Court Plaza Project

A good idea stands the test of time!

In 1982, the idea for a parks-based community revitalization and connection project began with a local student, but was quickly adopted by the City and community. The plan was established to connect the downtown to Geiser-Pollman Park and various pockets parks by following the Powder River through town. Over the past forty years, this plan was slowly completed through the creation of the Leo Adler Parkway, the creation of Central Park, and now finally Court Plaza. Between 2005 and 2009, public input was conducted to help guide the redevelopment of Resort Street and plan Court Plaza. In 2013, the section of road that became Court Plaza was cut off from the City street system and in 2015 it was rezoned as a City park for future development. In 2019, BCD formally partnered with the City to help bring this final piece of the project to fruition. Ford Family Foundation awarded BCD a small grant to hire an engineer to develop updated plans, which were completed and approved in 2023. Beginning in 2024, the City and BCD began seeking capital improvement grants to generate the seed money to get the project to construction. We are excited to announce that the City of Baker City won a LGGP parks grant from the State of Oregon in Fall 2024 to fund 60% of the estimated $1.3 million project budget. BCD also won a Leo Adler Foundation Grant to fund 10% of the required match. BCD continues to seek large grants to help cover the rest of the match, but we need your help to get us there!