Town Center Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Town Center Park |
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Covered picnic area at the park
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| Type | Public, city |
| Location | Wilsonville, Oregon United States |
| Area | 5 acres (20,000 m2) |
| Operated by | Wilsonville Parks & Recreation |
| Status | open |
| Website | Website |
Town Center Park is a fun public park in Wilsonville, Oregon, USA. It's right in the middle of Wilsonville's main area. This park is about 5-acre (2.0 ha) big and cost $4.5 million to build.
You can find many cool things here! There's the Oregon Korean War Memorial, a place for visitors, walking paths, a play area for kids, picnic spots, and an outdoor stage called an amphitheater. The park was finished in 2005 and even has Wilsonville's first interactive water play area, which is super popular on hot days!
Contents
Park History: How Town Center Park Was Built
Early Ideas and Plans
Back in 1994, a company called Capital Realty gave the land for this park. They wanted it to be used as a park in the center of Wilsonville. In 1996, the city started asking people what they wanted in the park. At first, they thought it would cost about $2 million.
Some early ideas for the park included:
- A special memorial for the Korean War.
- A tall clock tower.
- A pond and a fountain.
- Beautiful gardens and picnic areas.
- A basketball court and a play area for children.
- Paths for walking and an amphitheater for shows.
- Open grassy areas and a covered area for events like street fairs.
- Parking spaces, even for large recreational vehicles.
Getting the Money and Starting Construction
By October 1996, the estimated cost went up to $3.3 million. Luckily, all the money was found! It came from Wilsonville and county taxes on hotel stays. A big grant of $1 million from the county's tourism group also helped build a visitor's center.
The city's park board approved the plans. These plans included the war memorial, the visitor's center, gardens, paths, fountains, the amphitheater, and lawns. The visitor's center would also have public restrooms, meeting rooms for the community, and be the home of the city's business group, the chamber of commerce.
In November 1996, a new law called Ballot Measure 47 was passed in Oregon. This law changed property taxes and made it harder to raise money. Because of this, the city had to pause the park project. They were worried about how they would pay for building and keeping up the park.
But the plans moved forward! Construction for the visitor's center began in June 1998. This building opened in April 1999 and cost $1.5 million.
Work on the Korean War Memorial started on May 4, 2000. By September 2000, the memorial was open. It honors soldiers from Oregon who died in the Korean War. For a couple of summers (2000 and 2001), the park even hosted a small farmer's market. Also in 2000, the park became the home for the yearly Wilsonville Celebration Days.
Park Completion and New Features
The park was fully finished in the spring of 2005. The last part of construction added several cool features. This included an interactive water play area, which was the first of its kind in Wilsonville! The water feature was delayed because the city had a water shortage. This problem was fixed when a new water treatment plant was built.
This final part of the park cost about $1.2 million. It was paid for by special city funds and built by Hoffman Construction. In total, the entire park cost $4.5 million to build. In June 2007, the water fountain had to close for a few days because of water quality issues, but it reopened quickly. In October 2008, the park even got free Wi-Fi!
Park Features and Fun Things to Do
This 5-acre (2.0 ha) park has many different structures and features for everyone to enjoy. These include the Korean War Memorial and a visitor information center. The visitor's center is about 5,000-square-foot (460 m2) big. It was paid for by Clackamas County's tourism group and is run by the Wilsonville Chamber of Commerce. It's a beautiful building made of brick, wood, and glass, and it also has the park's public restrooms.
The park was designed by a landscape architect named Robert Murase. Here are some of the cool things you can find:
- A water feature where people can play and cool off.
- An amphitheater with a stage for performances.
- A covered picnic shelter and many picnic tables.
- Play equipment for children.
- Paths for walking and exploring.
- A half-sized basketball court.
The water feature is special because it's "zero-depth." This means the water comes right out of the ground! It flows down concrete channels into a small pond with bubbling water. There's also a beautiful Rotary Rose Garden, cared for by the local Rotary Club. Plus, there are trees dedicated to Wilsonville's sister city relationships around the world.
Events and Festivals at the Park
Town Center Park is a popular spot for many community events in Wilsonville.
- Wilsonville Festival of the Arts: In May or June, the park hosts this festival. It shows off local and regional artists who work in pottery, photography, and more. This festival started in 2000.
- Wilsonville Rotary Summer Concerts: During July and August, you can enjoy free concerts on Thursday nights.
- Fun in the Park Festival: In August, the park is home to this yearly festival. It includes concerts, exhibits for children, crafts, and food vendors. This one-day event is part of Wilsonville Celebration Days. It replaced an older event in 2000 and brings in over 6,000 people!
