The city of Ridgefield is obviously in quite an economic boom, but the future exists with the portion of city limits on the east side of Interstate-5.
The east side of I-5 in Ridgefield is currently home to newer housing developments, some retail, large industrial warehouses and farm fields. But looking ahead, this portion of the city is destined to really change the landscape with mixed-use developments that will really bring meaning to being able to live, work and play in Ridgefield.
“We just did a tour with some planning commission and parks board folks and council a couple of months ago, and one of the things that we talked about is what’s now, and what’s next,” Ridgefield City Manager Steve Stuart said. “And the what’s now, you can see it with some mixed use with Ridgefield Crossing, which has a mix of commercial retail and services and residential on the east side there. And now you can see Clark College that is now finished, and some of our bigger employers, some of which have been there for quite a while in Union Ridge … There is still a lot of area for what’s next.”
Stuart added that the city council has been looking at the “what’s next.” This is planned to include full-service opportunities that complement each other at the Ridgefield junction and on the east side of that subarea, where the future holds significant expansion for urban settings.
How some developments can work well together comes through hospitality. Two projects along 65th Avenue in Ridgefield have plans for a hotel. Currently, there are no hotels in Ridgefield city limits.
“You see what’s already been happening and what’s coming now, it has been very intentional from the council to look at what are the holes in jobs, services, types of places to live, where are the holes in what we have that we can look to fill,” Stuart said. “And certainly hospitality with a hotel is one of those areas. We have the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex, we have the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, the proximity to ilani and to the amphitheater. We have a great opportunity and need for hospitality, you know, for hotels, and so it’s something that we’ve been looking at for a while. There are definitely a couple of opportunities that seem to be on the verge of moving forward on the east side.”
Stuart iterated that the city government does not choose businesses, like which hotel companies could fill a development, but the city tries to be proactive in working with developers to find high-quality retail concepts that fit the uniqueness and quality of Ridgefield.
A state-funding-dependent project slated for the east side includes a new criminal justice training center, which could create a greater need for hotel services as recruits seek to stay closer to the facility.
One service that is soon to expand in the city is senior assisted living. Currently under construction in the Ridgefield Crossing project is the Kirkland Senior Living center, which will stand five stories tall, with four of those stories reserved for residents and the street-level floor offering retail opportunities.
“The 55 and older community is going to be located right on top of public-facing retail commercial services that they’ll enjoy, but so will the rest of the community,” Stuart said, highlighting it as a great mixed-use concept for Ridgefield’s future. “I think it’s safe to say that there will be more of these projects that we’ll see in Ridgefield, and maybe at the junction, maybe in other areas around the city.”
Other projects include smaller retail in a neighborhood setting, such as the zoning concept at the intersection of Union Ridge Parkway and Northeast 10th Avenue. Also under construction is a new elementary school along North 10th Street.
Tri-Mountain Station is also nearing completion, as is the adjacent Goodwill project, both located on the west side of 65th Avenue, across from the Tractor Supply Co. store. Tri-Mountain Station is slated to bring numerous retail opportunities as well as a possible hotel building.
Along with retail and mixed-use, Stuart said the city anticipates an increase in warehouse-oriented businesses to help boost the job market. Stuart referred to those businesses as job generators, which has an interesting factor, as the Clark College Advanced Manufacturing Center is opening this fall right in the midst of the warehouse area.
“So there’s a great opportunity to bring businesses that can leverage that partnership with our college,” Stuart said.
