Plambeck Gardens was the center of the universe in Tualatin on April 6: While the grand opening ceremony was underway in the Basalt Creek Community Room, future residents were busy carrying in boxes from their vehicles and getting settled in their new apartments.
The project, developed by Community Partners for Affordable Housing (CPAH) with funds from Washington County’s allocation of the 2018 voter-approved Metro Affordable Housing Bond, provides 116 affordable housing units along with community spaces and playgrounds on a 4.66-acre lot.
“This project is truly a pandemic baby and is CPAH’s largest project to date,” said CPAH Housing Director Jilian Saurage-Felton, who was MC during the event.
CPAH started with a small grass-roots program at St. Anthony’s Church in Tigard and has since expanded to serve all of Washington County from Hillsboro to Beaverton as well as Southwest Portland.
CPAH Executive Director Rachael Duke noted that Plambeck Gardens will have five service providers onsite “empowering the residents here.” She said CPAH provides “robust” programs, including youth programming, housing stability, eviction prevention, and addiction services, at its sites.
Duke recalled learning that the property was for sale in late 2019 and signing the agreement to purchase the land in March 2020. “With the pandemic, there were a lot of challenges, and there are a lot of new challenges today,” she added before thanking everyone involved in the project.
Mayor Frank Bubenik was a friend and neighbor of the late Doug Plambeck, who was a founding member of CPAH, served as its treasurer for more than 25 years, and was a fierce advocate for affordable housing. “I am so happy to be part of this event and so sad that Doug is not here today,” said Bubenik, who noted that the city will be building a pocket park next to Plambeck Gardens. He praised the city staff, who “put an amazing amount of work into this.”
“I am super, super proud,” he added. “This shows our commitment to solving the regional housing crisis.”
Washington County Chair Kathryn Harrington praised the “fabulous celebration” for Plambeck Gardens’ opening. “Every city welcomes affordable housing, but Tualatin is doing it,” she said. “And we have to make sure we recognize the long-term commitment these developments make. Doug would be so proud.
“Now, more than ever, we need affordable housing. Housing is too expensive here in Washington County. Rent in Washington County on average is $2,000 a month. In Washington, D.C., we have an administration dismantling housing services… Now is the time for us to buckle down… Our goal is (to make sure) that everyone has access to affordable housing.”
Harrington praised the Housing Authority of Washington County’s team, saying, “Your hard work ensures our neighbors will thrive.”
Saurage-Felton added, “We are appreciative that so many on the Washington County Board of Commissioners are supportive of affordable housing.”
Metro Councilor Gerritt Rosenthal, who represents District 3, said, “I want to thank the people who had the grit and the vision” for this project, praising CPAH, Bubenik and Plambeck. He noted that “a lot of hard work goes into” a project like this involving multiple agencies and staff, and he added, “We have to marry services with housing. I want to make sure we provide the services here.”
U.S. Department of Housing and Development (HUD) Field Office Director for Oregon Bryan Cuiney said he was representing HUD Director Scott Turner, explaining, “We’re the folks on the ground to move the funds that Congress appropriates.”
He noted that while costs for housing continue to escalate, “Tualatin has a lot of volunteers, and I want to thank the mayor and the city for siting this project. I want to thank everyone here today for getting this project across the finish line.”
Oregon Housing and Community Services Department Executive Director Andrea Bell talked about the importance of “planting seeds of progress that go beyond your time here.” She added, “This is the best kind of pandemic baby I could have ever dreamed of.”
She praised all the work that went on behind the scenes to complete the project to help people who “are working every single day just to get by.”
A representative for Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) read a statement from Merkley saying Plambeck Gardens “ensures community members can access affordable housing” and that the project is “a legacy that will honor Doug.”
A representative for Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) read a statement from Wyden that congratulated CPAH and all the partners involved and added that while President Donald Trump’s policies call for cuts to HUD, Wyden is focused on reducing the high-rent burden and homelessness. “All Americans deserve a place to call home,” Wyden’s statement concluded.
Plambeck’s daughter Beth Walk, who lives in Baltimore, also came for the groundbreaking ceremony and told the crowd that “Dad spent all his non-working hours working for no pay.” She added, “As I got older, I realized he wasn’t working, he was giving.”
She said he would be so proud to see Plambeck Gardens open and providing housing and services to families.
Plambeck’s son Andrew remembered his first time going to visit a CPAH property many years ago. “Kids were running around, and there was joy and laughter,” he said. “Dad gave me a tour.
“Now there will be 116 morning routines, 116 dinners shared, and 116 kids who don’t have to worry about moving next month,” Andrew said of the new families living in Plambeck Gardens. “My dad was my best friend in the world. We will all be long gone before the totality of this place is felt, and generations will be living better than their parents and grandparents.”
Saurage-Felton concluded the ceremony by saying, “The first time I met Doug, he told me that failure was not an option. That was terrifying.”
Following all the speeches, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held outside the community room, and then Saurage-Felton led small-group tours through the complex.
Of the 116 units, 47 are open to residents at 30 percent of Area Median Income (AMI) or below, of which eight have project-based vouchers, and 69 to residents at 40-60 percent AMI or below. More than half of the units are two-bedroom or larger to offer options to Tualatin families.
Plambeck Gardens is located at 23455 S.W. Plambeck Terrace; for more information, call 971-818-1278 or email Plambeck@PinehurstManagement.com.
