The properties form a triangle-shaped property landlocked by Interstate 84, Union Pacific Railroad tracks, the Sandy River and an outlet mall. The only current access to the properties is a narrow road that someday will give way to an expansion of I-84. A state grant last year helped the city start planning the future of the land.
Consultants have proposed five new city blocks for the area and a bridge over the railroad track or a road through the existing mall to ensure future access. Ideas for the property include public amenities such as a Columbia River Gorge educational center, a skate park for youths and a new riverfront park. Commercial options include a boutique hotel, housing, offices and shops.
To extend a road through the Columbia Gorge Premium Outlets, the city would have to raze some 7,500 sf of retail space owned by the Chelsea Property Group. Chelsea officials seem amenable to the idea, having publicly confirmed the company's plan to expand the mall onto 90,000 sf of the sewer plant property.
The planning commission, however, selected a development plan that does not give the outlet mall but half the space it would prefer, a sign that some commissioners may not want an expansion of that facility.
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