The purpose of a “ground-breaking” ceremony is to kick off the construction at a place where land has been cleared for it – but it doesn’t have to happen that way.
Not long ago, a nonprofit that builds “affordable housing” in Southeast Portland held the groundbreaking for their new building some distance away from the site – where they had already completed another one.
And in the case of Cleveland High School, school was just out for the summer, and all the old buildings were still standing just where they had for decades on Powell Boulevard. No place to break ground! So the ceremony was held on Friday, June 12th, just around the corner – on the sidewalk, at the north side of the school, on S.E. Franklin Street…