Sam Finds Funds to Close Budget Gap for Hawthorne Improvements, Ending 10-year Neighborhood Saga

Hawthorne MedallionConstruction is nearing the halfway mark on the Hawthorne Boulevard Project, the City's $3 million transportation improvement project between SE 20th and SE 55th Avenues. It's a great accomplishment for a project that had an uncertain future at the beginning of the year.

Developing the Plan
In 1996, the Hawthorne community asked the City of Portland to assist them in creating a plan for Hawthorne Boulevard. The goal was to create a public environment and transportation system that supports Hawthorne's role as a vital neighborhood main street in southeast Portland.

The Challenges of Getting it Built
The plan was implemented in two phases. The first went relatively smoothly. But Phase II turned out to be a nightmare.

In October 2005, as plans for Phase II were nearing completion, construction bids around the region were increasing at astounding rates - between 15% to 40%. These cost increases were attributed to rising energy prices, increasing materials costs and difficulty in obtaining materials due to reconstruction in the Gulf Coast. The impact was felt by the City on a number of projects, including the long-anticipated Hawthorne Boulevard Project.

PDOT revised the project's estimate and the result was an $800,000 increase above the budget. The project was put on hold while Commissioner Adams, PDOT and the community were faced with reconciling the shortfall and possibly making cuts to the project.

Community Priorities Prevail
Community representatives insisted that reducing the scope of the project and eliminating improvements was not an acceptable solution. And Sam did not want to see the scope reduced, either. So in early 2006, Sam worked with PDOT and the CAC to resolve the project's shortfall and identify additional funds. He found the funds.

In February, Sam announced a funding plan that allowed the project to go to bid with all the improvements. PDOT leveraged cost savings from other transportation projects and secured additional federal transportation funds for the project to make up the $800,000 budget shortfall.

Construction Scheduled for Completion in June 2007
The City advertised for bids in March and the contract was awarded in May to Kodiak Benge Construction, a woman-owned business based in Tualatin. Crews started work in July. New stormwater pipes were installed at locations all along the boulevard. Sidewalk, transit and signal improvements were built between SE 41st and SE 55th in the summer and fall. Work between 20th and 39th starts January 2. The project is on schedule and within budget. We'll be celebrating the completion of the project this summer and recognizing the over ten years of efforts by the community to see their vision for Hawthorne become reality.

Related Documents

Map of the project's pedestrian improvements

Original Hawthorne Blvd. Transportation Plan, 1997

Community Partners

The project was developed with the input and support of the following community partners who had representatives on the project's Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC):

The five neighborhood associations that border Hawthorne:
Hosford-Abernethy Neighborhood Development Assocation (HAND)
Buckman Neighborhood Association
Richmond Neighborhood Association
Sunnyside Neighborhood Association
Mt Tabor Neighborhood Association
Southeast Uplift District Coalition (SEUL)
Hawthorne Boulevard Business Association (HBBA)
Willamette Pedestrian Coalition
Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA)
Individual business owners and property owners

In early 2006, Commissioner Adams worked with PDOT and the CAC to resolve the project's shortfall and identify additional funds. Community members who worked closely with us to resolve the shortfall included: