Thompson Elk Fountain Restoration and Main Street Redesign Feasibility

Portland’s majestic elk bronze elk—standing tall on its granite pedestal overlooking the civic heart of downtown—had witnessed 120 years of political protests and public celebrations before damage from 2020 social unrest prompted its removal to prevent further damage and alleviate the hazard in the busy right-of-way. In 2022, the Portland City Council approved a resolution to restore the 1900 fountain to its original location on Southwest Main Street across from City Hall. The return of the historic fountain with its iconic nine-foot-tall, 3,000-pound bronze cast sculpture is an important symbolic gesture for the revival of Portland’s downtown.

MIG provided street design and cultural landscape expertise for a feasibility study in association with Architectural Resources Group (ARG). MIG’s landscape architects, civil engineers, cultural places specialists, and visualization experts explored opportunities for placemaking, pedestrian access to the fountain, and bicycle facilities—and recommended historically compatible traffic calming features. The team also provided a schematic cost estimate to aid future capital expenditure and budget planning. ARG led the assessment and planning for the technical restoration of the gravity-fed granite fountain and elk, which had historically functioned as a watering spot for draft animals pulling carriages through Downtown Portland.

The fast-paced process involved developing multimodal layout concepts with a historically compatible and accessible materials palette while addressing design challenges, including the City’s preference for maintaining access for large vehicles along Main Street with narrow clearance around the fountain edge. Meetings with City bureaus and Commissioner offices and input from project and technical advisory committees as well as the Portland Design Commission resulted in a preferred alternative.

In 2026, the refurbished Thompson Elk Fountain returned to its spot in the middle of Main Street, a meaningful symbol of history, protest, and Portland’s civic life.