Last week I met with Tualatin’s new Urban Renewal/Economic Development Manager Sidaro (Sid) Sin and Michele Reeves, an urban strategist consultant with Civilis Consultants, along with another community member to discuss Tualatin’s “Downtown Core Area.” You might be asking yourself, “Hmmm, where exactly is Tualatin’s Downtown Core Area?” which was precisely the point of the meeting.
The fact that even as a long-time resident and business owner, I really couldn’t identify what and where our downtown was is what this focus group was trying to zero in on. There was a large map on the table, which highlighted the Lake at the Commons, as if that were somehow the central “downtown,” but I’ve never looked at it as such. Do you?
As I mentioned in last month’s article, Sidaro (Sid) Sin was hired from the City of Lake Oswego to take on the revitalization of Tualatin’s downtown, much as he did so successfully for Lake Oswego. It’s a lofty goal, but a good one.
Tualatin currently has a ton of business parks, manufacturing facilities, homes, condos, and retail, but where is the central gathering place? In Italy, I was so impressed with each city’s Piazzas, a place where people gathered to sit with friends, strangers, locals and tourists alike to enjoy some food, wine, conversation and an opportunity to mingle with other people. This aspect of their communities was a central part of their lives. It was impressive, and every city I visited, big or small, rich or poor, had one. I think we can learn from that.
The closest I’ve seen resembling that in Tualatin was the wonderful Farmer’s Market that used to be on Friday evenings at the commons about 10 years ago. It was a community-oriented event where local farmers, artisans, and vendors sold their wares, local musicians performed, and locals strolled, sat, ate, and drank with their families and friends. I remember bringing my mother to one, and she couldn’t stop talking about how charming it was.
While municipalities often rely on consultants and outside influencers to import ideas to convert a city with no central hub towards one with places to gather and enjoy their community, I wonder if some of the answers lie within our community members, who live locally, truly know the lay of the land, and have a vested interest in making Tualatin a better place to live and enjoy now and into the future.
Having said that, I would like to hear from you, to get your ideas of what a central downtown should be, or what ‘Tualatin’s Piazza’ might look like. Where should it be? What should it have? Would you be apt to participate in downtown events if there were a downtown?
The city is looking for citizen input and will have booths at the Concerts at the Commons, Viva Tualatin, as well as opportunities to offer input on their website, CIO meetings, and will be reaching out to the community for their thoughts. I hope you invest a little time in this topic, as our city needs a central core area to enhance the livability of Tualatin now and into the future.
For more information, visit tinyurl.com/58vcx6un.
