The Burnside Blog

Posted By Test User on 04/23/2008

For years, the only thing vertical about Beaverton’s real estate market has been the price. Now, a Seattle developer plans a mixed-used project that includes apartments and a 17-story office tower in Downtown Beaverton.

While today’s Oregonian article about the project doesn’t mention if the tower would include a rotating Chevy’s restaurant on the top floor, it does tout its ability to completely remake Downtown Beaverton into an ‘urban village’ of sorts. That’s good news for Beaverton. At the epicenter of the sprawling mess that is the Westside suburbs, Beaverton has a fairly pleasant downtown that somewhat resembles a grid.

Now, it may not seem like the most opportune time to capitalize on giant real estate developments. Not only does a weak dollar and rising fuel costs continue to cause a spike in construction costs, the housing market remains flat, and especially so in suburbs, like Beaverton. Still, the rental market is doing pretty well. And with gasoline nearly four bucks a gallon, perhaps even suburbanites will consider (or be forced to reconsider) reshaping their cities to cater more to an urban experience. Beaverton is already home to the best Korean BBQ and specialty food markets in the region. I’d love to have another reason to go there.