After crossing the halfway point of the decade, Ridgefield’s rise in becoming a true full-service community is not slowing down one bit, as commercial development revenue keeps steady after a couple of years' dip in revenue generated from residential developments.
Ridgefield Mayor Matt Cole shared what to expect as the community continues to take shape. Commercial growth will continue steadily, as will housing growth for numerous budgets. Projects that promote walkability and improved traffic flow, as well as a handful of community gathering pillars, will also come to fruition in 2026.
For the community to move from a bedroom community to a full-service city, the transition from robust residential development to commercial growth had to be set in stone from an early stage. Cole said that for a while, Ridgefield’s main source of revenue was residential development.
“We knew that was going to level off and so we were planning for a lot more commercial development to start replacing that and so we saw that with Costco and of course the Union Ridge Town Center, everything that’s happened up there,” Cole said, adding that the city experienced a couple of years of revenue dip between residential development and commercial development shifts. “I think we are just now coming out of that. But it’s been really good overall because we’ve been able to stay in the black and in a financial position as a city without any loss of service or staff.”
With revenue increasing from commercial development, the city has been able to add seasonal positions in public works and has a full-time attorney for the first time ever, Cole highlighted.
For 2026, Cole said the city anticipates a carryover theme of growth. A couple of items may not be major, visible impacts, but crucial at the same time.
“Last fall, our city council, we passed a public safety sales tax that went into effect on January 1 of this year, and that is really going to allow us to expand and sustain law enforcement services in the city,” he said. “We expect that sales tax itself will generate, I think, between $300,000 and $400,000 in new revenue from that sales tax alone.”
With the added revenue and the city's growth, Cole said it will fund two new officer positions.
“We’re building a reputation of becoming a place where I think law enforcement professionals want to work and where residents feel safe and supported,” Cole said. “This public safety sales tax gives us the ability to add officers and just make those smart long-term investments in our community to stay safe as we grow.”
The city will also look to improve water infrastructure with critical investments. Cole said the city is making a considerable investment of nearly $19 million in water capacity and storage. The city will receive external funding for the Kennedy Well project and will begin construction on a new reservoir on the east side of the city.
The city has also completed the final touches to the Pioneer Street widening project. With that completed, Cole said the city will focus on road projects, such as South Royle Road improvements, which received $2 million in funding after the passage of the appropriations bills in Congress. Cole said preconstruction will likely take place this year.
The mixed-use zoning of the east side of Interstate 5 will greatly take shape in 2026, Cole said. On the east side, regional commercial centers may begin to take shape with a large home-improvement center project along North 65th Avenue, in the early phases of application. A Goodwill is currently under construction along South 65th Avenue. The mixed-use zone will also include multi-family affordable housing projects, Cole added.
The city will invest in the future of its identity downtown. Cole said the downtown revitalization effort will likely be the city council's capstone initiative this year.
“We need to do the next generation of what downtown should look like,” Cole said. “Downtown is the heart of our city, and this is going to be how we really shape its next chapter. So we’re looking at things like economic vitality, the walkability aspect, as well as local business support and recruitment.”
Cole added that the Port-led waterfront project will essentially be a blank slate for a downtown visioned addition. Along with the waterfront project, the city will examine traffic improvements and other sites, like the Park Laundry site, for development.
“We want to imagine what that looks like for over the next 20-plus years to make sure downtown stays vibrant and continues to evolve,” Cole added. “We’ve already had early conversations with a lot of our city partners like Ridgefield Main Street, who have really invested in our downtown area, our chamber of commerce, you know, a lot of our nonprofits, who are very keen to be a part of this effort. There’s a lot of buzz about it right now because it means that we’re going to have further investment.”
The city of Ridgefield is also fostering a new form of commercial development with the Hillhurst Commercial Center. The neighborhood commercial development will bring Mahoney’s Public House, Fika Coffee, Cheeky Noodles and more within walking distance to a large swath of residential area in the city.
“It’s really exciting to see that take shape because that is the kind of thing where you drive down Hillhurst, it’s just a couple of miles of houses and neighborhoods, and that breaks it up,” Cole said of the Hillhurst Commercial Center. “It provides some commercial service right in the middle of a residential area, which I think is kind of necessary, and it kind of provides a little bit more character to that area of town.”
Cole added that the development is within a mile from his home, which he will enjoy as his family rides their bikes to and from Raptors baseball games in the summer.
“I think this is kind of a good way to grab a bite to eat on the way to the game or maybe on the way home,” he said. “Or just to have another place where the community can gather, and all of those businesses, they’re small businesses. I’ve met the owners of each of them, and they’re good little businesses. They’re excited to be in Ridgefield. They’re invested in the community, and I think it’s just going to be a nice little add-on that we get here in Ridgefield.”
Along with expanding city services and new construction, Cole highlighted other aspects to the Ridgefield community to look forward to this year.
With America 250 happening in 2026 and the Fourth of July being a major celebration in Ridgefield, Cole said to expect a notable event.
“The national committee has reached out to us,” he said. “I’m not sure where the conversations are at this point, but our Fourth of July is pretty notable, and it attracts people from all over the place. So, it’ll be fun to commemorate our 250th birthday as a nation around that Fourth of July parade. So, we will see what happens there.”
