A long-neglected section of Northeast 82nd Avenue is about to get a little love.

An indoor bicycle park modeled after two successful parks in the Midwest is under construction in the old bowling alley across the street from Madison High School. Slated to open in February,

geared toward BMX and mountain-bike riders of all ages and abilities.

The building will also house a cafe, bar and community meeting space.

Paul Mooring, president of the nearby

, is optimistic about the new development. "I think it's a great idea. That part of 82nd between the high school and Fremont is kind of a blight. We're excited about the fact that it's not another liquor store or strip club," he said.

Dave Smith, chairman of the

, added, "They seem to be a pretty decent group of professionals. In my estimation, it's a positive move. They're not invading the neighborhood, they're becoming part of the community. We could do a lot worse."

Lumberyard founders Will Heiberg and Michael Whitesel are both long-time cyclists who sit on the board of the

, a local group dedicated to building and maintaining off-road biking trails. They recognized a niche that needed to be filled.

Working with promoter Matthew Mangus of

, Heiberg and Whitesel searched for a suitable space for the bike park for more than a year. At first they rejected the vacant bowling alley as too small, but after discovering how difficult it is to obtain commercial-use approval for properties with industrial zoning in Portland, they eventually came back to the location.

"We chose it because everything else was going to be a fight. And folks on the East Coast are eager to build here. We wanted to beat them to the punch," said Mangus.

The partners quickly grew to see the benefits of the area, including its proximity to MAX lines for local riders, as well as easy access to the airport and Interstate 5 for out-of-town visitors.

Mangus says that if the Lumberyard draws in just 1 percent of metro-area cyclists, it will break even financially. In addition, the partners hope to attract expert and professional riders who come to Oregon for the trails in Oakridge, which earned a "silver" rating from the

, and those who are passing through on their way to Whistler, B.C., a longtime mountain biking hot spots.

Heiberg and Whitesel were able to lure in professional rider and park designer Joe Prisel to work on the project. Prisel designed Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Parks in Cleveland and Milwaukee.

Prisel's plans for the building include jumps, ramps, a pump track (a continuous loop that can be ridden without pedaling) and a cross-country course. Many of the features will be moveable, so that the layout can be changed from year to year. Also in the works is a separate 18,000-square-foot pole barn, a covered area with open sides that will have a 30-foot clearance, allowing riders to practice tricks such as 360's and back flips.

Mangus and Heiberg emphasize that the Lumberyard isn't just for the hard-core. They plan to make it a family-friendly spot, with a tot area on one side and a beginners' area on the other, so parents can keep an eye on kids of different ages. They also will offer skills clinics throughout the year and camps in the summer.

The clinics will be another way to draw cyclists in during the dry season, although Mangus believes the park will busy year-round.

"Even in the summer," he said, "you have to drive an hour to get to a trailhead. We know we'll get folks who want to just blow off steam for an hour after work."

For more information, go to

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-- Anne Laufe, Special to The Oregonian