When the "rain" park concept on the Astoria waterfront at 9th street just didn't quite appeal to anyone a new idea came along.
A very good idea.
The concept of honoring Astoria's historical connection to China emerged in the proposal to take that pocket park and develop something there that would help tell the story of those Chinese immigrants who contributed so much to the town's history.
The Chinese Interpretive park is a worthy project and one we should support.
We had not heard very much publicly about the planning except that it would be challenging and that it would take both time and money to come up with a workable final plan that would ensure a quality endeavor.
Last week the city council dealt with a staff request regarding some bronze artwork that will be part of that tribute. The senior planner for the firm hired by the city to bring the park to reality has been working with a gentleman in China who owns a bronze foundry and had offered to donate the materials. This is something he has done throughout America in gratitude for medical care he received here, a kindness he felt needed to be repaid.
A caller questioned why the city council would approve an expenditure for the bronze work that would outsource the work to a foreign country instead of using a U.S. based operation such as one in Joseph, Oregon. The council approved an amount that actually goes to the firm working
on the planning to ensure their senior planner will oversee the production of the Chinese bronze work and it's acquisition. While the materials are donated, the work itself will cost just a little over $82,000 most of which has been raised by the local committee charged with executing the park along with a grant secured for the project by U.S. Congressman David Wu. The city took about $10,000 from the promote Astoria fund to make up the difference.
When the piece arrives we will have a wonderful example of genuine Chinese bronze work to display in that new park at far less than it might have cost to have it done here.
When the Chinese Garden was built in Portland a few years ago they not only imported artifacts from china to accomplish the project, they also imported the stone and brought in a team of carpenters and artisans from china to build the project because they could accurately construct all the rooms, walkways, and rain shelters that dot the garden.
Our project in Astoria won't involve that level of complexity but will be a very special place in our town. Obviously I support it. I hope you do as well.
