This fall, word went around Old Town that construction crews on the switchback above George Rogers Park had hit hard rock. The concern was whether the path could still meet ADA grade standards. The Old Town Neighborhood Association passed the question to the City. Robin Krakauer, Parks & Rec's communications coordinator, checked with City construction manager Bruce Powers and wrote back: "we were aware that there would be rock and silt in that area. We anticipated those conditions and included a contingency in the project plan. The area has already been graded, and we did not encounter any issues."
That exchange sums up the Willamette River Greenway Trail link between George Rogers Park and Roehr Park. The ground caused no surprises. The City had planned for the rock, and the digging has stayed on schedule. Nearly all of the delay on this short stretch of riverbank came from property ownership. The build itself is fitting into a single construction season.
About 870 Feet, Five Lots, and a Long Wait
Project manager Kyra Haggart described the job to City Council in March. It's "about 870 feet of new pathway from George Rogers Park to where the trail currently ends in front of the river bend on the Willamette condos," she said, as reported by the Lake Oswego Review. Once it's built, the riverfront path will run 2.25 miles without a break, connecting Foothills Park, Roehr Park and George Rogers Park.
Five private properties sit between George Rogers Park and the end of the existing trail. The Review reported that Parks and Recreation started securing pathway easements in 2007 and had three of the five over time. In 2023, the City condemned easement rights on the last two. At the March 31, 2026 meeting, Mayor Joe Buck spoke to the obligation that step created: "we did condemn these properties to make it happen. I think, especially when we do that, we've got to make this project happen. We can't just get that property and sit on it forever."
Once the easements were in hand, the work moved quickly. Here is the sequence from the City's project page:
| Date | Step |
|---|---|
| 2007 to 2023 | Easements secured on all five properties, the last two through condemnation |
| July 29, 2024 | Parks staff meet the five property owners about design, fencing and landscaping |
| June 11, 2025 | Land use application submitted |
| December 10, 2025 | Land use approval granted |
| March 31, 2026 | Council unanimously approves $1.76 million in funding |
| April 28, 2026 | City receives 10 construction bids |
| May 19, 2026 | Council authorizes a contract with Daybreak Construction |
| July 15, 2026 | Groundbreaking at George Rogers Park |
| Late November 2026 | Celebration anticipated; no ribbon-cutting date set yet |
The easements took sixteen years. Everything from land use filing to a paved path will have taken about eighteen months.
The funding also shows why the private lots mattered so much. The $1.76 million combines $240,000 in City park development funds, $300,000 in parks system development charges, $1.14 million in Metro local share money and an $80,000 grant from Mt. Hood Territory's strategic investment program. The City notes that Metro local share dollars can only pay for the part of the trail on City-owned park property. The Review also reported that Council moved $500,000 in local share funds away from a planned Luscher Farm driveway and parking lot project to pay for the greenway this year.
Where the Build Stands This Month
On October 11, the Old Town Neighborhood Association posted the latest Parks & Rec update. Footings and retaining walls are almost done. Last month, a change involving a neighboring property meant part of the trail had to be reconfigured. That brought "a brief delay while revised design plans and permitting, along with additional costs," but the City says the project "is now back on track." Paving prep, irrigation and landscaping along the ramp come next.
The City's bid documents list what's going into the ground:
- About 877 linear feet of asphalt trail
- 516 linear feet of retaining wall
- 734 feet of handrail
- 690 feet of six-foot black vinyl chain-link fence, plus 202 feet of five-foot galvanized fence
- A French drain, tree removal and native planting
All that fencing and retaining wall reflects where the path runs. It cuts a narrow route along a bank, behind homes where the City holds easement rights. Trees removed for the path will be replaced.
A Path Built to Slow Bikes Down
The design was shaped by the same neighbors who had watched the property work for years. Before a May 6 meeting, Old Town residents asked how a 10-foot connector would meet the George Rogers paths near the restroom and beach stairs, some of which are under six feet wide. Families and kayakers already use that area. Residents also asked how people on bikes and on foot would be kept apart.
At the meeting, Haggart said the "zig zag" switchback will be 10 feet wide and is designed to slow down people on bikes. The City plans to teach riders to get off and walk their bikes around the oval lawn at George Rogers Park, and signs may go up asking them to do so. Residents who see riders, e-bikes included, ignoring that guidance were told to call the Lake Oswego Police non-emergency line. Park Rangers and Community Service Officers will then be notified.
At its southern end, where the beach and the narrow park paths meet, the link is designed for walking pace.
The Front Door Moves North
The design's biggest change has to do with where people park. Haggart told neighbors the City will promote the new riverfront entrance and the parking at Foothills and Roehr parks, where there's enough room. That work has already begun. The October update says Roehr Park's parking lines have been painted green to mark park parking, and the George Rogers lot has been restriped.
George Rogers has had a hard summer for access. In July, the Old Town association reported that the river ramp would be closed through September. The restroom stayed open, and the area past it was a construction zone. Construction equipment was expected to take up at least eight parking spaces in the park. Nothing published so far confirms that the ramp has reopened, so check the City project page before you plan a launch there.
In its October post, the association is already looking ahead to summer: "Next summer we'll be able to walk or ride our bikes to the outdoor summer concerts at Foothills Park!"
The Full 2.25 Miles, South to North
Once the link opens, a single walk takes you past these stops along the river:
- The Oswego Iron Furnace, George Rogers Park. Built in 1866 and first fired on August 22, 1867, it was the first iron furnace on the Pacific Coast. It made 42,000 tons of pig iron before its last firing on November 1, 1885. The City bought the site for a park in 1945, and stabilization work was finished in 2010, according to the Oregon Encyclopedia.
- The confluence and the beach. George Rogers Park sits where Oswego Creek meets the Willamette, with river access and trails in the lower park. The City's master plan for the park describes a Willamette River sand beach, Memorial Gardens and the Sister City Garden.
- The new switchback and easement stretch. This is the new 10-foot zig zag, about 870 feet in all, running across the easement properties to the river bend at the Willamette condos.
- Roehr Park. Viewing decks, lighted pathways, benches and an amphitheater line the riverfront. The City also lists a River Boat Access Dock.
- Foothills Park. You'll find a grass amphitheater, a picnic pavilion with a stone fireplace, a reflecting pond, a covered viewing platform and the Stafford Stones, a ring of basalt columns engraved with poetry. The City holds its July Wednesday Concert Series here.
Lake Oswego's 870 feet also fill one piece of a much longer system. The Review notes that the Willamette River Greenway runs from Champoeg State Park north to where the Willamette meets the Columbia. Paved sections include Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland and Willamette Park and Mary S. Young Park in West Linn.
Coffee and Dinner at Either End
The Foothills end is a short walk from State Street. The Willamette Shore Trolley's terminus is at the old Southern Pacific depot, 311 N. State Street, between A Avenue and Foothills Road. The Old Town association's fall 2026 roundup lists nearby spots that make good bookends for the walk. Choices include KIN Izakaya and Sake Bar, Nicoletta's Table, Lake Theater & Cafe, Mann's on the Lake, LO Coffee Shop & Wine Bar and Ovation Coffee. The association's August post describes Lake Theater & Cafe as locally owned, serving salads and pizza, with a deck. Hours change by season, so it's worth checking before you head out.
The ribbon-cutting date still hasn't been set. Parks & Rec is planning for late November, and the QR code on the construction sign links to the City's project page.
Lisa Hanna Properties has watched Lake Oswego's riverfront parks change for more than three decades. If you own near Old Town or along State Street and want to talk through what the finished greenway means for your block, schedule a free consultation.
