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Darcelle XV Plaza will bring a sparkle to downtown Portland

Preliminary renderings show features like an outdoor stage and chandelier that will honor its namesake drag queen.

A rendering shows the design for Darcelle XV Plaza.

Preliminary designs draw on the nearby Pink Triangle, where many of downtown Portland’s gay bars and clubs are located.

Rendering by NNA Landscape Architecture/Portland Parks & Recreation

The proposed designs for Darcelle XV Plaza are in a word, dazzling. The planned public space and memorial to Portland’s iconic drag queen will feature an off-leash dog park, a “walk of fame” dedicated to LGBTQ+ activists, an outdoor stage covered by sail shades, and perhaps most notably, a sparkling chandelier.

Once known as O’Bryant Square, the block at the intersection of Southwest Park Avenue and Harvey Milk Street was condemned in 2018 for the structural failure of the site’s underground parking garage.

Now, the aim is to make the half-acre park a safe place for everyone. When it reopens (no timeline is set), Downtown Portland Clean & Safe will be tasked with security and organizing events.

You’re invited to share feedback at the public open house in February (the exact date and time are TBD).

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