In the previous two articles, the mayor of Troutdale and some of the councilors have been chastised for what appears to be lack of fairness when it come to a proposed Urban Renewal project. This project is located immediately to the east of the Columbia Gorge Factory Outlet Store and comprises of 7.76 acres of city-owned property. A former sewer treatment plant facility that unfortunately was located on the shores of the scenic Sandy River is open for development. There remains the remnant of out buildings and a settlement pond. The only developer contacted was the neighboring property owner Junkie Yoshida. For the City’s part, an agreement with Eastwind Development, a Yoshida-owned company, the City is to condemn a building and create a new access to the Eastwind property and the City property. As previously reported, this will be an uphill battle. The city is tasked with doing a condemnation for the benefit of another developer, Eastwind. The cost to taxpayers in court costs and attorney fees in addition to the removal of a building approximately that is 100’ x 100’ and constructing a road could run into the millions of dollars with no guaranteed outcome. The building to be condemned and torn down is part of the Columbia Gorge Outlet Mall. On January 26, 2016, Time Equities purchased the Mall for $28,400.000.
We have another proposal. After speaking to several developers who are familiar with the property, they offered their professional opinion. If they were marketing the property they would first prepare the property to make it more marketable. They would remove all of the buildings and hydo-seed with grass to make the property attractive for potential buyers. It would make the property appear much larger and remove that cost component for future development. Next they would improve the current access road to the property which would be at a minimal cost. There is an existing access road on the north side of the Columbia Gorge Outlet mall that has been used for years by the City Parks, Public Works, and during the construction of the Sandy River bridges by ODOT. Then, once these improvements have been completed, list the property with a licensed commercial property broker and have them market the property.
This opens the property to all buyers not just an adjacent business property. The City still controls the outcome and the type of development that will take place without spending millions of dollars needlessly.
The alternative plan, if the property doesn’t sell, is to create a park next to the river. This park could be used for a variety of events including outdoor concerts, movies, fishing and scenic viewing areas, and, possibly, a soccer field. There are a variety of amenities that could be part of the park on the river. Since the Lewis and Clark Park is immediately across the river the new park would be in keeping with the surrounding environment.
The good news is on several fronts. First, the cost of development would be spent on improvements to the property instead of on court costs and attorney fees which will never be recovered. Second, based on the proposed development by Eastwind, our downtown will not have to compete with another newer commercial development. History tells us that when there are too many commercial developments for the community, the older sections suffer financially and end up locking their doors. Finally, what a great heritage to leave for future generations who will thank the City for not developing commercial buildings and housing jammed right up next to a scenic river.
-The Northwest Connection
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