The Elk Statue stands a top its fountain in a 1907 picture.
City of Portland
Portland’s iconic elk statue will return — and it’ll be on top of a new or repaired fountain — according to a resolution filed by two city commissioners.
The elk and fountain were damaged during the racial justice protests in summer 2020. The city earlier this year announced plans to return the elk, but on a narrower base and without a fountain. That’s because they both sat right in the middle of a busy street in downtown Portland, making driving difficult.
But now Commissioners Carmen Rubio and Dan Ryan say they’ve come to an agreement to return the elk and the fountain because they’re quintessential parts of the city.
“It signals to everyone that we are building back our community after the peaks of the pandemic,” said Rubio. “And that we are incentivizing people to come out and enjoy public art.”
The city had proposed to design a newer, narrower base after the transportation department said the elk’s return would require street improvements. Authorities were worried about safety and the accommodation of bikes and buses. But many people were upset that the plans did not guarantee the return of the fountain.
A protester sits where an elk statue used to stand during protests against racism and police violence in Portland, Ore., on July 16, 2020.
Jonathan Levinson / OPB
Commissioner Ryan thanked the transportation department and the Portland Parks Foundation for working nimbly to respond to Portlanders’ requests.
“Simply put, the Thompson Elk Fountain centered our Civic Affairs district with welcoming public art—when one came to testify at city hall, serve on jury duty, and visit with a federal judge, the elk was there to remind you that you are in a special place, and the fountain base represented our vitality as a community,” Ryan said.
The Portland Water Bureau has provided a full inventory of the salvaged, cleaned, and cataloged fountain pieces.
“For countless Portlanders, the elk is part of the soul of our city, and restoration of the fountain is connected to the healing of Portland,” Ryan said.
The elk has already been repaired after being damaged in the 2020 protests against police violence and for racial justice. But this summer there’ll be public meetings to discuss how the fountain can be repaired and returned.
An unnamed individual has offered to pay.
Earlier this spring, the Portland Parks Foundation voted to hire a firm with experience in architectural restoration, stone carving and traffic engineering. They will help assess the remaining fountain parts and how to reproduce the original fountain. They’ll also look into how the right of way can accommodate the fountain as well as pedestrians, bikes, buses and cars.
“The Portland Parks Foundation and I share a common goal: to give life and beauty to our city by creating safe, welcoming public spaces,” said Commissioner Rubio, who oversees parks and arts.
“The foundation’s investment will help us understand how to repair the fountain, what it will cost, and also address the core safety concerns with having a fountain in the middle of the street. I look forward to their findings and appreciate their ongoing partnership.”