Some Portland community centers, schools closed by storm damage

Published 10:40 am Tuesday, January 23, 2024

The extent of the damage caused by the winter storm is becoming clearer as governments are able to inspect their buildings after more than a week of wind, snow and ice.

Portland Parks & Recreation has announced that four of its community center are temporarily closed because of broken heating systems and water pipes.

The closed centers identified on Tuesday, Jan. 23, include:

• East Portland Community Center and Pool, 740 S.E. 106th Ave., waiting for inspection on HVAC for partial heat outage. Pool needs major part. Center will likely reopen sooner than pool. Parking lot drainage issues pending.
• Multnomah Arts Center, 7688 S.W. Capitol Hwy., due to significant water leaks, water shut off for entire facility, and the parking lot may need to be torn up and replaced.
• Portland Tennis Center, 324 N,E.12th Ave., due to significant water leaks, roof issues, and standing water.
• Southwest Community Center and Pool, 6820 S.W. 45th Ave., due to HVAC outage, no running water, significant leaks, and other issues.

In addition, some programs at the Peninsula Park Community Center, 700 N. Rosa Parks Way, may be modified or relocated within the center due to some heat and leak issues.

The Mt. Scott Community Center is also temporarily closed until 2025 for renovations and seismic retrofitting work.

Open centers include: Charles Jordan Community Center; Community Music Center; Matt Dishman Community Center and Pool; Montavilla Community Center; Mt. Scott preschool program located temporarily at Laurelhurst Studio; Peninsula Park Community Center (some programs may be modified/relocated within the center due to some heat and leak issues); St. Johns Community Center; and Woodstock Community Center.

PP&R will post reopening updates at www.portland.gov/parks/weather and by recordings at 503-823-2533 when information becomes available.

Portland Public Schools has also announced that four schools are closed because of ruptured pipes and other damages. They include Markham Elementary and Robert Gray Middle School, both in Southwest Portland, which may not open until mid-February.

“It may be mid-February before your students are able to return to classes in their buildings. Unlike other schools, burst pipes and flooding were not isolated to one or two rooms in your buildings,” officials said in a letter to the “Markham and Gray families.”

“Water damaged plaster and drywall throughout your buildings, and disrupted asbestos when ceiling pipes burst. We are competing for professionals not only to repair, but to test and abate as well, and we cannot reopen these buildings until it is safe for everyone in our community.”

At Forest Park Elementary School, waterlines that feed the boiler froze, burst and flooded parts of the school. It’s closed for the week.

There was also no school Monday, Jan. 22, at Ainsworth Elementary School as officials have to move classrooms from the annex sections that flooded.

KOIN 6 News is a news partner of the Pamplin Media Group and contributed to this story. Their full story can be found at koin.com.