Creating a Vibrant Downtown

Beaverton’s Community Vision Plan outlines the city’s goal of developing a dining, shopping and entertainment strategy that establishes an 18-hour mixed-use downtown.

The six metrics displayed to the right highlight the progress BURA and the City of Beaverton are making to create a vibrant downtown in the Central Beaverton Urban Renewal Area (URA). These metrics include an increase of entertainment options, especially restaurants and casual dining establishments. In addition to new eating and drinking establishments, BURA also measures the value of private investment into existing eating and drinking establishments. BURA’s programs are designed to spur additional, private investment that assists with the creation of a vibrant downtown.

In FY16-17, six new eating and drinking establishments opened their doors in downtown Beaverton. With these additions, 87 percent of all eating and drinking establishments in downtown are categorized as local mom and pop, 4 percent are national chains, 7 percent are regional chains, and 20 percent are food carts that are locally owned. There is a greater cluster of independently and locally owned establishments in downtown than in other areas of Beaverton, providing residents and visitors with a variety of cultural restaurant experiences.

FY16-17 also benefitted from an increase in private investment into existing restaurants and casual dining establishments from the previous fiscal year. BURA’s metrics confirm that over $269,000 was invested by the private sector into improving existing eating and drinking establishments in downtown Beaverton.

BURA and the City of Beaverton have made tremendous strides towards creating a vibrant downtown in FY16-17.