A $29,106 community livability grant promising six new street trash cans and seven custom benches around Gateway (“Wayfinding signage, new trash cans debut around Gateway,” MCM March 2018) will, in part, see the light of day by the end of August. At least, according to the grant’s author. 

Tom Badrick, chair of the Parkrose Heights Association of Neighbors, admits the grant saw a couple of setbacks. Initially, PHAN requested $36,000 for implementing the trash cans and benches from Prosper Portland. 

“It’s like with a house,” says Badrick. “There’s always a surprise or two that adds an hour to every project. You have to adapt and move forward.”

Badrick says that two “sleek, stainless-steel benches” will be installed outside Atomic Auto (610 N.E. 102nd Ave.), as well as two outside IRCO (10301 N.E. Glisan St.). A few additional benches are destined for the “East Island Triangle” pedestrian traffic crossing (at N.E. 112th Avenue and Halsey Street). The East Island Triangle will be remodeled with updated pedestrian crossing lights as part of the Halsey-Weidler Streetscape Project at some point in the next year. Those benches are set to arrive at the same time. 

The same grant designated toward installing the benches will also see five state-of-the-art trash cans added around Gateway: two at the same IRCO as the benches; two at Atomic Auto, 610 N.E. 102nd Ave.; and one at Northwest Flyfishing Outfitters, 10910 N.E. Halsey St. The businesses are responsible for maintaining the cans. 

Each trash can costs roughly $2,500. They will match the ones that recently debuted at Discovery Park. As for the benches, Badrick claims the prices have fluctuated. “The benches are a little more flexible, because you’re buying at very specific times when the tariff hit the steel opportunity. The prices increased.”