Portland Bocce League Association New Bocce Court FAQs 

Why are we building new courts now? 

The League put up funds and built the North Park Blocks bocce courts at NW 8th and Glisan in 2003. Even so, Portland Parks and Recreation has always charged Portland Bocce to reserve them. Being in the middle of a public space, the courts are subject to misuse and damage. Parking is difficult and there are no restrooms. The long-range plan was to build our own bocce courts. In the last few years, the epidemic of drug use, mental health issues and homelessness downtown have made the North Park Blocks area feel unsafe for some members. At great expense, the league rented the courts at 200 Market Street for our 2023 and 2024 Summer seasons. Building Management at 200 Market Street informed us in 2024 they will not be renewing that agreement. Building our own courts for future seasons has become critical. 

What is the plan for the new courts? 

Portland Bocce League is building 4 outdoor courts at St Philip Neri Catholic Church at 2408 SE 16th Ave, Portland. We are anticipating league growth and future needs. We want to nurture younger players, grow the league, and offer more to adaptive learners, seniors, and our friends at Special Olympics. We want to be able to host more players at regional tournaments. We are also sharing the courts with parishioners of St Philip Neri. We anticipate a lot of use at this location. Much of the building costs are spent on getting materials, equipment, and labor to the site. Building 4 courts at the same time will be more cost-effective if done all once. That said, we are now planning to do the work in 2 phases. Phase 1 will see two courts built as soon as permits and funding allow. We will continue to fundraise to build 2 more courts later. This plan will ultimately result in more cost to the league, but 2 playing surfaces will be ready sooner. 

Why at St Philip Neri? 

St Philip Neri Catholic Church (SPN) has served the Italian American Community since 1913. There used to be a bocce court there! PBLA began talking to St Philip Neri before the pandemic. SPN leadership has enthusiastically partnered with PBLA to build on church property. The location at 2408 SE 16th Ave is situated in a beautiful tree-lined neighborhood, close to transit and upscale shops off Division Street SE. There is plenty of safe parking and restrooms available. Carvlin Hall is available for our bocce parties and events. Building these courts on private property will better serve the League’s members and mission. We could not have asked for a better location or lease agreement at SPN. 

How much will this cost? 

We are in the process of obtaining bids from licensed and insured contractors. Most of this project will need to be completed by professionals. We anticipate needing $250,000 to $350,000. Permitting requirements and phased approach may drive that cost toward the higher end. The longer we wait, the more expensive it will be. We currently have 82K in the bank and another 40K pledged. There is a possibility of financing part of the cost but that may require future higher league fees to service a loan. We are fundraising from our members but also exploring grants and community support. 

What is the status of the City of Portland permit process? 

We are thankful to have building professionals on our construction committee. They have been the leaders in securing our City permits. Several other volunteers have provided pro-bono work and advice. These volunteers enabled us to provide a professional- looking application to the City. We went through a pre-application process in researching permit requirements and getting advice from City personnel. We submitted and paid for the formal application in mid-December. Out of sixteen reviewing divisions at the City, only two (Planning & Zoning and Stormwater) have not yet completed their approval review of our plan. We are working through their comments. 

Will the new courts be ready in time for Summer 2025? 

It is our plan to break ground this spring and have the SPN courts finished by the start of Summer season. The timing will depend on the City of Portland, our chosen contractor, and our fundraising efforts. If the courts are not ready to play, we will need to go back to North Park Blocks. We will not return to 200 Market St. 

Will Team fees be reduced once the courts are built? 

The league will continue to have expenses, even when the courts are paid for. Insurance, maintenance, webhosting, bank fees, programming, marketing, events, etc. While we hope to reduce team fees in the future, that will not happen in 2025. It is the Board’s fiduciary responsibility to meet financial obligations and build the League’s reserve back to an acceptable level. 

I play at Cedar Hills. May I still play there once SPN courts are open? 

There are no current plans to end Tuesday night team play at Cedar Hills for those members that want to play there. However, to participate in seasons offered by the Portland Bocce League, Cedar Hills teams must maintain membership in PBLA. Team fees will remain the same for all teams. 

Why is this taking so long?

PBLA is entirely volunteer run. Our volunteers have put in hundreds of hours to make these courts a reality. We have been blessed to have league members with not only a passion for this project, but the professional skills we need. However, these volunteers are fitting this project into their busy lives of work and family. Other volunteers have needed to learn on the job. Negotiating a favorable lease that will protect the league into the future, preparing a complete and professional site plan for the City of Portland, researching funding sources and strategies to raise the money, all take time and expertise. We would not have been able to get to this point without the dedication and passion of our member volunteers. 

The courts are happening! 

We have been talking about the courts at St Philip Neri for 3 years now. The balls are speeding up and we are within inches of the pallino now. We are building a lot of community support. These courts are coming and will be available to our bocce league for many years to come.

Keep checking portlandbocce.com for the latest news!