Rendering of proposed design for the new Darcelle XV Plaza in downtown Portland, courtesy of NNA Landscape Architecture
Portland State University’s Center for Public Interest Design (CPID), Portland Parks & Recreation, and Downtown Portland Clean & Safe invite Portlanders to participate in a community open house focused on the new Darcelle XV Plaza, Sunday, February 4, 2024.
At the Darcelle XV Community Open House, members of the public will have the chance to offer feedback on the proposed plans for the ongoing Darcelle XV Plaza redesign project, which began last year. The Center for Public Interest Design, embedded in the PSU School of Architecture, joined the project in fall 2022, and faculty and students have been working on developing a new design for the interim plaza in collaboration with Portland Parks & Recreation and NNA Landscape Architecture.
O’Bryant Square was renamed last year in honor of the late Darcelle XV, also known as Walter Cole, a beloved member of Portland’s drag community who performed for over fifty years at the Darcelle XV Showplace. The renaming of the site reflects efforts by the City of Portland to honor the LGBTQ+ community in Portland. The project team has benefited from input from individuals with the Oregon Queer History Collective, the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability’s LGBTQ+ Historic Sites Project, and Darcelle XV Showcase, but they are eager to hear from more Portlanders on their thoughts for the park.
The designers are proposing a vibrant, colorful site that incorporates areas for arts activities and performances, as well as the use of historic cast iron columns, in the space. The design team hopes to find ways to connect the plaza to surrounding spaces, such as the nearby Pride Plaza, the future Green Loop, and the SW Ankeny Cart Blocks.
Todd Ferry, Senior Research Associate for the CPID, is heading up PSU’s efforts, with assistance from PSU students Regina Batiste and Kaleb Huerta, both students in the Master of Architecture degree program, and Ron Janus Acob, an undergraduate Architecture alumnus; currently employed at the CPID as an Americorps service worker through the VISTA program.
“Sunday’s open house builds on this effort to engage Portlanders in conversation around their hopes for downtown Portland and the park itself that began with Back to Square One, which was hosted by the Portland Parks Foundation and the CPID,” said Todd Ferry. “We’re excited to share the current designs and hear from community members about what kind of activations that would like to see in the park and ideas for honoring Darcelle XV and the LGBTQ+ community.”
To learn more about the rich history of Darcelle XV Plaza and the project’s progress, visit the links below.
The Darcelle XV Community Open House takes place Sunday, February 4, 2024, 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. at The Morgan Building, 740 SW Washington Street, Portland, Oregon. All are welcome.