Tanasbourne families have a bigger, more accessible place to play after Hillsboro opened a new nature-themed playground at Evergreen Park.
The $570,000 project replaced the park's aging playground with a play area for children ages 2 to 12. The new space nearly doubles the old footprint, growing from about 2,900 square feet to about 5,000 square feet, according to the Hillsboro News Times. The playground had been closed since May 15 for construction.
Updated features include equipment for climbing, swinging, sliding, spinning and jumping. The city's project description says the layout improves accessibility for children of all abilities.
Overlapping shade sails cover nearly 3,800 square feet above the play area, offering protection from sun and light rain. According to the city's announcement, the sails are meant to keep the playground usable year-round.
Oregon Metro's Nature in Neighborhoods program covered $332,822 of the cost through a grant funded by the 2019 Parks & Nature Bond. Hillsboro paid the remaining roughly $237,000 through parks system development charges, fees collected from new construction.
The grant came out of a community input process that started in spring 2023. Hillsboro Parks & Recreation and Oregon Metro hosted open houses where residents pitched ideas for local park improvements. Community members then voted on their preferred projects.
In February 2024, the Metro Council approved five Hillsboro projects totaling up to $830,000, according to the city's planning page. Evergreen Park was one of the five, alongside improvements at Shute Park, Orenco Woods Nature Park and Rood Bridge Park.
The 13-acre park sits at 2750 NE Overlook Drive. It features trails through natural areas, a basketball court, open lawn space and a plaza connecting to nearby shopping and restaurants. The Tanasbourne area includes several apartment and condominium communities.
The city's official announcement confirmed the playground is now open.
No ribbon-cutting or celebration event has been announced.
Upcoming in Hillsboro
- Hillsboro Saturday Market continues weekly through October in downtown Hillsboro.
- Walters Cultural Arts Center kicks off its fall season with puppets and concerts. Details at Hillsboro Today.
