The planning efforts for the Pearl District in the early 1990s from the beginning were the creation of a network of open spaces which was an important goal of both the neighborhood and the City. In 1998, a proposal for the conceptual plan of the new parks and open spaces was presented by the Tanner Creek & Water Feature Steering Committee. It was approved by the City Council.
In June 1999, Peter Walker & Partners, a landscape architecture firm, was retained to provide concepts for three new parks between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues in the River District. Development and refinement plans for the parks with input from a Project Steering Committee and two public workshops commenced.
The final plan is characterized by a series of recurring elements which strengthen the connection between each of the three parks. Situated between NW Johnson and Kearney in Portland, Oregon, Jamison Square was the first to be developed. It is named in honor of William Jamison, whose presence was pivotal in the development of the River District. Jamison was an exceptional person with the ability to influence and connect with a wide variety of people. His personal magnetism drew many people into the Pearl District. In addition, he possessed an art gallery with incomparable size and scope.
At the focal point of the park is a fountain which simulates a shallow tidal pool. Water cascades from stone joints into low pools as the fountain continuously recirculates treated water with energy efficient pumps and motors.
Artist Mauricio Saldaña was commissioned in 2006 by the Portland Pearl Rotary Club. He created a red granite sculpture modeled after a brown bear. The bear's name is Rico Pasado. Rico Pasado means “rich past.” This is in reference to the history of the bears that once roamed this area as well as the Rotary International Centennial. This is why the sculpture is also referred to as the "centennial bear."
Another art installation in the park is Contact II, the 1972 metal sculpture by Alexander Liberman. It was donated to the City of Portland in 2002 by Ed Cauduro in memory of his parents.
