Restore Oregon unveiled three “design concepts” Monday for ways to bring the Jantzen Beach carousel back to the Portland area.

At a reception Monday morning at the Oregon Historical Society, Restore Oregon shared three proposals it hopes developers, property owners and officials will incorporate in future development plans.

According to a news release, these plans, which include a “compact” pavilion, a medium-sized pavilion and a larger pavilion, were created by architecture firms SERA and PLACE, both Portland-based, “to help inspire the creation of an irresistible new attraction for our region.”

“As has been the case with historic carousels in cities nationwide, the Jantzen Beach Carousel offers tremendous economic development potential for our region," Peggy Moretti, executive director of Restore Oregon, said in the release. "We hope these renderings will be the spark that inspires developers and property owners to reach out and engage with us.”

Jantzen Beach carousel compact pavilion rendering.

“Creating a new home for the carousel is an exciting development opportunity that will connect generations by sharing a unique part of our region’s history and creating treasured memories,” said Steven Ehlbeck, an architect and associate at SERA Architects, in Monday’s release.

The carousel has a long history, which runs parallel to the history of entertainment, leisure and shopping in America. It was built in 1904 for the St. Louis World’s Fair by C.W. (Charles Wallace) Parker in Abilene, Kansas. In 1921, the carousel was moved to Venice Beach, California.

The carousel arrived in Oregon in 1928, when it was installed at the Jantzen Beach Amusement Park on Hayden Island, where it spun visitors around from 1928 to 1970.

After the amusement park closed in 1970, the shopping center was built. In 1972, the carousel moved into it.

The carousel was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 then removed in 2008. On April 22, 2012, as mall owners prepared to demolish the indoor shopping area, riders took the last ride on the carousel.

The next few years, the fate of the carousel was uncertain, but in 2017, Restore Oregon announced that the carousel had been donated to them.

Since then, they have been looking for a permanent home for the attraction. Monday’s reception was the latest in the effort to make that goal a reality.

“For generations of Oregonians and Washingtonians, the Jantzen Beach Carousel was a wonderful, affordable way for families to go have fun,” said Margaret Carter, former state senator and Jantzen Beach Carousel Blue Ribbon Committee co- chair. “Affordability should be our goal for the future. It’s all about family.”

Jantzen Beach carousel large pavilion rendering.