Why We Need Town Center Development Plan

Urban Renewal in Town Center provides public infrastructure improvements that will support new investment in our city, including potential housing. This addresses housing cost issues that Wilsonville residents face today. 

Wilsonville housing supply is strained, driving a housing affordability crunch. Housing shortages disproportionately affect renting households, many led by low to middle income parents. Existing mortgages aren’t affected, but rents often go up annually by 10% without any negotiation. 

Housing in Town Center is a chance to ease that pressure while building value with walkable housing options, eliminating blight, and bringing more patrons to our businesses. 

For decades Wilsonville has had roughly equal numbers of renting and homeowning households. That is part of its character, not a defect. Renting in Wilsonville offers opportunities. Young folks can save for a house. Retirees can minimize surprise maintenance expenses. Wilsonville beats many communities for good schools and jobs that pay well. Businesses benefit from a large local workforce. 

We’re talking about neighbors who work, shop, walk, bike, play, study, and contribute to our community. But because Wilsonville is so desirable, many of these neighbors have faced 40+% increases in housing costs over 4 to 5 years, squeezing some of Wilsonville’s households much harder than others. 

Wilsonville’s job market keeps growing, both in Town Center and in Coffee and Basalt Creek Industrial areas. As that happens, the demand for existing homes will pinch harder. 

Housing in Town Center is good for our community, and it’s an economic necessity. The alternative is even more of Wilsonville’s labor force living elsewhere, putting more strain on our commuter arteries. 

Say yes to Town Center renewal — not despite housing, but because of it.

Urban renewal funding has enhanced many pedestrian and bicycle routes across Wilsonville. Brown Road, for example, is currently undergoing safety updates with the help of urban renewal. The 5th and Kinsman project added a pleasant bicycle and pedestrian connection to Old Town, avoiding busy Wilsonville Road intersections!  

Our Town Center, the civic heart of Wilsonville, is overdue for these upgrades! The Town Center Development District Plan identifies “Poor sidewalk and pathway conditions” and notes that “walking and biking along most of Town Center’s roadways is uncomfortable.” (Wilsonville Proposed Ordinance No. 905, Exhibit A – Town Center Development District Plan.)

Town Center’s urban renewal projects are filled with features that enhance bicycle and pedestrian safety and comfort, such as protected crossings, cycle tracks, and separated walk/bikeways.  

Imagine:

• A walkable Main Street where you and your family can safely stroll from shop to park to restaurant.  

• Bike paths where cyclists young and old use protected routes across Town Center to connect to regional trails.  

• Tree-lined paths to gathering spaces for a local farmers’ market or food pod.  

• Living and working in Wilsonville with more options to safely walk or bike to work. 

Town Center Pedestrian/Bike Access Offers:

• Gas and auto maintenance savings. 

• Less traffic, noise, pollution, and fewer car accidents. 

• Healthier, more connected community. 

• More foot traffic to local businesses.  

• More eyes and ears to deter crime. 

Better pedestrian and bicycle support in Town Center will contribute to a thriving city heart — a place neighbors meet and spend time rather than just running errands. A place accessible by all modes of travel is a foundation for a safe and strong community and economy. 

Vote yes on measure 3-641 for better pedestrian and bicycle support in Town Center!

Measure 3-641 gives Wilsonville a practical way to invest in the heart of our community. 

Most of us can picture things we would like to see in Town Center: places to gather, improved public spaces, new restaurants and shops, better streets and sidewalks, easy parking, and opportunities for local businesses to grow.  

But those things do not happen without the infrastructure to support them. 

Urban renewal can help pay for streets, utilities, public spaces, parking, and other improvements that make redevelopment and private investment possible.

Here’s the important part: Measure 3-641 does not create a new tax on Wilsonville residents.

Instead, as property values within the Town Center district grow over time, a portion of the additional property tax revenue generated by that growth is reinvested back into the district. Those funds can be used to repay the cost of eligible Town Center projects. 

In other words, future growth pays for the improvements that support future growth.

That is a practical way to revitalize an aging commercial area, support existing and new businesses, strengthen Wilsonville’s long-term tax base, and create a Town Center where people want to spend time. 

We have talked about improving Town Center for years. Measure 3-641 gives us a tool to start making those plans real.

Measure 3-641 gives Wilsonville a way to improve the streets and connections we control. 

Wilsonville has some traffic backups and pressure points, especially during rush hour or when an incident on I-5 sends more drivers onto our local roads. 

Major improvements to I-5 and the Boone Bridge depend on state and regional agencies. Wilsonville cannot make those decisions alone. 

But we can improve the streets and intersections within Town Center. 

The Town Center Plan includes local street and intersection improvements designed to improve flow through the area and reduce pressure near the I-5 interchange. 

One planned project would create a beneficial north-south street through Town Center and connect it to Wilsonville Road with a new signalized intersection farther from I-5. That’ll give drivers another way through the district and help distribute traffic when backups occur. This is just one of many improvements planned to help residents and visitors navigate easily. It’ll serve our businesses and our families.  

Measure 3-641 gives Wilsonville a way to invest in the roads and connections within our control while continuing to advocate for the larger regional improvements our community needs. 

We shouldn’t wait for outside agencies to solve every traffic problem for us. We can take care of these local improvements ourselves, and we can start now. 

Vote YES on Measure 3-641

Years of community surveys and public forums about Wilsonville’s outdated Town Center have always identified a key concern: There is no common area or “third space” in town for residents to mingle, eat and relax. Because of this, many drive to other cities.

Towns nationwide have learned that well-designed Food Cart Pods can immediately create opportunities that engage the local community in a way other public spaces can’t. For example, our library is popular, but you must be quiet. Our Community Center has lots of activities, but typically requires registration. And Murase Park is amazing, but not practical in inclement weather, and is frequently reserved for events.

On the other hand, a Food Cart Pod offers an inviting communal space for families, friends and neighbors to gather. Startup restaurateurs appreciate the affordable spot in a safe and inviting environment. A centrally located Pod complements nearby brick-and-mortar restaurants, attracting new customers to Town Center.  

Residents and local employees can meet up at Town Center on short notice and choose where to eat from a variety of options. It’s walkable, and parking is plentiful, so it quickly becomes a reliable destination. It can also be an informal venue for local musical talent to perform. And, it’s a business incubator, with successful carts often expanding to nearby retail spaces as their customer base is established. 

Our residents have consistently asked the City for a proper Food Cart Pod at our Town Center. Voting YES on 3-641 is the fastest and most economically feasible way to get a new Pod opened in Town Center with NO new taxes. This highly anticipated project can be prioritized to serve the needs of residents today and into the future. 

Vote YES on 3-641 to reinvigorate our Town Center as a vibrant heart of the city where you’ll love to meet, dine, shop, and relax.

A YES vote puts the Town Center Plan into action by creating the Town Center Development District. This long-term plan guides improvements gradually, over several decades —not all at once. Mixed-use development and owner housing and apartments will be added over time as the revitalized Town Center grows. Adequate parking is built into the plans, and green spaces and gathering places preserve Wilsonville’s small-town feel.

VOTE YES on Measure 3-641

• Vote Yes to Eliminate Blight by replacing the old Fry’s and movie theater

• Vote Yes for Food Carts

• Vote Yes for Community Gathering Spaces

• Vote Yes for Local Employment

• Vote Yes for High-Quality Owner and Rental Housing

• Vote Yes for Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements

• Vote Yes so Developed Properties pay for Infrastructure, not you!

• Vote Yes for Improved I-5 Connections

• Vote Yes to create the spaces and places that will attract restaurants, coffee houses, art galleries, boutiques, and entertainment for all to enjoy.

VOTE YES FOR THE TOWN CENTER DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT

For years, cool grocery stores, distinctive shops, appealing restaurants, and vibrant gathering places have bypassed Wilsonville.

Why? Because our sprawling underused parking lots and aged, outdated strip malls are unappealing to developers seeking an active downtown core.

Wilsonville deserves better. Existing businesses in Town Center can benefit from the increased foot traffic that an active Town Center can bring.

To address the blight, a multi-year, city-wide planning process produced the mixed-use Town Center Plan. The Plan envisions a dynamic, thriving community hub with walkable and engaging public spaces and parks, spaces that connect people to one another and the environment, and year-around activities. Adopted in 2019, the Plan achieves the community’s vision by addressing parking, economic feasibility, building heights, infrastructure, and residential, commercial and retail potential. See WilsonvilleTownCenter.com for details.

How does the Town Center Plan become reality? Private-sector investors need to choose Wilsonville. Development will happen over time, property by property. Success requires public infrastructure, retail, dining, and entertainment, plus a variety of housing for retirees, students, workers, and families. All of these are essential to a thriving Town Center.

How can the public infrastructure be funded? A 2023 Citizen Task Force ranked Urban Renewal as the best way to fund the Town Center public infrastructure. Urban Renewal is not a new tax or a tax increase. Urban renewal helped fund most of Wilsonville’s major streets, acres of parks, employment areas, and our water and sewer system. Urban renewal made Villebois possible. It has helped our schools acquire land for a new school, build a gymnasium, and add sports fields.

Now’s the time to get started. Let’s create a Town Center that becomes the heart of Wilsonville. Vote YES on 3-641.

Vote YES for Wilsonville.

Wilsonville is overdue for a smart investment in the heart of town. This measure will open the door for Town Center to become a true hub for Wilsonville. Current and future small businesses need well planned streetscapes, thoughtful traffic flow, active shopping centers, and attractive amenities.

A YES vote on 3-641 will finally bring an end to the blight that currently sits where we could soon have walkable promenades, outdoor restaurant seating, and vibrant gathering spaces.

SMALL AND LOCAL

Small local businesses invest in our community because they are a part of our community. They rely on their neighbors for business, and their neighbors trust them to do good work. Voting YES on 3-641 means more small local businesses right in the heart of town that will bring private investment into our community.

THRIVING SPACES INSTEAD OF BLIGHT

Wouldn’t it be nice to only have to park once (or not at all) to visit multiple shops before or after dining out. Wilsonville doesn’t really have a place where young people can hang out. Our neighbors in Sherwood and Lake Oswego have well planned public spaces full of activity. It’s time to say YES to putting our own plan into action here in Wilsonville!

BETTER TRAFFIC FLOW

The Town Center Plan includes thoughtfully planned street improvements that address our current traffic pinch points. Voting YES on 3-641 will allow updates to Wilsonville Road (adding an intersection at Park Place and improving the others) which will help residents, shoppers, and workers avoid congestion and get to where they want to go.

SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES

Voting YES on 3-641 means that Wilsonville Town Center can finally become a local hub of activity, with shops, attractions, and even the perfect farmers market location, rather than empty stores and the sea of asphalt we have now.

Vote YES on Measure 3-641!

~Rick Wallace, local business owner

Wilsonville doesn’t need to become a big city. We just need the kind of Main Street that communities much smaller than ours already have.

A PLACE TO GATHER

A place to run into neighbors and celebrate with teammates after a game. Music and community events. Dinner with friends. First dates and happy hours.  

MORE LOCAL RESTAURANTS

More choices for eating, shopping, and spending time right here in Wilsonville, while creating opportunities for local businesses to grow.

THE FREEDOM TO GET THERE YOUR WAY

Drive and park. Walk. Ride a bike. Take the bus. Our residents have different needs, and our Main Street should welcome all of them.

MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO LIVE LOCAL

We shouldn’t have to leave Wilsonville to find the restaurants, hangout spots, and experiences we want. We can create those opportunities here, while supporting the businesses and community we already call home.

SUPPORT A REAL TOWN CENTER FOR WILSONVILLE

Rather than the strip malls of the 70s and big-box stores of the 80s, we can choose to build something wonderful in our future in Town Center. If we want to strengthen our community, a Main Street creates social connection, local identity, and long-term economic resilience. This is proven by decades of economic research and many local examples. We have waited long enough.

Vote YES on Measure 3-641.

As Wilsonville residents for 21 years, we are strong supporters of Wilsonville’s Town Center plan, especially as it’s evolved in response to citizen input.

• Without raising taxes, it gives the City of Wilsonville the opportunity to develop a vibrant Town Center, like that of Lake Oswego.

• We like the idea of a Food Cart area as a complement to Wilsonville’s great restaurants.

• Apartments or condos integrated with commercial and business venues attract young working people, exactly the new residents Wilsonville needs to keep thriving.

• The Town Center plan incorporates pedestrian walkways and landscaping designed to attract residents and encourage them to relax in their city.

I was on the 2019 Task Force that developed the original Town Center Plan. We were encouraged to think outside the box and develop a vision that would make Wilsonville an attractive, vibrant city. The COVID years intervened and now an even more inclusive public process has evolved, resulting in a plan that is more reachable, sooner for today’s citizens of Wilsonville.

• Using Urban Renewal financing worked very well for Wilsonville, bringing Villebois and Coffee Creek, and so it’s a proven fit for our Town Center Development.

• In response to public input, the plan has been modified significantly by lowering height of buildings, reducing the number of residences, and incorporating food carts.

These are very sensible and significant modifications to the open-ended thinking that led us in 2019.

Arguments in opposition miss one essential point: We as voters have a unique opportunity to choose the city we want, not have the future thrust upon us by outside interests.

For us, it’s now time to move ahead. We urge a Yes vote on Measure 3-641 to approve Wilsonville’s Town Center Development.

Look at the plans yourself and ask yourself, “Isn’t this just the kind of city I want to be part of?”

Our family moved here in 2021 for this clean, safe community. However, we noticed quickly that Wilsonville lacks the central Main Street that smaller towns enjoy.

A Gathering Place: We need a lively heart for events, local dining, and casual encounters. Expanding our shopping options supports homegrown businesses while keeping our dollars right here at home.

Freedom of Access: A modern town center must welcome everyone. Whether you drive, walk, bike, or take transit, the design should adapt to our diverse needs.

Our Future Town Center: Not only strip malls; let’s build a forward-looking downtown.

A true Main Street builds social connection, local identity, and economic resilience.

Let’s grow Wilsonville’s vibrancy and our community connection!

Wilsonville Merece una Verdadera Plaza Principal

Nuestra familia se mudó a Wilsonville en 2021 por ser una comunidad limpia y segura. Sin embargo, pronto nos dimos cuenta de que a Wilsonville le hace falta algo que muchas ciudades y pueblos tienen: una Plaza Principal que sirva como punto de encuentro y corazón de la comunidad.

Un lugar para reunirnos: Necesitamos un lugar lleno de vida para eventos, restaurantes locales, tiendas y encuentros casuales con amigos y vecinos. Ampliar nuestras opciones de compras también apoya a los negocios locales y ayuda a mantener nuestro dinero dentro de nuestra propia comunidad.

Acceso para todos: Una Plaza Principal moderna debe dar la bienvenida a todos. Ya sea que lleguemos en auto, caminando, en bicicleta o en transporte público, su diseño debe responder a las distintas necesidades de nuestra comunidad.

El futuro de nuestra Plaza Principal: Podemos dejar atrás el modelo de los antiguos centros comerciales y crear un espacio con visión de futuro. Una verdadera Plaza Principal puede convertirse en el corazón de Wilsonville, fortaleciendo los lazos entre vecinos, nuestra identidad local y nuestra economía.

Aumentamos una comunidad más dinámica y conectada!

Vote Sí a la Medida 3-641