Holladay Park Partnership announces
new plans for Portland’s Holladay Park
Noted Park planner & manager Dan Biederman to program the park
PORTLAND, July 21, 2014 - Yoga, concerts, evening movies,
fitness classes and family programs will be among the many new activities when
Holladay Park, adjacent to Lloyd Center in northeast Portland, opens with
exciting new opportunities for enjoyment, starting Monday, July 21st. The announcement was made by The Holladay
Park Partnership, a new non-profit entity that is a collaboration between
Portland Parks & Recreation, and neighborhood residents and businesses,
including Lloyd Center, the district’s historic shopping mall.
The Holladay Park Partnership also announced that Dan
Biederman, one of the country’s leading urban parks and streetscape planners
& designers, and his company, Biederman Redevelopment Ventures Corporation
(
www.brvcorp.com ), has been retained to
lead efforts to revitalize the park with programming and events that complement
the scheduled redevelopment and renovation of Lloyd Center, which also begins
this year and will continue into 2015.
In the coming weeks, Holladay Park will debut an array of
free programs, intended to appeal to a broad mix of park visitors. The park will feature moveable seating, a
reading room, and a host of games and activities available to the public. A series of musical events, fitness classes,
games, food trucks, and movie events have been scheduled throughout the
summer. Visitors to Holladay Park will
be greeted by Park Hosts and Park Rangers.
“Parks staff have
been working with community partners to consider what positive actions could
enhance enjoyment of the park,” says Portland Parks Commissioner Amanda
Fritz. “After making improvements to
park lighting and tree pruning to improve visibility, the missing link was
funding for more active family programs. This collaborative partnership will
deliver structured activities, similar to those in downtown's Director Park,
for all park visitors to enjoy. Active programming will make Holladay Park a
destination for many more families in the 21st century."
“It’s a great honor to work with a city as advanced as
Portland in the open space field,” said Biederman. “We’ve been surprised by how
many thoughts we share on park programs with the Portland Parks &
Recreation staff, and look forward to working closely with them to make
Holladay Park a great asset to the citizens of Portland.”
Biederman is known nationally for the revival of Bryant Park
which he helped transform in 1992 from a crime-ridden, drug-filled, dangerous
midtown location behind the New York Public Library into a seven acre jewel and
quiet haven for New Yorkers and tourists in midtown Manhattan.
More recently, Biederman consulted for Klyde Warren Park, a
new green space built above a Dallas freeway, and the newly renovated Military
Park in downtown Newark, NJ. Other
current BRV projects include Faneuil Hall and South Station in Boston, Erie
Canal Waterfront Park in Buffalo, and campus enhancements at Wake Forest
University. Past Biederman clients
include the new South Street Seaport in New York, The Boston Common,
Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, and Baltimore Inner Harbor.
"Holladay Park
is one of those urban green treasures that reminds us of the importance of
preserving nature in our neighborhoods.
The tall tree canopy and system of walkways remind us of the park's long
history. The park's proximity to three
MAX lines and exciting new development in Sullivan's Gulch and the Lloyd
District remind us of its importance to the future of our city and as a gateway
into our neighborhoods," said Carol Gossett, a longtime neighbor and
representative of the Sullivan's Gulch Neighborhood Association.
“A key element of
Lloyd Center’s renovation is the creation of a new gateway pedestrian entrance
on NE Multnomah Street, which will provide greater connectivity between Lloyd
Center and Holladay Park,” stated Todd Minnis, chief investment officer for the
real estate investment management group of Cypress Equities. “We are excited to
support programming in this beautiful park that will surely enhance the
visitor’s experience not only at Lloyd Center, but throughout the Lloyd
District.”
Rick Williams, Executive Director of Go Lloyd, said:
"Holladay Park is a beautiful, tranquil place to take a break and spend
time with nature. We're lucky to have such a large and convenient green space
for employees, residents and guests. It's an exhilarating time of growth for us
and Holladay Park will only become more significant and interesting as the
Lloyd District develops into the most vibrant, sustainable and livable urban
neighborhood in the nation."
About the Holladay
Park Partnership:
The Holladay Park Partnership is a new non-profit entity
that is a collaboration between Portland Parks & Recreation, and
neighborhood residents and businesses, including Lloyd Center, the district’s
historic shopping mall.
A new website on
the partnership is under construction, and when complete, will be linked to
this Portland Parks & Recreation site:
https://www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/65397
About Portland Parks
& Recreation:
The mission of
Portland Parks & Recreation is to help Portlanders play - providing the
safe places, facilities, and programs which promote physical, mental, and
social activity. We get people, especially kids, outside, active, and connected
to the community. As we do this, there will be an increase in the wellness of
our residents and the livability of our city. This is accomplished by: Establishing,
safeguarding and restoring the parks, natural areas, public places, and urban
forest of the city, ensuring that these are accessible to all; Developing and
maintaining excellent facilities and places for public recreation and community
building; Providing dynamic recreation programs and services that promote
health and well-being for all; Partnering with the community.
About Biederman
Redevelopment Ventures (BRV Corp.):
Biederman Redevelopment Ventures Corporation is the private
consulting firm of Daniel A. Biederman, co-founder of the Bryant Park
Corporation and 34th Street Partnership, and creator of the largest complex of
private urban redevelopment projects in the United States. BRV Corp. is
currently working for the majority of the leading mixed-use developers in the
United States on the public spaces of some of their highest-profile projects,
including The Related Companies, The Howard Hughes Corporation, Blackstone,
Jamestown Properties, Vornado Realty Trust (through the 34thStreet
Partnership), Tishman-Speyer (through Bryant Park Corporation), Hines, and
Taconic Investment Partners.
Current BRV
projects include Faneuil Hall and South Station in Boston, Military Park in
Newark, N.J.
Klyde Warren Park in
Dallas, Erie Canal Waterfront Park in Buffalo, and Wake Forest University.
Past Biederman clients include the new South
Street Seaport in New York, The Boston Common, Rittenhouse Square in
Philadelphia, Baltimore Inner Harbor. Biederman has also consulted on downtown
redevelopment / management projects in Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta,
Miami, and Pittsburgh, among other cities.
Additional information is at:
http://www.brvcorp.com
About Go Lloyd:
Formerly the Lloyd Transportation Management Association
(TMA), Go Lloyd has a 20 year track record of improving the quality of living,
visiting and doing business in the Lloyd District. Through partnerships with
government and private sector organizations, as well as employees and residents
themselves, Go Lloyd fosters the connections that create a greener, more
vibrant, and sustainable neighborhood for all.
Detailed information is at
http://www.golloyd.org/
About Cypress
Equities:
Cypress Equities was founded in 1995 and has since established a
national reputation synonymous with the premier development, operation and
management of destination-class retail and mixed-use properties throughout the
U.S. Historically, Cypress has developed
or acquired more than 18 million square feet and currently is developing and
managing a portfolio of more than 9.4 million square feet of retail, office,
residential and automotive real estate. Today, there are five Cypress Equities
offices throughout the U.S., including Dallas (headquarters), New York, San
Francisco, Atlanta and Fort Lauderdale. Visit www.cypressequities.com for more information.
