Category: Safety and Livability

New Pedestrian Plaza Coming to SE Hawthorne

Artist's rendition of the 37th Avenue Plaza looking northwest from the Bagdad Theater. Have you ever walked down Hawthorne and thought, “wow, I love this street, but wouldn’t it be even better with a nice place to sit and watch the colorful world go by?” You’re in luck because PBOT in partnership with the Hawthorne Boulevard Business Association (HBBA) and the SNA, will be piloting a new pedestrian plaza this summer at 37th and Hawthorne! The plaza will provide space to relax, eat a bite and enjoy art and performances! We’re sure you have questions, and we have answers.

  1. What is the Hawthorne Sustainability Plaza & Project?
    The Hawthorne Pilot Plaza and Kiosk project is a community-driven initiative aimed at enhancing the Hawthorne District by creating a seasonal public plaza located on the north side of Hawthorne Blvd at SE 37th Avenue. The plaza will include an active gathering space, seating, street mural, landscaping, and a solar kiosk offering wayfinding maps and information.
  2. How was 37th Avenue chosen as the location?
    This location was selected as a pilot in August 2024 because it has the right ingredients for success including active restaurants, frequent pedestrian and bike traffic, adjacency of a bus line and proximity to the iconic Bagdad Theater. PBOT’s traffic engineering shows this area would work to close the street and  piloting a seasonal plaza in Spring of 2025 is in the planning stages.
  3. Site plan for the 37th Avenue plaza showing as series of tables on the west side of 37th, planters on the north and south, and an emergency lane to the east.What amenities will the plaza offer?
    • Seating: Picnic tables with attached benches made from durable, weather-resistant materials.
    • Landscape Planters: Large planters will border the plaza, providing greenery and separating the gathering area from the street to ensure safety.
    • Public Art: Street murals and cultural displays will be integrated into the plaza’s design.
    • Solar-Powered Kiosk: A compact 4×6-foot kiosk adds phone charging, maps, and district info.
    • Lighting: Ambient decorative lighting will be used to enhance safety and vibrancy.
  4. How will this project benefit the community?
    • Central Gathering Space: The plaza will create a welcoming, car-free area for residents and visitors to meet, relax, and socialize, and a place for community events without special permits for street closures.
    • Business Boost: By activating the street, the plaza will increase more foot traffic to the area, attracting more customers to local businesses and expanding opportunities for outdoor dining and vending, allowing adjacent businesses to expand their operations. 
    • Inclusive & Welcoming Space: The plaza will be designed to serve people of all ages and incomes
    • District Beautification: Enhances the streetscape with greenery, public art, and attractive amenities.
    • Sustainability: Solar kiosk adds access to power that helps with emergency response & climate education.
  5. How will the plaza be maintained?
    HBBA intends to use part of the grant funds to secure a maintenance and management contract for ongoing care and cleaning of the plaza. This includes: bi-weekly trash pick-up, sweeping and maintaining landscape planters, graffiti removal, and general upkeep to ensure the plaza remains clean, safe, and welcoming.
  6. How has the community been involved in this project?
    This site was selected after careful consultation with community members and organizations, including the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association (SNA) and the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT). Key outreach efforts included:

    • Hawthorne Street Fair (2023 & 2024): Community members participated in voting and feedback sessions about kiosk locations and plaza amenities.
    • Pop-Up Plazas: Temporary installations and events, like the PARK(ing) Day event in September 2023 and other community pop-ups, provided residents with opportunities to experience the concept.
    • Surveys & Focus Groups: In 2023, a community survey was sent to Hawthorne business district and neighborhood to gather input on desired amenities.
    • Business Meetings: HBBA hosted multiple meetings with local businesses to share updates and collect feedback.
    • Neighborhood Association Presentations: PBOT and HBBA have presented the project at various neighborhood meetings to keep residents informed.
  7. What is the timeline & next steps for the project?
    • March 2025: Plaza maintenance/stewardship planning, form committee for plaza naming/mural contest.
    • March/April 2025: Kiosk permits and structural review, mural design competition.
    • May/June 2025: Kiosk installation and mural painting, pilot plaza officially opens (seasonal through Oct.).
  8. How is this site being funded?
    The project is funded by a $46,000 grant from Venture Portland to the Hawthorne Boulevard Business Association (HBBA) to create a solar kiosk mini-resiliency hub. This became a catalyst to create a community plaza at SE 37th Avenue. With PBOT developing a new Plaza Pilot Program, this grant has allowed us to participate – a unique opportunity to enhance our business district and add amenities for all.
  9. How can businesses and community members be involved or learn more?
    • Volunteer to join a “Friends of the Plaza” community group
    • Participate in the plaza naming contest or street mural design calls.
    • Sign up for updates through the HBBA or Sunnyside Neighborhood Association newsletters.

Want to learn more? Download a copy of the proposal and these FAQs.

For more information or questions, contact

Learn more about Portland’s Plaza Program
www.portland.gov/transportation/planning/plazas/plazas

SNA Community Safety & Livability Update

Committee Meeting

The March SNA Community Safety & Livability meeting hosted Andy Miller, Executive Director of Human Solutions. Human Solutions was founded in 1988 to provide home weatherization and utility assistance for seniors and low-income households. Over the last 25 years, the organization’s mission has expanded to partner with, invest in, and advocate for people and communities impacted by poverty so that they can achieve long-term housing and economic security.

Andy Miller spoke of the well-researched idea that the most significant factor in a child’s lifetime trajectory is the zip code into which they are born. With this understanding, Human Solutions focuses on fighting intergenerational poverty at the neighborhood level, with a focus on eastern Multnomah County.

Human Solutions responds to immediate crises – operating three emergency shelters and providing rent assistance, eviction prevention, and utility assistance. The organization provides affordable housing, with over 650 apartments and over 200 more currently in development. Their housing advocacy is paired with job and career counseling and skills training – providing critical resources for people transitioning from public assistance and for those experiencing re-entry from incarceration and homelessness.

Mr. Miller notes that housing insecurity is a pervasive impact of our nation’s racist past and present. Black and brown people have been denied generations of wealth and opportunity — denied actual housing opportunities. Even though we’ve changed many of the laws that were in place for those generations, we are left dealing with profound consequences of insecurity. “For folks sleeping outside, you are 50% more likely to have a tent if you are White.”

Andy Miller also noted that he’s not a fan of shelters; they are an important stop-gap resource, but shouldn’t be more than a stepping stone to more stable housing. However, he notes that when he started working with Human Solutions, the average shelter stay was three weeks. The average now is six to twelve months. There just isn’t enough affordable housing for folks to transition into.

The work Human Solutions does is working; there just aren’t enough resources and people in need are being underserved. Millar notes that, “For every one person we help, there are nine we have to turn away.”
Why are there so many people who need the services that Human Solutions provides? Opinions about the causes of homelessness and housing insecurity vary widely; some blame addiction, mental illness, laziness, or bad luck. Human Solutions identifies poverty as a root cause – the significant gap between the high cost of housing and the low values of income. For example, in Portland, the hourly wage required to afford a studio apartment is $22.92 while the median hourly wages in the largest employment sectors – food & bar service, retail, and home health care – range from $12.47 to $13.74.

Andy wrapped up his presentation with an inspiring case study from Helsinki. Similar in population to Portland, Helsinki implemented universal basic income and a Housing First policy that provides unconditional housing. Finland is the only EU country where homelessness rates are falling.

The Equal Times website describes the simple idea at the foundation of Finland’s Housing First policy, “… everyone is entitled to somewhere to live, even people with complex psychosocial, health and financial issues such as addiction or poor credit ratings. The theory is that it is easier to tackle the multiple issues often faced by a person experiencing homelessness if that person has a stable home.”

SOLVE Cleanup event – Saturday, March 13, 2021 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

SNA is partnering with SOLVE to do a cleanup along Hawthorne Blvd on Saturday, March 13; 2:00 – 4:00 PM.

We will be splitting in smaller groups and going up and down Hawthorne (and inside the neighborhood for a block or so). For those that participated in our January event along Belmont, this will be a similar event.

Since this is a SOLVE event, more information is available and registration is required via SOLVE’s website at https://www.solveoregon.org/opportunity/a0C1I00000QFK2N

SOLVE Cleanup event – Wednesday, January 27, 2021 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Come join your fellow Sunnyside neighbors this Wednesday Jan 27 at 2:00 PM to clean up our special corner of Portland and show our neighborhood a little love! Pre-registration is required! Please sign up on SOLVE’s website ahead of time so we know how many volunteers to expect and to fill out the volunteer waiver form. https://www.solveoregon.org/opportunity/a0C1I00000QFDCD

We will meet at 2:00 PM at Walgreens and spread out along the Belmont corridor.

If you know of specific litter hotspots in the neighborhood, please let us know (even if you can’t participate). Depending on the number of volunteers, we will try to send smaller groups to specific areas needed cleanup.

More information and sign-up: https://www.solveoregon.org/opportunity/a0C1I00000QFDCD

Community Response and Outreach Committee

The Sunnyside Neighborhood Association has created a new committee and is looking for community members who want to get involved.

The Community Response and Outreach Committee exists as a means for neighbors in our community to become actively involved in addressing issues and concerns that face the community. The Community Response and Outreach Committee is indented to be a cooperative counterpart to the Safety and Livability Committee; while the S&L Committee is a place for our neighbors to come and present opinions and concerns about community issues, the CR&O Committee is a place for our neighbors with ideas and opinions for addressing these issues to discuss and present solutions.

From issues like poverty and homelessness to community beautification or public works projects, if you have an idea, a project, or want to become more directly involved in your community, the Community Response and Outreach Committee is eager for your involvement!