As students were welcomed back to campus this month, many may have noticed new metal gates, construction signs and the movement of construction vehicles surrounding the Lower Estate Gardens during their walks to class. According to the Lewis & Clark website, this development is part of a larger project to reimagine the garden into a social gathering space while addressing critical site preservation needs and honoring its original heritage.
Originally part of the Frank Manor Estate, this section of the garden once served as a practical space for an outdoor pool and bathhouse. That changed in 2019 when the space needed repairs, with the root systems of tulip trees putting stress on the retaining walls, causing them to lean. Other areas required structures to be removed, including the non-functional arbor column, or restored, including re-roofing the bathhouse and cleaning existing stonework.
Andrea Dooley — LC’s chief financial officer and vice president of operations— was tasked by President Robin Holmes-Sullivan in the summer of 2023 with engaging with the LC community and understanding what changes they wanted to see in the Lower Estate Gardens. Alongside the help of Danielle Torres, dean of equity and inclusion, submissions opened in the fall of 2023 asking students, staff, faculty and the broader LC community to suggest how the space should be reimagined.
“We went through all of those sorts of submissions and those ideas, and looked for common themes, and also looked to see what sort of fit in with the criteria that we had given,” Dooley said.
In general, proposals had to be within a feasible budget and could not include new structures. Out of submissions from the community, three proposals from Students Engaged in Eco Defense, Arts@LC and the Alumni and Parent Engagement office stood out and each shared elements in common — a desire for a native garden and community gathering space. Dooley explained that from that point forward, LC contracted MIG Inc., a local architecture company, to develop designs, while still engaging with the three groups to develop a plan that matched each of their themes.
The first phase of the project began in summer 2024, where the focus was on site improvements such as reinforcing and restacking the garden’s historic retaining walls, re-roofing the bathhouse, removing non-functional arbor columns, infilling the long-dormant pool and restoring existing stonework. This preliminary phase created a blank canvas for the reimagination of the Lower Estate Gardens. Later, in October 2024, the proposal was finalized, and phase II began in July 2025.
The main features of the concept plan include an accessible central plaza, amphitheater-style seating, a water feature and multiple Akebono cherry trees. In addition, the space will have fixtures available for tents in case of rain, access to electricity and large shaded areas for when Portland sees sunny days.
“It feels like there is this whole stretch of the year where we’ve got this large space on campus that isn’t super functional. What the design gives us now is a lot of different elements,” Dooley said. “The goal is that it can be used in a lot of different ways.”
Dooley said she looks forward to how students, faculty and staff use the space, anywhere from holding classes at the amphitheater to hosting events with food trucks and music. Furthermore, students can anticipate a possible kickoff event sometime in the spring semester of 2026 to formally introduce students to the new Lower Estate Gardens.
With the goal of completion by November, the website shares that the new space “promises to create a vibrant, multifunctional space that inspires connection, reflection, and growth for generations to come.”
About the Author
