Roseway will soon have a new plaza!

After seven years of planning between the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and the Roseway Neighborhood Association (RNA), the Roseway plaza construction began in February 2025! The plaza provides a car-free non-commercial gathering space in Roseway. We have been gathering community input for several years and look forward to the full build-out!

We plan to create a welcoming open space for the community to gather, have fun, and make connections. We want to make sure that the space is accessible to those with limited mobility, and inviting to all community members. By activating the intersection and surrounding parkway, we also hope to calm traffic on 72nd Ave.

Here are some of the key elements of the plan:

🚲 PBOT has closed the segment of NE Mason between the couplets of 72nd Ave to motor vehicle traffic. Bollards and concrete forms are being installed now to prevent motor vehicle traffic. A bike lane will run through it as part of the new Mason/Skidmore greenway. We plan to paint the street in a colorful mural (see below) that conveys play and community. We will have bike racks to encourage people to arrive by bike.

🧺 There will be four picnic tables for spontaneous gatherings and pop-up events with shade sails and string lights. In the future, we hope to install large, safe log structures in designated play areas.

🏀 The intersection will continue to have a basketball hoop, and have room for other pavement games such as foursquare and hopscotch.

🌾 We will continue to add native plants in pollinator patches that beautify the area and contribute to a pollinator pathway that we hope will in the future run from the Rose City Golf Course to Prescott and beyond.

✳️ To limit disruption to nearby neighbors, we plan to post signs that designate acceptable activities and hours, and to provide a city-supported trash can.

🌲 We will continue to plant and tend to the parkway trees, which will eventually create a semi-closed canopy across the parkway, providing shade, carbon sequestration, and retaining soil moisture.

📛 Stay tuned for how to participate in the plaza naming contest.

🥳 On Saturday, September 6, we will have a grand opening celebration with a bouncy house, music, and food. We will be joined by city leaders, PBOT staff, and of course the Roseway Neighborhood Association board and friends. Stay tuned for more details and exact timeframe.

We thank our sponsors who have made this project possible, including

• The Portland Bureau of Transportation, which invested in the Mason/Skidmore and 70s Greenway projects and provided placemaking funds for the picnic tables and mural.

• The Regional Arts and Culture Council, which provided funding for the mural.

• Southeast Uplift District Coalition and the Office of Community and Civic Life, which provided funding for the grand opening celebration through its small grants program.

We want to hear your input on what’s important to you and your concerns. Please add a comment below. If you’d like to get involved, please email rosewayneighborhood@gmail.com.