 Good afternoon. Thank you all for joining us at the official groundbreaking of the Fort Allen restoration project My name is Troy moon on the environmental programs and open space manager for the city of Portland Many of us from the city and from the friends of Eastern prom have been working on this project for some time So it's really exciting to be here at the groundbreaking ceremony And I'm also really pleased that we have many of the leaders and attendants who have been instrumental and bring this project To fruition we would not be here today without their support and dedication to the process So I want to give everyone each one of them an opportunity to say a few words But how this project is going to enhance this magnificent park and so first I'd like to introduce city manager Mark Reese Thank you, Troy. The sun's kind of coming down on me. So I can't see too many people out there But first of all, I'd like to recognize a counselor coming down here district one counselor for coming here tonight a lot of the work that's being done here is under his leadership and as district counselor This project represents a unique partnership between the city of Portland and the friends of Eastern prom to champion a significant park improvement project at Fort Allen Park The project development funding support and design work all we're all combined to make an outstanding collaboration between the city the friends and our consultants this groundbreaking is a combination of two and a half years of Hard work between the city and the friends of Eastern prom Project costs are approximately one million dollars and are be funded through a combination of city CIP and CDBG funds Over the past year. We have appreciated the valuable public input Received during the numerous public meetings hosted by their friends in the Department of Public Services Which has helped immeasurably in development of the final design for this project I'd also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank the friends for raising the funds to higher landscape architects Martha Lyon and Regina Leonard to design the renovations to the park We'll be exciting to see the park restored to a state resembling this original design in 1890 as envisioned by Mayor James Finney Baxter and city engineer William Goodwin The new design will make the memorial including the USS Portland Mass the 9-11 Memorial and the Arctic convoy Memorial More accessible to visitors and that the plaza overlooking the Casco Bay will be made handicapped accessible Several city staff were involved in supporting this project I want to recognize key city staff members who have helped bring this project to this point Including Mike Babinski, Dev Andrews, Jeff Tarling, Mike Farmer, and Troy Moon We are all looking forward to working with Ari Coleman construction who has been selected to bring this exciting design to reality Thank you all for your investment in time and money in support of the Ford Island Park Rehabilitation project Truly one of Portland's most beautiful parks and soon to be made even more beautiful Great, thank you very much Mark and next I'd like to introduce Mike Babinski director of public services Thank you. Thank you, Troy It is a great pleasure to be here this afternoon On such a beautiful day, and we I think we we have Diane Davidson to thank for that and I don't know the the weather Gods are looking out for us today, I think but I think it's very significant The collaboration that the Department of Public Services had been working with the friends for it seems like Approximately two years a little over two years in developing of the plans specifications the design consideration think we learned a lot along the way particularly regarding relationships between friend groups volunteer organizations that Have strong commitment to public space and into and certainly to the eastern prom We're very pleased to be able to be here seems like it's been a long time in coming But we're very proud of the project the design efforts that is underway That that went through an extensive review through several neighborhood meetings historic preservation as well as the planning board We're very pleased to be here this afternoon and look forward to a very successful project With Coleman construction as well as the friends as the project unfolds. Thank you Great, thanks Mike and next up I'd like to introduce Diane Davidson who is now the executive director of the Friends of Eastern prom Thank You Troy Well This is truly a monumental day. You know as everyone has talked about we've been working on this progress on this project for Just about two and a half years It's been extensively vetted through historic preservation board through the planning board through neighborhood outreach meetings and Meeting with local stakeholders to arrive at the fabulous design scheme that we now have That we're going to be breaking ground on here this evening I think the result of the design that we have is a real success and it was a balance of the integrity and the Indifficient history of Fort Allen Park and taking into consideration modern-day needs like ADA accessibility and better lighting situations And just you know considering everything that's going to make that kind of a perfect marriage of history and Contemporary use as everyone knows, you know, this park is really a destination. If not, I'm a little prejudiced I think it's the destination for Portland the cruise ships arrive and people from away Come here as their first stop whether it's by duck boat horse-drawn carriage or you know bicycle rollerblading, etc So I think we are really fortunate to have had this funded We're grateful to the city of Portland for the capital improvement project money to support this the CDBG money Which is also going to support the overlooked redesign the Davis Family Foundation that helped us get this project off the ground And I think truly we're going to turn back the hands of time in terms of how the park is going to look when all evolves Come you know the spring thaw and summer so I'd like to ask for patients respectfully request the patients I know it's been a really kind of busy area here with the Cutter Street redesign and now Fort Allen is going to be underway The park is going to be closed So respectfully request the patience and understanding and we acknowledge the inconvenience that that might be for some While we undergo for construction, but I feel very confident that when this is unveiled in the spring or early summer And we ultimately celebrate the bicentennial next October 2014. It's all going to be worth it. Thank you Thank you Diane and finally I'd like to introduce district one councillor Kevin Donahue Thank you Troy and thank everyone who's it's really right over here. No doubt about it Thank you Troy and everybody who's spoken before City manager Mark Reese. I appreciated your words on this day and Mike Bovinsky director of public work certainly appreciate the time and Learning that everybody had to go through and getting this project ready to go Some aspects of this project that I'm really happy about that public works has been public services They've been very helpful with is integrating this kind of investment in accessibility with a broader accessibility To the eastern promenade This is an asset we enjoy as residents and being able to get to it is is so important whether you Not be that ambulatory whether you be pushing a baby carriage or otherwise and the friends of the eastern prom I Thank you so much for highlighting this space in the lives of people in the neighborhood through the concert series But through the attention through the investments And the advocacy that you've all made to this make this Place great. I really appreciate it. My daughter really appreciates as you know over like the last several years concerts and I Couldn't be happier to see this project getting going and cannot wait to enjoy it with all of you when it's done. Thank you Thank you very much. And now we'd like to actually have the official groundbreaking to see we have some shovels here So I'd like to invite the city manager Mark Reese to join us and Regina as a design. Would you please join us as well? So Again, we thank everybody for joining us today and we look forward to a very successful project So stay tuned. We're planning to be wrapped up by June 30th of 2014