After spending five years on our list of Oregon’s Most Endangered Places, Restore Oregon is pleased to announce that we have taken ownership of the historic Jantzen Beach Carousel.  Today we are launching a campaign to Re-TURN the Carousel to the people of Portland, and asking for everyone’s support to find it a permanent home.

Restore Oregon placed the Jantzen Beach Carousel on our annual list of Oregon’s Most Endangered Places in 2012. It was nominated by concerned citizens when the Carousel was shut down and dismantled for the remodel of the Jantzen Beach Shopping Center – with no indication it would ever be reinstalled.

Our efforts to reach out to and work with the owners of the mall did not bear fruit, until recently. The property was being sold, and Edens Corporation reached out to us with an offer to donate the carousel to Restore Oregon. We accepted this very generous offer, and ownership officially transferred to Restore Oregon on September 1^st.  

Now the hard work begins!
It is no small task to find a new permanent home for our beloved carousel.  We need a place, a plan, and a fair amount of money to offset the substantial costs involved in this initial phase. Donations will be used to help cover staff time and the out-of-pocket costs necessary to finding the carousel a new home such as a feasibility study to analyze and recommend locations, a conceptual design for the structure that will house it, and a business model for how it will operate and who will own it.  

Now Its Time to Re-TURN the Jantzen Beach Carousel to the Portland Area!
This priceless emblem of our cultural heritage also represents a significant opportunity for economic development, attracting thousands of visitors and tourists, and providing a much-needed family-friendly activity during rainy months.
 
A blue-ribbon committee of local leaders has been formed to help us identify a new site and long-term strategy for the carousel that ensures its accessibility to future generations.  Former State Senator Margaret Carter, and Oregon “Premier Citizen” Gerry Frank are serving as honorary co-chairs.

We can’t do it without YOU! Please join the Re-TURN the Carousel Campaign by showing your support:

• Share your memories & photos on twitter, facebook, and instagram – We need to demonstrate grass-roots community support to bring it back.

• Sign-up for our newsletter – keep up-to-date on the latest carousel happenings.

• Contact us – We invite businesses or non-profits that might have a potential site for the carousel to contact us. We ask government leaders to consider the carousel in their plans.

• Donate to support our effort – we need your financial support as we take on this preservation effort.

  Restore Oregon wants to express our gratitude to Jantzen Dynamic Corp for keeping the carousel safe and for their generous donation; to Kimco, the new owners of the Jantzen Beach Center for providing storage during this transition; and to the folks who first nominated the carousel to our Most Endangered Places list!