Park at Jennings Lodge Campus
NCPRD and the Oregon City School District (OCSD) are cooperatively planning for a neighborhood park on the Jennings Lodge Campus, which will provide new recreational opportunities and amenities to the community. The park design is now complete, and construction is expected to begin in fall 2026.
The future park has not been officially named. A public naming process will be undertaken after construction has started, and before the park is open. For now, the project is being referred to as the Park at Jennings Lodge Campus.
Trails and Timbers Design
The park design is now complete and construction is expected to start fall of 2026. This new park will allow children and adults to step out of the urban environment and back into the natural world. Features include:
- An expansive tree canopy, creating an urban oasis.
- Perennial meadow, seasonal streambeds, and low woodland understory for glimpses of local flora and fauna species.
- A network of shady, winding pathways dotted with comfortable benches to sit and rest.
- Two nature-inspired playgrounds where kids of all ages and diverse abilities can climb, swing, spin, and balance.
There is a small, fenced play area that will be used by OCSD for preschoolers during school hours and will be available for community use during evening and weekend hours. The larger play area will be available for community use during all park operating hours.
Project Background
NCPRD’s adopted Parks and Recreation Master Plan (2004) and Revised Draft Master Plan (2015) identify the need for additional neighborhood park opportunities in the same area of the District where the Jennings Lodge Campus is located. The open space surrounding the school campus is currently underutilized, and there is a shared desire by OCSD and NCPRD to develop a new park for students and families in the area. This joint partnership would be a win-win, providing new amenities and community spaces to meet the needs of residents across both districts.
Project address: 18521 S.E. River Rd., Milwaukie OR
Project area: 1.9 acres (total school property is 3.81 acres)
To learn more about residents’ needs and hopes for the new park, we engaged the community through tabling events, and two in-person and online open houses. During both rounds of engagement, over 760 residents shared their ideas and thoughts with us. See the engagement summary from the second open house.
Project Funding
NCPRD has been awarded the following grants to support the development of the park at the Jennings Lodge Campus.
- $1,000,000 – Nature in Neighborhoods Capital Grant from Metro
- $1,088,386 – Local Share Fund Allocations from Metro (1995 and 2019)
- $140,000 – Community Green Infrastructure Grant from Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD)
The total awarded funding adds up to $2.23 million—covering 77% of the $2.8 million project cost. The remaining gap is filled by NCPRD System Development Charges (SDCs).
To secure NCPRD's long term investment, NCPRD is pursuing acquisition of the park property. Both agencies are now working through the steps required for the potential sale while moving forward into construction based on the completed design. Also, since NCPRD would only be purchasing the park portion of the property, the purchase will require partitioning of the property. The partition process may take up to a year to complete.
Project Partners
This project is a partnership between North Clackamas Parks and Recreation District (NCPRD) and Oregon City School District (OCSD). OCSD includes Oregon City Community Education (OCCE), which operates preschool early learning, camps and programs at the Jennings Lodge Campus. An updated Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between NCPRD and OCSD governs how to develop and operate the park and associated amenities at the Jennings Lodge Campus.
The project will be supported by Mackenzie design consultants, with JLA Public Involvement supporting the community engagement process as a subcontractor to Mackenzie.
Project Timeline
Jun 11, 2023
Community engagement and design work officially began.
Jun 15, 2023
The Board of Directors approved an updated IGA with Oregon City School District
Jun 29, 2023
The Board of Directors approved a contract for design services with Mackenzie, Inc.
Aug 19, 2023
Initial ideas were gathered at the Jennings Lodge Community Planning Organization (CPO) summer picnic.
Sep 28, 2023
Introduced the project and collected early input about site conditions and desired improvements. An online survey was available for additional feedback.
Feb 28, 2024
Presented draft design concepts informed by site knowledge and prior community input, gathered additional feedback to help shape the preferred concept, and outlined how this input would guide next steps. An online survey was available for further participation.
Apr 12, 2024
Concept designs were revised to reflect community feedback.
Oct 25, 2024
Submitted 50% drawings for Land Use Review.
Jan 23, 2025
Land Use Review was completed and the project received approval with conditions.
Feb 8, 2025
Provided a project update at the Design and Dinner Social event.
Jun 26, 2025
Metro awarded NCPRD a $1 million capital grant and $1,088,386 in Local Share for construction of the new park.
Aug 16, 2025
Shared a project update at Jennings Lodge CPO summer picnic.
Jan 22, 2026
The Department of Land Conservation and Development awarded NCPRD $140,000 Community Green Infrastructure Grant for park construction.
Mar 9, 2026
Construction documentation was completed.
Jun 4, 2026
Issued a public notice inviting bids for construction.
Jul 14, 2026
Submitted 90% drawings for development permits with Clackamas County, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), and Oak Lodge Water Services District (OLWSD).
Jul 16, 2026
Issued the Notice of Intent to Award to T Edge Construction, Inc.
Sep 10, 2026
Held the groundbreaking celebration for the new park.
Project Contact
Alex Gilbertson
Principal Planner
agilbertson@ncprd.org