system plans
        • Mobility Corridors Atlas
        • Planning parks with communities of color
        • Regional Traffic and Transportation Class
        • Safe Routes to School Framework
        • Site readiness toolkit
        • Social Vulnerability Explorer
      • Education resources
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Resource conservation and recycling education
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Elementary school classroom presentations
          • Middle and high school classroom presentations
          • Distance learning
            +
            Open this submenu
            −
            Close this submenu
            • Elementary online learning
            • Middle and high school online learning
            • Community and family online education
          • Publication library
          • Community workshops and events
          • Meet the educators
      • Data Resource Center
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • RLIS Live
        • MetroMap
        • Aerial photography
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Regional Aerial Photo Consortium
        • Unmanned Aircraft System program
        • Annexation and boundary changes
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Annexation search tool
    • Small thumbnail of a Metro map
      Regional Land Information System
  • What's Happening
    +
    Open this submenu
    −
    Close this submenu
    • Metro News
      +
      Open this submenu
      −
      Close this submenu
      • All Metro news
      • Housing news
      • Land and transportation news
      • Parks and nature news
      • Home and garbage news
      • Venues news
      • Resources for journalists
    • Public projects
      +
      Open this submenu
      −
      Close this submenu
      • Willamette Cove cleanup and nature park
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Background
        • Site history
        • Park planning
        • The cleanup
      • Future of Supportive Housing Services
      • Tualatin Valley Highway transit project
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Background
        • Community engagement
        • Equitable development
        • Steering committee
      • 2024 growth management decision
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Background
        • Expansion proposal
        • Roundtable
        • Youth cohort
      • Regional housing coordination strategy
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Background
      • Expo Future project
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Phase two
        • Development information
        • Project background
        • Site history
      • Blue Lake Regional Park improvements
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Background
        • Project updates
        • Timeline
      • Affordable housing bond program
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Progress
        • Site acquisition
        • Background
        • Racial equity
        • Oversight
        • Common questions
      • Supportive housing services
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Progress
        • Racial equity
        • Regional coordination
        • Funding
        • Oversight
        • Stories
        • Common questions
      • Supportive housing services tax
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Tax preparer resources
        • Tax data and analysis
        • Codes and rules
      • 2028-30 Regional flexible funding allocation
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Background
        • Funding priorities
        • New project bond
        • Step 2
      • 82nd Avenue transit project
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Background
        • Development strategy
        • Steering committee
      • Community connector transit study
      • Regional Transportation Demand Management strategy
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Regional goals
        • Timeline
      • Honoring untold stories at Lone Fir Cemetery
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Community engagement
        • Timeline
        • Patient recognition
      • Parks and nature investments
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • About
        • History
        • Funding
        • Vision
        • Equity
        • Oversight
        • Leadership
      • Regional system facilities plan
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Background
        • Engagement
        • Values and outcomes
        • Gap analysis
        • Scenario development
        • Draft plan
      • Bulky Waste collection service improvements
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Bulky waste policy
        • Collection study
      • Metro's commitment to Black lives
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Policing
    • Calendar
      +
      Open this submenu
      −
      Close this submenu
      • calendar pictogram
        View meetings and events
    • Subscribe
      +
      Open this submenu
      −
      Close this submenu
      • newspaper pictogram
        Get news by email
  • About Metro
    +
    Open this submenu
    −
    Close this submenu
    • Regional leadership
      +
      Open this submenu
      −
      Close this submenu
      • What is Metro?
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Cities and counties in the region
      • Metro Council
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Council President Lynn Peterson
        • Councilor Ashton Simpson
        • Councilor Christine Lewis
        • Councilor Gerritt Rosenthal
        • Councilor Juan Carlos González
        • Councilor Mary Nolan
        • Councilor Duncan Hwang

        • How to give testimony
        • Find your councilor
      • Metro Auditor
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • About the Metro Auditor
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Mission and authority
          • Process
          • Auditing standards
          • Audit Committee
        • Audits
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Audit recommendations
        • Accountability Hotline
      • Metropolitan Exposition Recreation Commission
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Commissioners
        • Materials archive
      • Metro advisory committees
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Committee on Disability Inclusion
        • Committee on Racial Equity
        • Future Vision Commission
        • Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • How to give testimony
          • Meeting materials archive
        • Metro Policy Advisory Committee
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • How to give testimony
          • Meeting materials archive
        • Metro Technical Advisory Committee
        • Public Engagement Review Committee
        • Regional Waste Advisory Committee
        • Smith and Bybee Wetlands Advisory Committee
        • Transit-Oriented Development Steering Committee
        • Transportation Policy Alternatives Committee
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • TPAC materials archive
          • TransPort
      • Diversity, equity and inclusion
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Know your rights
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Complaint procedures
        • Accessibility at Metro
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • ADA public notice
          • Request an accommodation
          • Accessibility projects
          • Website accessibility
          • ADA grievance procedure
            +
            Open this submenu
            −
            Close this submenu
            • File an ADA complaint
        • Language hub
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Arabic
          • Cambodian
          • Chinese
          • Hindi
          • Hmong
          • Japanese
          • Korean
          • Laotian
          • Nepali
          • Persian
          • Romanian
          • Russian
          • Somali
          • Spanish
          • Tagalog
          • Telugu
          • Thai
          • Ukrainian
          • Vietnamese
        • Public engagement
        • Equity strategy
        • Equity Dashboard
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Workforce demographics
          • Job classifications
          • Employment status
          • Payscale
          • Recruitment
          • Retention
        • Construction Career Pathways
      • Public records
    • How Metro works
      +
      Open this submenu
      −
      Close this submenu
      • Organizational structure
      • Finances and funding
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Financial reports
        • Metro budget
        • Property tax information
        • Income tax information
        • Investment Advisory Board
      • Metro Code
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Metro administrative rules
      • Green Metro
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Green Metro featured projects
      • Contract opportunities
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • Current requests for bids and proposals
        • Doing business with Metro
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Large construction contracts
        • Equity in contracting
      • Jobs
        +
        Open this submenu
        −
        Close this submenu
        • How to apply
        • Benefits
        • Pay
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Classification descriptions
        • Labor unions
        • Diversity and equity
        • Training and development
        • Veterans' preference
        • First Opportunity program
        • Internships
          +
          Open this submenu
          −
          Close this submenu
          • Applying for internships
          • Types of internships
          • Garbage and recycling internships
        • Variable hour jobs
    • Library
      +
      Open this submenu
      −
      Close this submenu
      • Land use shelf
      • Transportation shelf
      • Nature shelf
      • Garbage and recycling shelf
      • Regional research shelf
      • Archives and special collections
    • photo of boats at Blue Lake
      Metro by the numbers

Search form

Metro News

Subscribe
photo of Momentum Alliance

Parks and Nature community investments

Explore the nature projects Metro has supported with $90 million in community investments.

 
  • Tiếng Việt

Francis and Clare Commons: A natural space in the heart of urban Southeast Portland

photo of Francis and Clare Commons
Community members celebrated the grand opening of Francis and Clare Commons in October.

Community members celebrated the grand opening of Francis and Clare Commons in October.

photo of Francis and Clare Commons
The new Francis and Clare Commons creates a slice of prairie habitat preserving access to nature in the heart of a bustling, urban neighborhood.

The new Francis and Clare Commons creates a slice of prairie habitat preserving access to nature in the heart of a bustling, urban neighborhood.

photo of labyrinth at Francis and Clare Commons
The bricks in the open plaza are patterned as a labyrinth, creating a contemplative experience like people can experience in nature.

The bricks in the open plaza are patterned as a labyrinth, creating a contemplative experience like people can experience in nature.

photo of Douglas Scott and Kristarae Barton at Francis and Clare Commons
Douglas Scott and Kristarae Barton appreciate the Portland Loo, affordable housing and the maze, but they miss the old park.

Douglas Scott and Kristarae Barton appreciate the Portland Loo, affordable housing units and the maze, but they miss the old park.

photo of Bob Stacey at grand opening of Francis and Clare Commons
Metro Councilor Bob Stacey, who represents the area, speaks at the grand opening of Francis and Clare Commons. Metro supported the project with a $261,250 Nature in Neighborhoods grant.

Metro Councilor Bob Stacey, who represents the area, speaks at the grand opening of Francis and Clare Commons. Metro supported the project with a $261,250 Nature in Neighborhoods grant.

photo of Saint Francis Park Apartments
The Saint Francis Park Apartments contain 106 units of much-needed affordable housing, 20 units for people transitioning out of homelessness and five for women escaping from domestic violence.

The Saint Francis Park Apartments contain 106 units of much-needed affordable housing, 20 units for people transitioning out of homelessness and five for women escaping from domestic violence. The rest of the units are occupied by people earning less than 60 percent of the median income.

  • ‹
  • ›
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
Metro logo

Francis and Clare Commons: A natural space in the heart of urban Southeast Portland

By Rebecca Koffman
Nov. 22, 2017 noon

Bylined articles are written by Metro writers and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Metro or the Metro Council. Learn more

About this series

Metro has invested in community nature projects for more than 25 years. Through this occasional series in 2017-18, we’ll revisit projects that previously received Nature in Neighborhoods grants or local share money to find out where the projects are now and what difference Metro’s investments made.

As of early 2017, Metro is not accepting Nature in Neighborhoods grants applications. Grants paid for with money from the 2006 bond measure and 2013 parks and natural areas levy have all been awarded.

In November 2016, voters renewed the Metro parks and natural areas levy. Money from the levy renewal will be available starting in July 2018, and more Nature in Neighborhoods grants will be available then.

Learn more

The construction fences came down last month at Francis and Clare Commons in Southeast Portland. At lunchtime recently, people walked the one-block corridor that connects the warehouses of the commercial district to the homes of the Buckman neighborhood. A woman stopped to look at the labyrinth patterned in bricks beneath her feet. A man sitting at the fountain read a book, his possessions in a shopping cart nearby.

This new natural space was once part of privately-owned St. Francis Park, where trees and rolling green lawns occupied the block between Southeast 11th and 12th avenues and Southeast Oak and Stark streets. Now the park and many of the trees are gone, replaced by a gleaming apartment block containing 106 units of much-needed affordable housing that opened in May.

Some residents worried about the loss of increasingly rare greenery in the neighborhood when St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church sold the adjacent park in 2014. Thanks in part to a Nature in Neighborhoods grant from Metro, the new Francis and Clare Commons creates a slice of prairie habitat preserving access to nature in the heart of a bustling, urban neighborhood.

It is “important to connect to nature close to where we live, to create places to relax and be tranquil in the city,” Metro Councilor Bob Stacey, who represents the area, said at the opening ceremony for the commons in October.

Metro supported the project with a $261,250 Nature in Neighborhoods capital grant, paid for with money from the 2006 natural areas bond measure. The grants provide matching money to community organizations, nonprofits and other groups to support nature projects that allow people from diverse backgrounds to access nature close to home.

The commons occupies a long-vacated section of Southeast Oak Street. It is jointly owned and maintained by the church, Catholic Charities and Home Forward, formerly known as the Housing Authority of Portland. 

Preserving open space and nature

The new space preserves a grove of Douglas firs and a huge red oak tree and has a large central open plaza. The plan is for community groups, local elementary schools and others to use the commons for events or field trips.

Native prairie plants such as camas, Douglas iris and blue wildrye, fill the beds. A newly planted native white oak sapling stands out. Before white settlement, Oregon white oak prairie and woodland habitats dominated the Willamette Valley.

“The plantings will grow and soften the space,” said Steve Stevens, who sat on the parish’s committee for St. Francis Park.  Some bricks from the old fountain are incorporated into the surround of the new fountain, he said, adding that “the presence and sound of water is a therapeutic experience.”

Landscape designer Jane Hansen said she envisioned a series of open spaces within a meadow, a place of respite where people could stop and eat lunch or have a quiet moment. The bricks in the open plaza are patterned as a labyrinth.

People walking the labyrinth can “find the same things they look for when going to a natural area: a quiet contemplative space,” said Trell Anderson, director of community development and housing at Catholic Charities.

There are permeable pavement stones and a rain garden complete with a streambed made of river rock and local boulders. Stormwater from the plaza and adjacent streets is treated on-site.

A public space with a focus on equity

The commons is at the center of two blocks with strong social justice missions.

The new Saint Francis Park Apartments, to the south, have 20 units for people transitioning out of homelessness and five for women escaping from domestic violence. The rest of the units are occupied by people earning less than 60 percent of the median income. The courtyard and raised beds behind the apartments open onto the shared space of the commons.

The church, which has a mission of hospitality and special outreach to the poor, is directly north of the commons. Its dining hall serves meals to up to 300 people six days a week. During the design process for the commons, dining hall patrons and parishioners were surveyed about what features were important to them.

Parishioners wanted to preserve elements from the old St. Francis Park and a space to hold outdoor mass. Dining hall clients asked for a toilet, a way to fill water bottles, and a place to wash hands and feet. The site now features a Portland Loo toilet kiosk with a faucet suitable for washing hands and feet. The fountain includes a water-bottle-filling station.

“We wanted to make sure that this was a place where all kinds of folks could connect,” said Valerie Chapman, who recently retired as pastoral administrator after 29 years at the church.

On a recent morning, dining hall patrons greeted her as they checked out the newly opened commons.

“I like the benches. I can lay down on them,” one man called out.

Kristarae Barton and Douglas Scott were sitting at the fountain taking in the new space on a recent sunny afternoon. 

“I like the maze, but I miss the trees,” said Barton, who is unhoused again after 10 years of living inside.

Wood from the trees lost to construction was used to make furniture for the common spaces in the apartments.

Scott, who spent many years in and around the old park, fondly recalls having a squirrel climb right into his lap while he was sitting under a tree one morning.

“I’m glad that there is a place for people to live, but that don’t change the fact that we’re going to have feelings, an attachment to the old park,” Scott said.

A long history in a changing neighborhood

Chapman understands that sentiment. When the church sold the park, leaders looked for a buyer who would honor the site’s history and preserve open space between the church and the apartments – “a way to continue what the hope of the park had been,” Chapman said.

The parish opened a boarding school on the site in 1886, the first on the east side of the Willamette River. In 1969, students and families got together with community members to build a “vest-pocket park” on what had been an open field used for parking. When the school closed in 1987, the park lost vitality.

In the intervening years, growing numbers of unhoused people used the park. Complaints about crime and livability increased. Some felt that the park was a no-go area.

The church had been in discussions since 2003 about the best way to use the land. The fountain was leaking and needed an expensive fix, the neighborhood had changed, and there was an urgent need for affordable housing.

But when news came that the park would be replaced by affordable housing, neighbors mourned the loss of trees and open space.

“This new mini-park is small, but it fulfils people’s deep need to have a space where they can gather in nature, a place where there is peace and beauty,” Chapman told the crowd at the opening ceremony.

Previous: Part 5

For years, the property that became Nadaka Nature Park was hidden from the public. Tucked behind other properties, it was a piece of nature in Gresham's Rockwood neighborhood, but few knew it was there. When two acres of streetside property went up for sale, the neighborhood jumped to create a park.

Next: Part 7

The 48-acre park at the confluence of Fanno and Summer creeks also contains environmentally sensitive ecosystems and functions as wildlife habitat. It’s an important link in biodiversity corridors in the region — “part of the wild underbelly of Tigard."
Related stories 
Poll: Making housing more affordable is among top public concerns
Barbur Boulevard in Southwest Portland

Poll: Making housing more affordable is among top public concerns

Thêm thông tin

You are here: A snapshot of housing affordability in greater Portland
You are here logo with door knob

You are here: A snapshot of housing affordability in greater Portland

Thêm thông tin

The Rundown: Local responses to 3 housing challenges
new apartment building under construction

The Rundown: Local responses to 3 housing challenges

Thêm thông tin

82nd Ave. furniture store in Southeast Portland readies to rise as affordable apartments, community space
A crowd filling a large room

82nd Ave. furniture store in Southeast Portland readies to rise as affordable apartments, community space

Thêm thông tin

3 Metro-supported projects bring affordable housing to greater Portland
gold shovels in dirt during a groundbreaking ceremony

3 Metro-supported projects bring affordable housing to greater Portland

Thêm thông tin

 

Footer Menu

▼
Open menu
▲
Close menu
  • Services of Metro
    +
    Open this submenu
    −
    Close this submenu
    • Oregon Zoo
    • Oregon Convention Center
    • Portland Expo Center
    • Portland'5 Centers for the Arts
    • Data Resource Center
    • Garbage and recycling facilities
    • Metro cemeteries
  • Opportunities
    +
    Open this submenu
    −
    Close this submenu
    • Jobs
    • Contracts
    • Grants
    • Franchising and licensing
  • Access
    +
    Open this submenu
    −
    Close this submenu
    • Know your rights
    • Accessibility at Metro
    • Language assistance
    • Feedback and questions
    • Metro Accountability Hotline
    • Privacy policy
    • Request public records
    • Directions
  • Leadership
    +
    Open this submenu
    −
    Close this submenu
    • Metro Council
    • Metro Auditor
    • MERC
    • Committees
    • Who's my councilor?

Metro logo

Whether your roots in the region run generations deep or you moved to Oregon last week, you have your own reasons for loving this place – and Metro wants to keep it that way. Help shape the future of the greater Portland region and discover tools, services and places that make life better today.

Contact Metro

  • 503-797-1700
  • 503-797-1804 TDD
  • Send a message

Connect with Metro

Subscribe to Metro News

More subscription options

Find Metro on

Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Instagram