Work in Progress

05.17.14	The Garden of Surging Waves is officially dedicated with a grand opening celebration.
02.14	The fence surrounding the worksite is removed, and the public is able to enter the site for the first time.
10.13	The Garden's timber structure has been installed.
08.13	The Garden's marble dragon columns were set in time for the 2013 Astoria Regatta Celebration.
06.13	The balance of funds required to complete all four sequences of construction was raised.
02.13	Construction begins on Sequence A of the Garden of Surging Waves.
04.12	A community celebration marks the launch of Astoria's Heritage Square, with groundbreaking for the Garden of Surging Waves.
04.12	Astoria City Council authorized submittal of a grant application in the amount of $400,000 to the Oregon State Parks Department for the Garden of Surging Waves.
03.12	Astoria City Council authorized submittal of a grant application in an amount not to exceed $250,000 to the Ford Family Foundation for Heritage Square.
02.12	Astoria City Council authorized submittal of a grant application in an amount not to exceed $150,000 to the National Endowment for the Arts for the Garden of Surging Waves.
02.12	Astoria City Council accepted the design of the north half of Heritage Square, which includes the Garden of Surging Waves.
02.12	Astoria City Council amended the City's Comprehensive Plan to include language regarding redevelopment of Heritage Square as a public urban park.
01.12	Astoria City Council named the former Safeway site (American Legion Block and future site of the Garden of Surging Waves) as Heritage Square.
01.12	City of Astoria Historic Landmarks Commission approved a design for park improvements on the north half of the American Legion Block, which includes the Garden of Surging Waves.
10.11	Contracts for four of the five design process steps were approved by the Astoria Development Commission.
04.11	Mulvanny G2 Architecture was hired to lead a consulting team for development of the Legion Block concepts. On completion, Mulvanny G2 was asked to prepare a scope of work for the next phases of the design process.
03.21.11	City Councilor Arline LaMear's concept of incorporating the Garden of Surging Waves, along with other prominent civic uses, into the Legion Block redevelopment was presented to City Council. Mayor Van Dusen subsequently appointed an ad hoc committee to work with Suenn Ho to develop ideas for locating the Garden of Surging Waves on the Legion Block. Ad hoc committee members included Mac Burns, Lori Lum, Zetty McKay, Dave Pearson, Randy Stemper and Dulcye Taylor. The committee ultimately recommended to City Council that the Garden of Surging Waves should become a component of the Legion Block redevelopment, and selected a preferred concept.
02.11	Astoria City Council established redevelopment of the “Legion Block” as a City goal, following the collapse of the former grocery store floor at this location the previous year. Simultaneously, the Council established completion of the Garden of Surging Waves as a City goal as well.
09.30.10	Six different pieces of artwork of stone and bronze arrived in Astoria from Xi'an, China after being held up in Los Angeles for more than a month. A public unveiling of the artwork was held October 16, 2010.
01.13.10	After a month-long collaboration between Suenn Ho, Mr. Huo and Professor Emeritus Charles Wu of Reed College, the name 滄浪園 (Cāng Láng Yuán), or “Garden of Surging Waves,” is born and Mayor Van Dusen enthusiastically gives the City of Astoria’s approval.
10.20.09	A six-and-a-half-foot-tall bronze sculpture will be the focal point of the Chinese interpretive park. Valued at $45,000, the sculpture is a gift to the City of Astoria and the Advisory Committee from Huo Bao Zhu, a Chinese businessman who believes he owes a debt of gratitude to the United States after a Portland physician treated him for a rare form of leukemia almost 12 years earlier. The sculpture is a replica of an incense burner from the Western Han Dynasty that spanned the years 206 B.C. to 24 A.D. Huo's foundry in Xi'an, China – Sanxxi Five Rings Sculptural Arts Co. Ltd. – is licensed by the Chinese government to reproduce antiquities. Felix Chow said the Advisory Committee would be honored if Huo would come up with a name for the park. Huo agreed to think about it. “This is a ‘shovel-ready’ project,” Suenn Ho told the City Council, pointing to a stack of drawings. Cost of the project is $856,000, she said, and that figure includes $33,276 for the artistic aspects of the park. The Committee now has a full set of building plans and a list of construction items, Blair Henningsgaard, president of the Astoria City Council said, but they still need to raise about $700,000.
04.15.09	Suenn Ho led a design team to help conceptualize a park that would pay tribute to Astoria’s early Chinese immigrants, honoring their culture, and recognizing their contributions to the growth of the city. The team includes landscape architects of Nevue Ngan Associates; pro bono services from electrical engineers of MLC Engineering; structural engineers of AAI Engineering; and civil engineers of Benthin Engineering.
03.18.09	With Duncan Law and other members of the Advisory Committee looking on, the Astoria City Council voted unanimously to apply for a $600,000 Certified Local Government (CLG) Grant from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department to help pay for design and construction of the Astoria Chinese interpretive park.
11.14.07	Rep. David Wu secured nearly $150,000 for the City of Astoria to be used toward planning, design and construction of the Chinese interpretive park.
12.12.06	Thanks to the year-long efforts of the Advisory Committee, and with help from City staff, a conceptual design was developed by Suenn Ho.
02.06	Calvin Brown was elected chair of the Astoria Chinese Heritage Park Advisory Committee. The Committee voted in favor of Ed Overbay establishing contact with designer Suenn Ho of Mulvanny G2 Architecture in Portland. The committee raised $7,800 and the City contributed $3,000 to retain Ho as the project's designer.
07.05	The original plan for a Chinese garden was presented to the Parks Commission and then to City Council. The Advisory Committee initially favored a formal garden with very traditional Chinese architecture – a kind of miniature version of Portland's Chinese Garden – but members quickly realized the plan would be much too expensive.
04.28.05	The Astoria Chinese Heritage Park Advisory Committee, comprised primarily of representatives of Astoria's Chinese community, was appointed by Mayor Van Dusen to include Agnes Brown, Calvin Brown, Felix Chow, Dr. Duane Jue, Victor Kee, Duncan Law, Ron Law, Stacy Law, Lori Lum, Ed Overbay and Debby Chan Robertson.
02.24.05	Mayor Willis L. Van Dusen originally came up with the idea of a Chinese interpretive park at the site of the present Ninth Street Park. “It’s a perfect location for it,” Van Dusen said, “and the Chinese community seems to be very excited about it.”