April 13, 2026
Parklane Park: Lessons from a National Award-Winning Project
Transforming a Former Quarry into a Recreational Landmark
Article by Brent Allison, Project Manager
Earlier this year, ENR named Parklane Park in East Portland an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Best of the Best winner in the Landscape/Urban Development category, one of just 20 projects nationally to receive the recognition. The project, which transformed a former quarry into a 25-acre recreational landmark, was among more than 800 submissions evaluated through a nearly yearlong process involving ENR editors and more than 100 industry judges.
More than 200 regional winners across 20 categories advanced to a national competition where a new panel assessed each on teamwork, safety, innovation, overcoming challenges and quality. The winning teams were recognized at an awards brunch on March 26 at Pier Sixty in New York City.
Building for the Community
The project was a $20.4-million effort that expanded a 5-acre neighborhood park into a 25-acre community hub, delivered on time and within budget in May 2025. Now the largest park in the Portland Parks and Recreation system east of I-205, the finished site includes soccer fields, basketball and tennis courts, a skate park, three playgrounds, a splash pad, a pavilion, restrooms, a covered picnic area, expanded community gardens, walking paths and an off-leash dog area. The park is also fully ADA accessible, with playground features designed to welcome children of all abilities. Getting to that outcome, however, required working through a significant set of challenges.
“We partnered closely with Portland Parks & Recreation to turn a community vision into a lasting, accessible park. Every step of construction, from playground sequencing to precise surfacing installation, was guided by safety, quality, and equity. The result is a durable, functional space built to serve the neighborhood for years to come.”
Managing a Major Budget Gap
Early estimates put the project at around $8 million. By the 30% design stage, that number had escalated to nearly $30 million. The team responded with intensive value engineering reviews at the 50%, 75%, 90% and IFC milestones, evaluating each element against community priorities. Substituting some concrete paths with asphalt or pea gravel is one example. It was a straightforward change that reduced costs meaningfully without compromising the functionality of the park.
Working with a Difficult Site
The site required approximately 75,000 cubic yards of fill. Rather than sourcing expensive topsoil, the team imported 50,000 cubic yards of non-spec soil from other Portland projects at no cost, mixed it with compost and finished it with six to ten inches of specification-grade soil, saving more than $1 million in material and hauling costs.
The site also carried a Title-D classification prohibiting soil export, which shaped the team's approach to materials throughout, including recycled aggregate base, recycled steel waste and full diversion of demolished materials from the landfill.
Value of Early Involvement
Our team at Stacy Witbeck was engaged nearly two years before construction began. That runway allowed for advanced planning, early material procurement, and strategic surcharging of the pavilion site, which eliminated the need for more expensive ground stabilization methods.
Early contractor involvement doesn't always get the attention it deserves, but on a project with this level of site complexity and budget pressure, it made a measurable difference.
The project was a collaborative effort with Walker Macy as lead design firm, Standridge Inc. as civil engineer, Grummel Engineering as structural engineer, PAE as MEP engineer, Grindline Skateparks as skate park designer and Landarc Associates handling irrigation, all on behalf of owner Portland Parks and Recreation.
About the Awards Program
ENR's Best of the Best competition represents the of U.S. design and construction achievement for projects completed between May 2024 and May 2025. The annual contest drew more than 800 submissions, with regional judging panels selecting winners across 20 categories. More than 200 regional winners then advanced to the national competition, where a new panel of more than 100 industry judges evaluated each project on teamwork, safety, innovation, overcoming challenges and quality, resulting in a nearly yearlong effort by ENR editors and the broader construction industry.
Read ENR’s full coverage of the Best of the Best 2025 here.