West Five Employment District Strategy Beaverton, Oregon

To determine the most valuable infrastructure investments that would help grow and attract other employers to the Western Avenue employment area, the City of Beaverton worked with local businesses to develop its West Five Employment District Strategy. The study created a vision for how the area should evolve to meet the needs of business while protecting industrial lands.

A Strategy for Streetscape Planning that Emphasizes Local Businesses

In developing the study with local business stakeholders, a number of points of emphasis were found from identifying barriers and constraints to business as well as economic trends, infrastructure needs, and strategies to enhance redevelopment readiness. In leading planning and civil design, the Otak team developed a master future streets plan that will help the district evolve from its current pattern of oversized rail-focused properties to a modern layout that relies on increased vehicle access. The plan included a “road diet” for Western Avenue, replacing a four-lane arterial street with no sidewalks to a three-lane road with shared use paths on both sides – completing an important bicycle and pedestrian connection to the Fanno Creek Greenway. The Beaverton City Council adopted the “West Five” strategy unanimously, with Councilor Marc San Soucie saying that the project was “awesome.”