A proposed new memorial to Portland's fallen firefighters could become a stirring addition to the city's waterfront, but it comes with a big question mark: Can backers meet the roughly $2.4 million price tag?
A selection committee announced the winner of a memorial design competition Monday: Portland architect Aaron Whelton, who beat out six others.
His plan for a swath of land at the east end of the Hawthorne Bridge calls for 36 light poles representing each of the city's fallen firefighters and pole heights reflecting their length of service. It also would include a wall bearing the firefighters' names and a water feature.
City Commissioners Randy Leonard and Nick Fish and firefighter Paul Corah unanimously picked the design. "We like the idea of honoring the firefighters in lighted modes," Corah said. "It was just kind of a nice courtyard effect."
The new memorial would become the focal point for annual ceremonies honoring Portland's firefighters -- instead of the current memorial along Burnside. Read more...
