Recognizing that the Tigard Triangle needs more open space, the Tigard Town Center Development Agency (TCDA) unanimously agreed to purchase land in the Tigard Triangle.
At a May 27 meeting, the TCDA agreed that the 10.4-acre site has the potential to be an attraction for Tigard residents in an area of the city that agency members said needs more community space.
The development agency voted to ratify a purchase-sale agreement for the property at 11626 SW Pacific Highway, which was formerly the site of Regal Cinemas Tigard.
The Tigard Triangle is an area roughly bordered by Interstate 5, Highway 217 and Highway 99W. According to the city, it is an area with great potential but lacks basic infrastructure, including sewers, sidewalks, roads, and parks. The area, the city says, has a low walkability score and is in need of urban renewal.
Heidi Lueb, mayor of Tigard and a director of the TCDA, said the city envisions a new park at the site and potentially entering a public-private partnership to build housing as well as a new trail.
Development agency members stated that the acquisition of parkland has been a high priority for the Town Center Advisory Commission and the adopted Tigard Triangle Equitable Implementation Strategy.
As the 500-acre Tigard Triangle continues to develop, members said that acquiring the property will provide an important recreational amenity and help attract new investment to the district. They said the acquisition is consistent with Goal 3 of the Tigard City Council’s 2025–2026 goal to “Cultivate Tigard as a great place to live, work and play.”
“This is an incredibly exciting thing to have such a large piece of property and to able to address some of the needs in Tigard Triangle,” said Lueb. She said the development can create a strong identity for the Tigard Triangle while also revitalizing the Triangle.
Funding for the $12 million property acquisition would come in part from the Tigard Triangle Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District. The TIF district, managed by the development agency, uses taxes from new development and increased property values from that new development to fund key projects only in the Triangle, such as new streets and sidewalks, new trails and parks, major sewer line repairs, Red Rock Creek restoration, stormwater management, and intersection improvements.
The $12 million purchase of the property will be contingent on the satisfaction of conditions as determined by the city.
City officials have searched for several years for a property to revitalize the Tigard Triangle and have determined that the former Tigard Cinemas property would provide a suitable area for a new park, along with an opportunity for a public-private partnership to construct new housing, infrastructure, or facilities. The property also includes land for a stormwater improvement project along Red Rock Creek, which will begin this summer.
The city stated that the property is large enough to be partitioned off for a private development, which could attract a developer to participate in a public-private partnership.
There are currently no parks in the Tigard Triangle, according to Sean Farrelly, redevelopment manager for the city. Farrelly said at the May 27 development agency meeting that there are “1,000 (housing) units in the pipeline,” already for the Tigard Triangle, “So there could be up to almost 4,500 new residents.” A new development, according to preliminary design plans, could include a 47,500-square-foot multipurpose field or lawn, play area, shade structure, sports court, community garden, nature trail, pedestrian bridge, and plaza.
With the redevelopment of the Tigard Cinemas property, Farrelly said, “The end result will include at least a park, greenway for the Red Rock Creek, new streets and street frontage improvements as well as the Red Rock Creek Trail.”
Members unanimously praised the land purchase as an important step toward urban renewal in the Triangle area.
“This is a really exciting opportunity for the council, community and the city,” said Jake Schlack, member of the council and director with the development agency. “I was reflecting on this vote and thinking about how this is going to be one of the biggest decisions that we’re going to take as a TCDA board for quite some time, considering the amount of capital involved. At the end of the day, we’re here to make tough decisions, and I think the trade-offs are worth it. This is going to be a landmark project for the Tigard Triangle and a significant investment.”
Development agency member Maureen Wolf concurred. “It’s an amazing investment opportunity for us to really make that impact for those families in the area and for Tigard,” Wolf said.
Development agency director Jeanette Shaw said the potential for a public-private development at the site is advantageous for the city. “This shows, again, that Tigard is ahead of its time,” Shaw said.
