South Waterfront, Portland, Oregon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids South Waterfront |
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The South Waterfront in August 2020
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| Location | Portland, Oregon |
| Coordinates | 45°29′49″N 122°40′12″W / 45.497°N 122.67°W |
| Status | Proposed |
The South Waterfront is a modern neighborhood in Portland, Oregon, U.S. It is located south of downtown Portland. This area used to be old industrial land that was cleaned up and rebuilt.
It is one of the biggest urban renewal projects in the United States. Urban renewal means taking an older, less used part of a city and making it new again. The South Waterfront is connected to downtown Portland by the Portland Streetcar and the MAX Orange Line train. You can also reach the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) main campus using the Portland Aerial Tram.
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Building a New Neighborhood
The South Waterfront project started in 2004. The goal was to build many tall buildings. These buildings include homes, mostly condominiums, and medical research centers. They range from 6 to over 35 stories tall.
Completed Buildings
By August 2010, many tall buildings were finished. These include the 16-story OHSU Center for Health & Healing and the twin towers called the Meriwether. The Meriwether towers are 21 and 24 stories high. Other completed buildings are the 31-story John Ross Tower and the 22-story Atwater Place.
Also finished are the 31-story apartments The Ardea, the 22-story Riva on the Park, and the 30-story Mirabella Portland. The Mirabella is a special community for older adults. Other buildings like the Matisse and Gray's Landing have also been completed.
Green Spaces and Bridges
A long park called South Waterfront Greenway is being built along the Willamette River. This park is partly finished. The neighborhood also has its own park between Riva on the Park and OHSU.
The Gibbs Street Pedestrian Bridge opened in July 2012. This bridge connects the South Waterfront area with Lair Hill. It goes over the busy Interstate 5 highway.
The Tilikum Crossing, Bridge of the People is a unique bridge. It opened in September 2015. This bridge is only for people walking, riding bikes, and public transport vehicles. It connects the South Waterfront to another area called Hosford-Abernethy.
Businesses and Future Plans
Besides homes, the South Waterfront has many businesses. You can find restaurants, grocery stores, and other shops here. More businesses are planned for the future.
New OHSU buildings are also being built in the area. Construction for three new OHSU facilities began in 2016. These new buildings will be part of the Knight Cancer Institute. They will include a large building for patient care, another for research, and a third for housing patients and their families.
