South Waterfront Greenway & Alamo Manhattan Blocks Portland, Oregon

Several new city blocks of mixed-use buildings were developed as part of continued growth and restoration of the South Waterfront along the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. With a combination of engineering, planning, design, and environmental science, Otak’s multidisciplinary approach placed an emphasis on multimodal connectivity in designing these four blocks with direct access to public spaces within the riverfront greenway.

Extending a Riverfront Greenway for Mixed-Use Development

Work to extend a riverfront greenway set the stage for the creation of a new district that added four new mix-use buildings in the South Waterfront. This follows earlier efforts in delivering the Oregon Health Science University Building and development of the Central District that initiated growth in the area. In addition to the public roadways and pedestrian accessways that shape the new city blocks, engineering and planning would lead to 800 feet of new greenway along the Willamette River. To support the new recreational open spaces, a cleanup and enhancement of the riverbank was required. Decades of industrial debris and contaminated sediment were excavated while large wood, root wads, and boulders were added to reconstruct the slope with revegetation and encourage more natural river functions.