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Mayor Wilson sets deadline to raise Columbia Pool funds
By Mark Kirchmeier While a recent independent architectural report seriously undercut Portland Parks & Recreation Bureau claims that restoring Columbia Park Pool is cost prohibitive, Mayor Keith Wilson wants to close the long and controversial pool debate, unless advocates can quickly find private funding. A source close to City Councilor Elana Pirtle-Guiney’s office diplomatically said,…
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Pirtle-Guiney proposes $5 million for Columbia Pool restoration
District 2 Councilor Elana Pirtle-Guiney has resurrected the Columbia Park Pool campaign declaring she will seek to amend Mayor Keith Wilson’s proposed budget by directing $5 million toward restoring the now-closed pool. She proposes drawing from city General Fund contingency and Parks Bureau contingency funds. “The entire time I’ve been in office, I’ve heard over and…
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Wilson: Columbia Pool raze may be necessary
By Mark Kirchmeier Mayor Keith Wilson delivered discouraging news to Columbia Park Pool advocates in a March 16 private meeting. Wilson had dramatically halted the scheduled demolition of the pool in late March 2025, three days before the razing was to begin. Now one year later, he asked to meet with Friends of Columbia Park…
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City councilors brainstorm on restoration of Columbia Park Pool
The long-distance campaign to restore Columbia Park pool is getting a second wind. City Councilors Elana Pirtle-Guiney and Sameer Kanal discussed strategies with pool advocates to convert the former year-round pool into a seasonal summer pool, during a Feb. 18 meeting at City Hall. The councilors and Friends of Columbia Park chair Chris Manno agreed…
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Assessment study looms for Columbia Park Pool
The City of Portland Parks & Recreation Bureau is so close to authorizing an independent study to determine the costs to restore Columbia Pool, that City Council President Elana Pirtle-Guney’s office is already making plans to discuss potential study results with the Friends of Columbia Park in early February. One City Hall observer said that…
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City begins steps to save Columbia Park Pool
Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) has begun work to stabilize the closed Columbia Park Pool structure as a first step toward possible full restoration of the pool. PP&R contractors began work in late October to dry the interior of the building and stop water from intruding into the roof this winter. “The North Portland community celebrates…
