In 1973, the Kelly Butte Bunker was Transformed into the Emergency Communications Center

In October 1973, Myers and Kroker, an architectural firm was commissioned to design a city/county communications center at Kelly Butte.  The Cloyd R. Watt Construction Company was awarded the construction contract and began work in June of 1974.

Financial assistance was was provided by grants from the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration , Defense Preparedness Agency and Oregon Law Enforcement Council.  The remaining cost was shared by the City of Portland and Multnomah County.

System planning began in 1972 with requirements and conceptual design.  This effort was assisted by City-County Steering Committee representing law enforcement, fire, engineering and other local government agencies.

A new radio system was added in 1974 and dispatch function moved into temporary headquarters at Kelly Butte.  The cost was over $3.5 million dollars.

Work on computer-assisted dispatch began in 1975 and was fully operational by 1977.

Bunker Entrance 1957

Emergency Communications Center in 1975

30 years later, approximately 2005,  access, vandalism and looting are raging out of control.  The transients now occupy the bunker.  Make shift camps are set up inside the belly of the bunker.  The transient force quickly takes all copper wire, aluminum, electronics, food, clothing and other historical items from the bunker.  They impoverish the inside and seal the fate of the structure.

 In 2006, the radio transmission tower was taken down.

Bunker Entrance 2008

Kelly Butte Time Line

911 Communications Center Time Line

1952 Portland voters pass $600,000 Civil Defense Lev
1955 Planning and construction of Defense Center
1956 Sept, 1956, Defense Center Dedication Ceremony, Visitors get first look at Center
1957 Civil Defense movie "A Day Called X" released
1962 Columbus Day Storm
1963 May, 1963, Portland withdraws from the Federal Civil Defense System
1964 Operations decline
1967 Portland Police Bureau utilizes center for academy training
1972 Law Enforcement/Civil Defense agencies conduct a feasibility study for conversion of bunker to a city/county communications center (BOEC)
1973-74 Design and construction (remodel) of communications center
1974  Police move radio dispatch from downtown Portland to Kelly Butte
1974 November, 1974 The Bureau of Emergency Communications (BOEC) occupies the underground complex and begins taking calls for local police agencies.
1981 January, 1981 The BOEC begins taking calls for the Emergency Medical System (EMS) so that police and medical calls are handled at the same bureau.1981 November 1981 Introduction of the 9-1-1 telephone system to Multnomah County
1988 Artist Hank Pander paints a 30' x 75' mural called "Palmyra" on the BOEC main wall
1989 Voters approve 7.5 million dollar bond for new 911 call center
1991 Enhanced 9-1-1 (computer-aided with caller I.D.)
1991  Employees complain of "sick building syndrome"
1992  In March, Halon gas is accidentally released causing fans to stir up toxic dust inside the shelter.
1992 October 1992, Ground-breaking begins on a new 9-1-1 call center location
1992 City attempts to sell/lease the bomb shelter without success 
1994 March 1994, BOEC moves into new building
1995 Activity at the bunker decreases
1999 Underground diesel fuel tanks and contaminated soil removed
Graffiti and vandalism increase
Local transients occupy and loot the bunker
Kelly Butte Complex shut down
2006 Radio Transmission Tower removed
Bunker permanently sealed and back-filling of bunker entrance begins
2008 Back-filling continues