Payson Park Playground Active Recreation and Playground Project

Recreation has been a big part of Portland’s Park System since the creation of Lincoln Park and the Promenades in the 1860s. Payson Park was purchased in 1916 and named for Edward Payson who lived near the park in Payson house after his brother, William, sold the land to the city. Today, Payson Park is one of the primary “recreation” programmed spaces in the Portland Park System, and is linked to other park spaces, like the Back Cove Trail, that are more heavily used fitness locations in the City.
Payson Park's 48 acres includes spaces for:

• (1) Lighted full length basketball court
• (4) Tennis courts
• (4) Ball fields - 2 Little Leauge and 2 Softball Fields
• (2) Multipurpose Fields
• The Longfellow Arboretum
• Payson Park Playground and Splash Pad
• Community Garden
• Ice skating rink
• Snow terrain park
• Adjacent to Back Bay Cove Trail
• Proximity to Preble Street fitness park

The Park is cared for by the city and several public organizations, including the Friends of Payson Park, the Back Cove and Ocean Avenue neighborhood associations, and others. The existing playground area was created from a 1998 design and features play elements and settings primarily for children 5 and under and their caretakers. The current playground features:

• A swing / playhouse combination element
• A preschool play structure with slides, swing bridge, platforms, spinning features, and ladders
• A stand alone swing set with adaptable swing bench and two sit in swings
• Spray pad
• Fenced in play perimeter
• Picnic Tables
• Trees
• Berms and boulders

The Parks and Recreation department seeks to renovate some of the existing elements within the toddler playground, create new passive use areas for comfortable, non active, use of the space, and implement design for one or two fitness focused recreational spaces.

New equipment will include:

• play structures and a swing set for older children (ages 5-12) (see images labeled "5-12" for equipment type)
• A play house, climbing house with slide, spring rocker teeter totter, and rope walk play structure for younger children, with 2 bay swing
• ages 13+ agility equipment circut for older visitors outside of fenced play area.

After reciving public input and going through several bidding and negotiation processes with equipment vendors and site contractors, we are preparing to move forward with the renovations. Please stay tuned for more information, work is hoped to begin at the end of August / early September, 2023.