Portland Celebrates Latest Community Plaza - Ankeny Plaza

Portland on Tuesday headed to Old Town to celebrate the city's newest outdoor plaza - Ankeny Plaza, another example of how the city finds creative ways to use its public right of ways.

The plaza - which covers 20,000 square feet, roughly half of a downtown city block - is on SW Third Avenue, in front of Voodoo Doughnut, just east of the Keep Portland Weird Mural and just west of Portland Saturday Market.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation, which oversees efforts like Ankeny Plaza, say it is part of their "Portland in the Streets" campaign this summer.

The project was created with an $82,000 livability grant from the Portland Development Corporation and $20,000 from the transportation bureau.

James Silviano, president of the Ankeny Alley Association, says the new plaza will allow businesses to build on the energy of Saturday Market next door.

Photos from Portland Bureau of Transportaiton