If you are a creative professional, entrepreneur  or small business owner pursuing your labor with passion, perseverance, and unflinching dedication to your craft. Then downtown Oregon City is the right place for you.

Over the last three years, we’ve seen:

• 41 New businesses, professionals, and entrepreneurs locate into downtown.
• More than $2.5 million in streetscape enhancements.
• More than $1 million annually invested in private property.
• Affordable rents ranging from $0.88 – $1.25 per square foot.
• Four new special events that attract visitors downtown.

Click on the link on the right to see the energy and excitement building up in downtown Oregon City, or contact Lloyd Purdy, Director of MSOC for details about locating your business downtown.

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Working together through volunteer led projects and programs we’ve helped attract new business downtown (40 new business have joined the downtown marketplace since we started in 2008), improve public infrastructure like a two way Main Street, new sidewalks, and streetlights  (over $2.5 million since we started in 2008), promote downtown’s character (visit www.bluecollarcreative.org for one example) and improve downtown’s buildings (take a walk down the street and you’ll see the changes).

We’d like input from downtown stakeholders (you). Please click on the link below that is most appropriate to you and help us get a better feel for the opportunities and challenges facing downtown Oregon City. These surveys are very brief and will take just a minute or two to complete.

Downtown Data: State of the Street

Downtown Property Owner Survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9FMVTZQ

Downtown Business Owner Survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/93C9ZLY

Downtown Professional and Entrepreneurs Survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/93TG2WJ

Downtown Visitor Survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9G62CLF

Thank you for taking a moment to share your thoughts, opinions, and experiences. Your answers will help guide our downtown revitalization efforts.

It’s time to look both ways on Main Street — another change will soon be made to traffic patterns in order to make downtown a better place to live, work and visit. The video animation below, created by Funnelbox Production Studios located in downtown Oregon City, illustrates the upcoming traffic pattern change on 7th Street, Rail Road Ave. and 6th Street.

Upon completion of intersection work at 7th Street and Rail Road Avenue at the base of the Municipal Elevator:

• Seventh Street will carry traffic in both the east and west directions.
• Rail Road Avenue between 7th and 6th will also carry two-way traffic.
• Traffic flow on 6th Street will be reversed to allow drivers to better navigate around downtown.

The downtown circulation/traffic flow animation above was created to communicate to drivers and downtown visitors these changes.

The result of the collaboration is a high production value TV spot with a story line that uses a CSI-esque approach to solving the mystery behind what ultimately slayed a pile of fish.

BDC Advertising developed a concept and script for their client, Yakima Bait Company. For this national marketing piece, Funnelbox Production Studio hired actors, worked on a tight two-day production schedule and found a very specific location for the shoot.  Mt. Hood Community College’s Funeral Services and Mortuary program provided the setting for a commercial that seeks to understand what could have happened to all these fish.  The camera shows several fish on a large bed of ice, as the sheet is pulled down and the coroner examines the fish and finds that it was indeed a “Rooster Tail” that was their last meal.

This collaboration also included involvement from another downtown Oregon City business. The script required a variety of whole fish that weighed in around 30 pounds. These were purchased from Tony’s Fish Market on Washington Street. A 12 member production crew shot the video on location at Mt. Hood Community College during a 10 hour shoot.

Celebrate summer in Downtown Oregon City at the First City Celebration Street Festival on Saturday, July 28th.  This signature event in historic downtown Oregon City is focused on celebrating the unique character and identity of Oregon City – a city of firsts and Oregon’s “First City”.

Now in its third year, the First City Celebration is evolving into a street festival style event that mixes art, music, food and beverage tasting all together on the street. We expect to feature more than 60 local artists, live music and entertainment all afternoon, games and crafts for kids, as well as wine, beer and food from area businesses.

Join us downtown on Saturday July 28th and celebrate the unique heritage, identity and spirit of Oregon City.

Artists interested in participating may download an application via this link.

Pacific Crest Grand Ballroom, the 12,000 square foot event space at 610 McLoughlin Boulevard, now under management by Portland Catering Co. is planning a four-part summer concert series to celebrate Oregon City and Portland Catering Company’s recent acquisition of this ballroom.

The concert series, produced by Todd Passerini of Littil Brown Bird for the Pacific Crest Grand Ballroom is called “Alive in Oregon City”.   It will feature as its first guest musician Blues artist Norman Sylvester, with special performances from Sarah Billings, and Oregon City’s High School Jazz Band at the Pacific Crest Grand Ballroom.

“Downtown Oregon City needs great entertainment and another reason to visit and stay awhile,” said Todd Passerini, of Littil Brown Bird. “This venue and this quality of music will be a real draw to downtown Oregon City.”

The Pacific Crest Grand Ballroom will host Oregon Music Hall of Fame 2011 Inductee “The Boogie Cat” Norman Sylvester of the Northwest with a new young & beautiful artist the soulful Sarah Billings, in concert on May 18, 2012 at 7pm, seating at 6pm, 21+.

The concert will be held at Pacific Crest Grand Ballroom, 610 McLoughlin Boulevard Oregon City, OR. Tickets for “Alive in Oregon City” are $8.50 with proceeds going to the Oregon City High School Jazz Band and available at www.portlandmercury.com/tickets & www.tickettomato.com.

“Alive in Oregon City” is scheduled monthly and will end in late August. The concert series will showcase top names and upcoming new artists, while benefiting good causes in the Oregon City, West Linn, and Willamette communities.

The Pacific Crest Grand Ballroom is a 12,000 square foot event space on the Willamette River next to the historic Oregon City Arch Bridge. The ballroom can host up to 490 people with full catering, audio/visual and media services. Parking is available on and off site.  The ballroom can be rented for use from 6:30 am to 2 am.

Details about the ballroom can be found at: www.pacificcrestgrandballroom.com or via phone – 503.620.3355

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APRIL 14th is Winestock’s official 6 year anniversary. Celebrate with Carlos and Sarrah all week long with a visit to Winestock at 820 Main Street, Suite B off of 9th Avenue in Downtown Oregon City. New visitors and long-time patrons will be treated to:

• “Our Favorites” TASTING AVAILABLE ALL WEEK, WED-SAT
• 15% DISCOUNT ON 6+ BOTTLE PURCHASES, ALL WINES NOW thru SATURDAY, the 14th!
• THURSDAY, APRIL 12th: LIVE CLASSICAL GUITAR + Artist Reception with David Berkvam (artist for Ken Wright wine labels and many other things!) 7-9pm
• FRIDAY the 13th: LIVE MUSIC with TRI-TONES JAZZ TRIO 7-10pm

SATURDAY APRIL 14th: is WINESTOCK’S 6 YEAR ANNIVERSARY! Celebrate 6 years of success! Stop by for some sparking wine and birthday mini cupcakes.

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April 2nd is the national premiere of a creative collaboration between two downtown Oregon City businesses.  In early March, BDC Advertising began working with Funnelbox Production Studios on a 30-second broadcast television commercial for Yakima Bait Company.

The result of the collaboration is a high production value TV spot with a story line that uses a CSI-esque approach to solving the mystery behind what ultimately slayed a pile of fish.

BDC Advertising Vice President, Trey Carskadon, shared, “Alex Brauer (BDC’s President) knocked it out of the park with his script and Funnelbox brought it to life.  This spot that will be aired nationally through the year and it has to be memorable. Funnelbox is great to work with, incredibly talented and the result is evident — we’ve produced a winner and Yakima Bait’s business will be better for it.”

BDC Advertising developed a concept and script for their client, Yakima Bait Company. Yakima Bait Company is one of the nation’s preeminent tackle manufacturers.  Rooster Tail and FlatFish lures are just two of the dozens of noteworthy products they produce.

For this national marketing piece, Funnelbox Production Studio hired actors, worked on a tight two-day production schedule and found a very specific location for the shoot.  Mt. Hood Community College’s Funeral Services and Mortuary program provided the setting for a commercial that seeks to understand what could have happened to all these fish.  The camera shows several fish on a large bed of ice, as the sheet is pulled down and the coroner examines the fish and finds that it was indeed a “Rooster Tail” that was their last meal.

This collaboration also included involvement from another downtown Oregon City business. The script required a variety of whole fish that weighed in around 30 pounds. These were purchased from Tony’s Fish Market on Washington Street. A 12 member production crew shot the video on location at Mt. Hood Community College during a 10 hour shoot.

“It was a little stressful to pull everything together on a short timeline. Through tight coordination with BDC, we were able to pull everything off without a hitch,” said James Horn, Vice President of Production for Funnelbox Production Studios. “It’s really convenient to work with creative partners right next door. BDC provided us great creative and they’re a pleasure to work with.”

The full video can be seen at: http://bdcadvertising.com/portfolio/ybc/

Lee Kelly's moontrap in downtown Oregon City photographed at night

According to Devin Conroy Groves, Downtown Oregon City’s photographer in residence and baristador at Coffee Rush, “This photo juxtaposes an intellectual continuity between Lee Kelley’s “Moon Trap” and Oregon City’s historic public elevator.  Although contrasting in purpose, they share a fundamental statement of cultural relevance to Oregon City.”

Downtown Oregon City is undergoing transformative change with 40 new business opened in the last three years, an average of $1 million in private investment in property annually, and more than $2.7 in streetscape enhancements. Keep an eye on downtown Oregon City  – and its art.

Property owners as well as innovative adaptive reuse and infill focused development professionals now have access to an innovative development tool in partnership with Oregon City’s Urban Renewal District.  Matching funds are now available for adaptive reuse projects for internal improvements to property. $150,000 in grant funding is now available for projects that significantly improve and upgrade the value of existing commercial property. Full details and an application can be found via the link below:

http://www.orcity.org/economicdevelopment/adaptive-reuse-rehab-grant

This program is a result of more than eight months of work with Oregon City’s Economic Development Department and through the leadership of Eric Underwood, Oregon City’s Economic Development Manager.  It is also a program unique to Oregon City.  Few other cities in the Portland metropolitan region have both facade improvement funding at the high level that Oregon City offers to property owners, and an adaptive reuse program to encourage redevelopment of commercial property for new uses.
The program requires a private match in funding and rewards projects that show higher levels of private investment. It encourages the addition of residential capacity and mixed use development. It rewards innovative projects led by experienced development and adaptive reuse professionals and it supports projects that add value to existing property.