• Woodburn city logo

    Newport City Center Revitalization Plan

    Online Open House

  • Welcome

    Help make Newport’s city center a place where people can live, work, shop and get around safely. 

  • Through this project, the City of Newport is working to create a vibrant, welcoming city center — home to successful businesses, housing options, and community gathering space, that is attractive to residents and visitors.

    Changes to traffic patterns and new transportation facilities (such as additional bus stops or bike lanes) will be key to encouraging redevelopment. We will build off the 2022 Transportation System Plan (TSP) opens in a new tab, but we want to hear from you about how the city center can eventually become this vibrant space. Specifically, we want to hear what you like (and don’t like) about the two redevelopment options for Highway 101.

  • Project Area

    The focus of this planning effort will be within 2-3 blocks of US 20 and US 101 (from the east entrance to the City, west to the US 20/US 101 intersection, and then south to the Yaquina Bay Bridge).

    Help make Newport’s city center a place where people can live, work, shop and get around safely. Learn more on the following pages and tell us what you think.

  • map of the project area(opens in a new tab)

  • Background

    Newport Transportation System Plan (TSP) July 2022 –Three options were evaluated for improving US 101 in downtown Newport, two involved forming one-way couplets with the existing US 101 and SW 9th Street (long and short options), and one approach retained the highway in its current alignment with bicycle facilities being added to SE 9th Street. After considering technical aspects of each option and public feedback, the City Council dropped the long couplet from further consideration (for reasons outlined below), and approved the TSP with the other two approaches as potentially viable options.

    Why not simply remove parking along US 101?

    • Removes curb extensions; adds 12’ to 16’ of pedestrian crossing distance reducing safety
    • Promotes highway-adjacent commercial versus mixed-use development.
    • Travel lanes 8-ft closer to sidewalks deters adjacent private development.
    • ODOT may not support, considering the condition of degraded pedestrian facilities on parallel streets.

    Why isn't the city pursuing the long couplet option?

    • Additional cost.
    • The area near the hospital is already redeveloping in positive ways.
  •  

  • Go directly to a page using the buttons above or use the "Next" button below to move through the pages in order. Be sure to click or tap “Submit” on the last page.

  • Highway 101 Options

    There are two options for making Highway 101 safer for everyone to get around.  

  • In 2022, the City completed a Transportation System Plan (TSP) opens in a new tab that identified two options for improving US 101 within the project area to promote economic development and provide infrastructure to support new housing.

  • One-way short couplet

    Between SW Abbey Street and SW 2nd Street, people traveling south on 101 would use the existing highway, which would have two travel lanes for vehicles. Removing northbound traffic from this section of Highway 101 would allow this corridor to have wider sidewalks with landscaping, buffered bike lanes, and on-street parking. Travelers heading north on Highway 101 would use an improved SW 9th Street that would include two travel lanes for vehicles with wider sidewalks with landscaping and a buffered bike lane.

    map of the couplet example(opens in a new tab)

  • Two-way enhanced

    Within the existing 74-foot right-of-way on Highway 101, the sidewalks could be widened and landscaping added if on-street parking was removed. This would also allow four 11-foot travel lanes – one foot wider than what exists today. A bikeway would be added to SW 9th Avenue between SW Abbey Street and SW 2nd Street in place of bicycle lanes on this section of Highway 101. The SW 9th Avenue bikeway would require removal of on-street parking and reduced lane width for vehicles.

    map of the two-way enhanced example(opens in a new tab)

  • Redeveloping Hwy 101 Page  

    There are two options for making Highway 101 safer for everyone to get around, while also redeveloping for housing and businesses.  

  • Below are the redevelopment options for US Highway 101. There are opportunities to change or improve the land use to make it a walkable, reimagined City Center that connects Newport’s Business Districts. The land uses would consider:

    • How to serve locals, focusing on walkability to essential services like schools, grocery shopping, etc.
    • How to provide new housing units at a variety of sizes without relying on a car
    • Ways to increase local and tourist traffic to encourage businesses to locate/stay here

    There are also challenges to developing Highway 101, including:

    • Practical development challenges (high interest rates and construction costs, coastal challenges)
    • Market challenges (inability to pay higher rents/sales prices/decreased employment)
    • Aging buildings, sidewalks, and roads
    • Accessibility of services for people experiencing homelessness
    • Potential displacement risks for existing businesses
    • Highway safety concerns
    • Government coordination
    • Lack of vacant or unavailable land
    • Difficult retail environment

  • map of redevelopments(opens in a new tab)

  • This Revitalization Planning Project will identify which of the options, or variations of the options will best support the project objectives.

  • Couplet Option 

  • map of the couplet example's land use(opens in a new tab)

    illustrated map of the couplet's land use(opens in a new tab)

    illustration showing the various lane sizes for cars, bikes, and public transportation in the couplet example.(opens in a new tab)

  • Two-way Option 

  • map of the two-way exmaple land use(opens in a new tab)

    sketch of the two way example land use(opens in a new tab)

    illustration of the various lane sizes for cars, bikes, and public transportation for the two-way example(opens in a new tab)

  • What do you LIKE about the Highway 101 options?

  • What DON’T you like about the Highway 101 options?

  • Highway 20 Options

    There are two options for making Highway 101 safer for everyone to get around.  

  • For this area, there are opportunities to change or enhance the land use to create a “maker’s district” and provide an improved gateway from US 20 to Newport.

    The land uses would consider:

    • How to create a more attractive gateway/entrance to the city
    • Housing development opportunities along NE 1st Street
    • Rehabilitate storefronts and light industrial spaces for small businesses (create a small “maker district” where customers watch the creation of a product and then purchase it or participate themselves)

    There are also barriers to developing this area including:

    • Practical development challenges (high interest rates and construction costs, coastal challenges)
    • Market challenges (inability to pay higher rents/sales prices/decreased employment)
    • Aging buildings
    • Accessibility of services for people experiencing homelessness
    • Aging infrastructure
    • Potential displacement risks
    • Uncertain market demand
    • Incomplete sidewalks

  • map of the project land use in the area(opens in a new tab) illustration showing the different turn lanes for cars and other vehicles(opens in a new tab)

  • Funding

  • Urban Renewal Funding

    Roughly $0.38 of every dollar of property tax is collected by the City of Newport; the balance goes to other taxing entities. Total available funding is $39,920,000. Urban renewal funds will only cover a portion of the cost to reconfigure US 101, with the city having to compete for state and federal funds to cover the rest. State and federal funds prioritize projects that enhance all modes (i.e., walking, driving, cycling, etc.).

    Commercial Core

    • Finance improvements to ease congestion, spread out traffic, enhance pedestrian experience, and facilitate redevelopment.
    • Enhance district identity through provision of amenities including but not limited to benches, public art, public spaces, street and landscape island enhancements, wayfinding, and utility undergrounding.
    • Promote mixed use development and redevelopment of properties.

    Housing

    • Improve transportation to support existing development and allow future housing development.

  • detailed map of the urban renewal district(opens in a new tab)

  • Next Steps

    Thanks so much for getting involved.  

  • In addition to this outreach, we’ve been working with a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) to collect input throughout the project plus meetings with local businesses and social service providers. We’ll also be hosting another open house in spring 2025. Around that time, we’ll be talking with local businesses about façade improvement opportunities.

    The City of Newport has some urban renewal funds to put toward the final plan, but we’ll need to leverage state and grants to pay for all the changes in the plan. City general funds will not be used for this project. We are looking at implementing these changes in the next 7-10 years.

  • Timeline

    detailed graphic demonstrating the project timeline(opens in a new tab)

  • Demographic information

  • These questions are optional but help us understand who we’ve reached through our outreach.

  • Should be Empty: