Washington County (Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Forest Grove, etc.) - Page 2

JoshYent · #21 Posted **Mar 16, 2007, 1:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dougall5505

wait...beaverton has a downtown?

Yes, in a way, its not very extensive

JoshYent · #22 Posted **Mar 16, 2007, 1:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drmyeyes

Dougall or some of you other people...actually been to Beaverton and really walked around? Not just near the round, but to Beaverton's original downtown (Broadway and Farmington, split by the railroad tracks), Beaveton Town Sq, then over to the new library where they have the farmer's market? Not forgetting Cedar Mills Crossing where there's a big new modern cinema, starbucks, Old Navy, Best Buy, Office Depot up a big Beaverton block. All those areas together represent the ingredients for a potential downtown. Some viable plan for linking them together is the major obstacle to establishing a cohesive downtown. Great ideas are welcome.

The block that Ceder Mills Crossing is on, used to be the Beaverton airstrip, although i have never seen any pictures or maps of what it used to look like

JoshYent · #23 Posted **Mar 16, 2007, 2:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by zilfondel

I think it needs a park and a masterplan for starters. And a whole shitload of residential & mixed use buildings. All with ground floor retail. The Cedar Hills Mall (or whatever its called) should be torn down for phase I.

The mall is currently being redeveloped, they wont be tearing that out for along time....

although your idea would work pretty nicely in the area north of the Max tracks between Hall and Cedar Hills blvd

der Reisender · #24 Posted **Mar 16, 2007, 3:14 PM**

seems like part of Beaverton's problem is the impression that there is no downtown, and that the downtown area it has is gutted by Farmington and Canyon Roads, which don't make for a friendly environment for any people who would be living there. That said, maybe they should start with office and retail buildings, since the road access is fairly good and the traffic counts (which most retail stores can't seem to get enough of) would be nice and high.

Once you put in some taller buildings of that sort and an appreciable density of employment develops, then add in a residential component. Its not like there is a land shortage with all those parkings lots around.

MarkDaMan · #25 Posted **Mar 16, 2007, 4:12 PM**

The problem with DT Beaverton, or potential DT Beaverton is the CAR DEALERSHIPS...they are everywhere chewing up and cutting off tons of land. Beaverton has that creek that is buried under parking lots only surfacing behind the Round and Beaverton TC. Around the library is a good place to start with mixed use housing, there are bones for a neighborhood and a street grid, they just need two or three medium projects to kick start the area.

pdxstreetcar · #26 Posted **Mar 16, 2007, 4:20 PM**

Isnt there a couple of major projects in the works for the site where the burgerville and tammies hobbies are?

MarkDaMan · #27 Posted **Mar 16, 2007, 4:27 PM**

I don't know what tammies hobbies is, but there was an approved M37 claim for a 5 story building right in that area of Burgerville...which is pathetic that someone would have to file a M37 claim for 5 freaking stories in a supposed the downtown area.

JoshYent · #28 Posted **Mar 16, 2007, 7:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkDaMan

The problem with DT Beaverton, or potential DT Beaverton is the CAR DEALERSHIPS...they are everywhere chewing up and cutting off tons of land. Beaverton has that creek that is buried under parking lots only surfacing behind the Round and Beaverton TC. Around the library is a good place to start with mixed use housing, there are bones for a neighborhood and a street grid, they just need two or three medium projects to kick start the area.

Yes the car dealers are everywhere.......you know what will be cool is as this area grows and the property becomes more and more valuable they will either sell or redevelop those huge lots into inside garages kind of like the new BMW dealer right there with the parking garage style sales lot this would also probably come with some new mixed use buildings above

JoshYent · #29 Posted **Mar 16, 2007, 7:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdxstreetcar

Isnt there a couple of major projects in the works for the site where the burgerville and tammies hobbies are?

YES, this whole area needs to be torn out and redeveloped

that area is TOO high traffic to NOT have some better businesses, maybe a underground parking structure with 5-6 stories of shopping and housing.

JoshYent · #30 Posted **Mar 16, 2007, 7:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkDaMan

I don't know what tammies hobbies is, but there was an approved M37 claim for a 5 story building right in that area of Burgerville...which is pathetic that someone would have to file a M37 claim for 5 freaking stories in a supposed the downtown area.

there are buildings taller than 5 stories all over Hillsboro, i wonder what beaverton has against them?

zilfondel · #31 Posted **Mar 16, 2007, 8:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoshYent

The mall is currently being redeveloped, they wont be tearing that out for along time....

although your idea would work pretty nicely in the area north of the Max tracks between Hall and Cedar Hills blvd

Yea, and that's what they said about Bellevue too, right? They'll never get any development.

der Reisender · #32 Posted **Mar 16, 2007, 8:20 PM**

^ hope that you're right

65MAX · #33 Posted **Mar 16, 2007, 8:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoshYent

there are buildings taller than 5 stories all over Hillsboro, i wonder what beaverton has against them?

Really? Where did they hide them all?

JoshYent · #34 Posted **Mar 16, 2007, 9:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 65MAX

Really? Where did they hide them all?

various hotels along Brookwood parkway, the Synopsys buildings just near the intersection of Cornelious Pass rd, and Cornell......those are 7 stories....downtown Hillsboro has some....

Drmyeyes · #35 Posted **Mar 17, 2007, 12:08 AM**

Tammies Hobbies is essentially in the same long narrow pie shaped strip of land the Burger King and the measure 37 claim property is in. The creek splits BK from the little strip mall where Tammies is. Canyon borders it on the north, don't know what the other street is, but it connects to the west with Broadway.

Beaverton sure does have a load of car dealers, but how are they the obstacle to Beaverton developing cohesive downtown? They represent a variety issue rather than a physical issue. Beaverton's major issue in terms of establishing a cohesive downtown is its physicality. It's very hard to have a decent, cohesive downtown unless it's walkable as well as driveable. Crossing Beaverton's thoroughfares to get from one part of its downtown to another part is the major headache.

It's a bit odd....very odd really, compared to DTPortland, but there is some downtown action happening in Beaverton. That's why it's worth checking out. Over at the Cedar Mills Crossing mall, things are hopping; There's all kinds of things to do and spend your money on if you can safely wade through the car ocean.

Things have been kind of clicking for quite a while at the Beav town sq Fred's partly because of the Starbucks, but also because (get ready...) just across the parking lot is Hooters, but also Trader Joes, Noah's, and all kinds of other stuff, too numerous to mention.

Old Town Beav on Broadway has some decent stuff; indy coffee shop, family mex restaurant, skate shop, the beav bakery, maybe just not quite enough (partly because of Lamphere), and also because of the disconnect from Beav town sq and everything else. (old town Beav isn't too bad of a walk from Beav town sq, it's just not very pleasant.)

The remaining part of Beav's downtown, the library complex is nice and hugely popular, but it's a bit of a walk, though basically a decent one from either Beav town sq or old town Beav...probably not even a quarter mile, but psychologically it seems more. That's a problem, but probably one of the easier ones to address and maybe effectively fix.

Just read an article recently about the airport. Wish I saved it to share. That airport was kind of a wild one. Planes taking off to the north for years and years had a major obstacle to overcome in the form of a big old barn owned by Suburban Lumber. Skilled flying abilties required.

Drew-Ski · #36 Posted **Mar 17, 2007, 1:13 AM**

Has anybody come accross updated news and renderings reguarding the OHSU/Amber Glen Project ??

Dougall5505 · #37 Posted **Mar 17, 2007, 1:40 AM**

what is that i've never heard about. were there ever initial renders? if so please post!

Drew-Ski · #38 Posted **Mar 17, 2007, 5:54 PM**

I read about this the last time I was in Portland. The prodject will be located on the MAX Line on 185th and Cornell. It will conisit of " 9 " 20+ story condo towers, multipal mid size, and mixed use. These condo towers will surround a 35 acre lake and park and will have Streetcar access throughout. A very large prodject for the suburbs. The City of Hillsboro planners envision roughly 10,000 residence there. Very ambicious to say the least.

Dougall5505 · #39 Posted **Mar 17, 2007, 5:57 PM**

oh i remember that, there hasn't been any news since that article

urbanlife · #40 Posted **Mar 17, 2007, 6:25 PM**

I have walked all through what is "old" downtown Beaverton....? I guess that's what it would be called. Where the library is and all. I think if a masterplan were created to improve and increase the density with housing and retail, I think they would be onto something nice.

Then where all the car dealerships are, start pushing for higher density commercial and office space there with some form of connection or bridge to the Round.

Plus if Beaverton would look into a streetcar line with this masterplan, they could easily link the areas together and possibly increase the walkability of the area.

So there is hope for downtown Beaverton to become something more, they just need some grease behind the ears and someone willing to give a good pull to get their heads out of their asses.