Hillsboro Civic Center

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Hillsboro Civic Center
HillsboroCivicCenter.JPG
The north side of the Center.
Hillsboro Civic Center
General information
TypeCity hall
Location Hillsboro, Oregon, United States
Coordinates 45°31′19″N122°59′21″W / 45.521994°N 122.989127°W / 45.521994; -122.989127 Coordinates: 45°31′19″N122°59′21″W / 45.521994°N 122.989127°W / 45.521994; -122.989127
Current tenantsCity of Hillsboro
Starbucks
Construction started2003
Completed2005
OwnerCity of Hillsboro
Height78 feet (24 m), 6 stories
Technical details
Floor count5 stories (one level of above ground parking)
Floor area168,436 square feet (15,648.2 m2)
Design and construction
ArchitectLRS Architects
Structural engineerKPFF
Services engineerInterface Engineering
Civil engineerWRG Design
Main contractor Skanska Construction USA
Awards and prizesLEED Gold Certified

The Hillsboro Civic Center is a government-built, mixed-use development in downtown Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. The development includes the city hall for the county seat of Washington County, located west of Portland, Oregon. Covering 6 acres (24,000 m2), the Civic Center has a total of over 165,000 square feet (15,300 m2) in the complex. The total of six stories for the main structure makes the building the tallest in the city, tied with Tuality Community Hospital. In addition to government offices, the Civic Center includes retail space, public plazas, and residential housing. The complex was built to centralize city government functions under one roof.

Contents

Design of the complex began in 2002, with construction beginning in 2003. After completion in 2005, the building was awarded the LEED Gold certification for sustainability, the second city hall in the United States to earn that distinction. Environmentally friendly technologies used include occupancy sensors, ventilation that monitors carbon dioxide levels to determine when to activate, high performance exterior glass to reduce heat loss, and solar panels to generate electricity.

History

Plans for the 6-acre (24,000 m2) complex began as part of the city’s 2020 comprehensive plan. Development plans from six teams of developers and architects were submitted to the city in October 2001. [1] These plans included designs for public plazas, a library branch, residential units, retail space, and a new city hall. [1] Formal design proposals were submitted in early 2002. [2] The project was designed to consolidate city government and to anchor redevelopment of the downtown core that would reinvigorate downtown. [3] This included the plan to turn the area into a zone with 18 hours of activity each day, instead of businesses closing at 5:00 pm when the city and county governments closed. [4] Additionally, conference space was planned to accommodate use by both city and county governments, and by private groups. [4]

In April 2002, Specht Properties was selected as the developer of the project [5] after scoring higher with the council appointed committee formed to rate each of three developer's proposals, with Gerding Edlen Development and Trammell Crow Company losing out to Specht. [6] Construction on the complex began in June 2003 when an old grain store at the site was demolished to make room for the center. [7] A total of eight buildings were torn down to make room the complex as part of a redevelopment of a brownfield site. [4]

Plans also called for retail space, housing units, and a library branch. [5] Though the library section was built, a library branch did not open at the site. [8] LRS Architects designed the complex with Skanska USA serving as the general contractor. [9] The structural engineering was done by KPFF Consulting Engineers, services engineering was completed by Interface Engineering, and civil engineering for the project was handled by WRG Design. [3]

The building was finished in January 2005 with city officials and employees moving into the buildings by the end of March. [10] A public grand opening was held on July 16, 2005, to officially open the center. [11] Total cost of the public portion of the project was $34 million, [12] with construction totaling $23.5 million. [3] Prior to completion the city leased space in several downtown buildings, including the county's Public Services Building where Hillsboro also held city council meetings. [4] Later in 2005 a coffee shop was added as a tenant in part of the retail space, and in 2007 the restaurant space in the building was leased to NW Hayden Enterprises for a restaurant scheduled to open in 2008. [13] In April 2009, the plaza was renamed as the Tom Hughes Civic Center Plaza in honor of Tom Hughes, who was mayor when the building was constructed. [14]

Architecture

Designed by Portland-based firm, LRS Architects, Hillsboro's Civic Center is a modern glass building with a stone base and brick highlights. [15] There are two main buildings, the Civic Center housing government offices and the Plaza Building housing retail space. [16] The plazas surrounding the structures contain an inlaid quartzite river, basalt planters, and Victorian style benches. [17] Additionally, it was designed with large windows facing the north in order to reflect the giant sequoia trees located across the street at the Washington County Courthouse, with the trees dating back to the 1880s. [15]

Government offices at the Civic Center Hillsboro Civic Center government offices.JPG
Government offices at the Civic Center

At a total of six stories tall, the building is tied for the tallest building in Hillsboro with Tuality Community Hospital standing 78 feet (24 m) tall. [5] [18] Inside the building features high ceilings on the first floor and a large, open public space. [19] Daylight and exterior views are present in 90% of the offices in city hall. [9]

Awards

Hillsboro Civic Center won the award for Best Public Project in the state of Oregon for 2005 from Northwest Construction magazine for the general contractor Skanska USA. [20] It is the first municipal headquarters in Oregon to meet all its energy needs with renewable sources. [21] During development, the project first aimed for attaining a Silver certification from the United States Green Building Council. [22] Instead, the project was awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold certification for environmental sustainability by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership. [9] This was the second Gold rating given to a city hall in the U.S. after Seattle’s city hall earned the distinction, and the seventh building in Oregon to earn that level of certification. [9] [23]

Contributing factors leading to this award included that during construction, 92% of construction waste was recycled, and non-wood wheat board was used in some of the walls. [20] Additionally, 18 solar panels were installed on the building to generate power for use in the building, with the city purchasing all additional power through renewable power sources, funded in part by Portland General Electric and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, [24] while the building is 42% more energy efficient than comparable buildings. [23] Other environmental friendly amenities include occupancy sensors, ventilation that monitors carbon dioxide levels to determine when to activate, high performance exterior glass to reduce heat loss, infrared bathroom fixtures, and the use of recycled building materials among other items. [22] [25]

Amenities and use

The west side of the Civic Center, across 1st Street at Washington Street Hillsboro Civic Center west.JPG
The west side of the Civic Center, across 1st Street at Washington Street

The Civic Center was built over three city blocks in downtown. [26] The complex has a total of 168,436 square feet (15,648.2 m2). [12] The complex has two plazas, with the northern plaza designed to create an outdoor amphitheater with seating for 700. [22] Dedicated as the Tom Hughes Civic Center Plaza, the buildings of the Civic Center serve as a backdrop to the amphitheater, and by using Main Street to increase the space, the amphitheater can accommodate crowds of 5,000 people. [16] South Plaza connects the government portions of the complex to the 120-unit residential component of the development to the south. [16] Both plazas have water features, including a fountain in the 24,000-square-foot (2,200 m2) North Plaza. [16] [22]

On the ground floor of the center's north wing (called the Plaza Building) is a Starbucks coffee shop in a 1,600-square-foot (150 m2) space, while the 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) designed for the library branch remained open for future government use in 2005. [8] Most of the second floor of the Plaza Building was occupied for five years by the Washington County Museum, which moved into the rented space in fall 2012 [27] but moved back to its previous location, at Portland Community College's Rock Creek campus, in fall 2017. [28]

In the government areas there is a 3,800-square-foot (350 m2) conference center and the city council chambers. [19] This includes a 250-seat auditorium. [22] The Civic Center hosts the seasonal, weekly farmer’s market on Saturdays, and a marketplace on Tuesdays that features various vendors, both utilizing the center’s plaza area. [29] As of 2007, plans called for an upscale restaurant in a 3,800-square-foot (350 m2) space. [30] City services at the site include the Administration Department, [31] city planning, [32] the office of the city recorder, [33] and the municipal court among others. [34] The Civic Center also houses the office of the mayor [35] and is the site of the twice-monthly city council meetings. [36]

Related Research Articles

Hillsboro, Oregon City in Oregon, United States

Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city hosts many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the Silicon Forest. At the 2010 Census, the city's population was 91,611.

Hatfield Government Center station Light rail station in Hillsboro, US

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Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport station Light rail station on the Portland-area MAX Blue Line in northwest Oregon

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Willow Creek/Southwest 185th Avenue Transit Center Light rail station and transit center on the MAX Blue Line in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States

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Quatama station

Quatama, formerly Quatama/Northwest 205th Avenue, is a light rail station in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States, that is served by TriMet as part of the MAX Light Rail system. Situated between Orenco station and Willow Creek/Southwest 185th Avenue Transit Center, it is the seventh eastbound station on the Blue Line. The two-track, island platform station includes a park-and-ride lot. Quatama Station is named after the area which includes Quatama Road to the south of the station. Opened in 1998, the stop is near high-tech industries and the Amberglen business park, which includes Oregon Health & Science University's West Campus and the Oregon National Primate Research Center. With the renaming of Northwest 205th Avenue to Northeast John Olsen Avenue by the city of Hillsboro in 2017, TriMet changed the station's name from its original, longer name.

Orenco station (TriMet) Light rail station in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States

Orenco, formerly Orenco/Northwest 231st Avenue, is a light rail station in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States, that is served by TriMet as part of the MAX Light Rail system. Situated between the Quatama and Hawthorn Farm stations, it is the sixth eastbound station on the Blue Line. The two-track, island platform station serves the Orenco Station neighborhood, which is considered a positive model for smart growth and transit-oriented development. The neighborhood is also home to Intel's Ronler Acres campus.

The Streets of Tanasbourne Shopping mall in Oregon, United States

The Streets of Tanasbourne is an outdoor shopping mall located in the Tanasbourne area of Hillsboro in the U.S. state of Oregon. Opened in October 2004, the center provides shopping to the Hillsboro/Beaverton area west of Portland, near the Sunset Highway. The $55 million center is an open-air complex designed to mimic older downtown shopping districts and has 55 store locations.

Tuality Community Hospital Hospital in Oregon, United States

Hillsboro Medical Center, formerly Tuality Community Hospital, is a medical care facility located in Hillsboro in the U.S. state of Oregon. The 167-bed facility was founded in 1918 in downtown and is one of two hospitals in Hillsboro, Washington County's most populous city. Tuality has partnerships with Oregon Health & Science University and Pacific University. At six stories tall, the main building is tied for the tallest in the city with the Hillsboro Civic Center.

Hillsboro Public Library Historic library in Oregon

The Hillsboro Public Library is a two-location public library system in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. First opened in 1914 in a Carnegie library building, the system provides services to a population area of 137,000 people. As of 2015, the system had a usage of 922,000 visits per year, with circulation nearly 3 million items per year. One library is located near downtown in Shute Park, with the other location in the central portion of the city near the airport. The Hillsboro Public Library is part of Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS), which ensures library service is available to all residents of Washington County. As of 2015, the director of the library is Stephanie Chase.

Venetian Theatre

The Venetian Theatre is a former movie theater and performing arts venue in downtown Hillsboro, Oregon, United States, which since 2021 has been in use by a restaurant named The Venetian Hillsboro. Formerly the Town Theater, the building re-opened in 2008 after more than a decade of inactivity and revitalization plans. Built in 1888 as a bank, later mayor Orange Phelps converted the property into a theater in 1911 and in 1925 converted it into a two-story Italianate building with a larger auditorium. Prior to renovation the theater was owned by the city of Hillsboro who purchased it from Act III Theatres.

Pacific University Health Professions Campus

The Pacific University Health Professions Campus is a satellite campus of Pacific University located in downtown Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. Opened in 2006, the campus contains the school's College of Health Professions with plans to move Pacific's College of Optometry and School of Professional Psychology in later phases. Housed in two brick buildings, the campus is located in the city's Health and Education District and adjacent to the Tuality Hospital/Southeast 8th Avenue light rail station. The campus of Tuality Community Hospital is across Baseline Street to the south.

Glenn & Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center

The Glenn & Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center is a multi-use arts and performance venue in downtown Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. Opened in 2004, it is housed in a red-colored stone building completed in 1949 as a Lutheran church. Hillsboro, a city on the west side of Portland, owns the three-level facility and operates it through their Parks and Recreation Department.

Tom Hughes (Oregon politician)

Tom Hughes is an American politician and former educator. He was the president of Metro, a regional government in the Portland metropolitan area, from 2011-2019, and was the mayor of his home town of Hillsboro from 2001-2009. He also on the city's planning commission and city council. During his time a mayor, the city built the Hillsboro Civic Center as the new city hall, with the exterior plaza then named in his honor after he left office.

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Hillsboro Artists' Regional Theatre (HART), originally the Hillsboro Actors Repertory Theater, is a community theatre group in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1994, the non-profit group presents around six plays each year. Their 99-seat theater is located in downtown Hillsboro next to the Hillsboro Civic Center along Washington Street.

Turner Creek Park

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Kaiser Westside Medical Center Hospital in Oregon, United States

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Orchard Park (Oregon)

Orchard Park is a municipal park in Hillsboro in the U.S. state of Oregon. Opened in 2003, the park covers a 21 acres (8.5 ha) along Rock Creek in the Tanasbourne neighborhood. The park includes nature trails, a playground, and a nine-hole disc golf course. Employees of the R.E.I. store at the nearby The Streets of Tanasbourne adopted the park in the city’s adopt a park program.

Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center

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The Shute Park Aquatic & Recreation Center (SHARC) is a multi-pool indoor and outdoor facility located in Hillsboro in the U.S. state of Oregon. Originally opened in 1954 as an outdoor at Shute Park, an indoor recreation center and pool opened in 1981. The indoor recreation center, which includes a weight room, spa, a wading pool, and classroom space, was expanded in 2006 at a cost of $9 million.

References

  1. 1 2 Anderson. David R. "Big ideas for Hillsboro", The Oregonian , October 29, 2001.
  2. ↑ Anderson, David R. "Imagining downtown", The Oregonian , March 7, 2002.
  3. 1 2 3 Basalyga, Stephanie. Good as Gold. Daily Journal of Commerce Magazine, July 2005.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Fields, K.J. "Center of Attention", Daily Journal of Commerce Magazine, November 2003.
  5. 1 2 3 Anderson, David R. "Specht gains contract for Hillsboro Civic Center", The Oregonian , April 3, 2002.
  6. ↑ Anderson, David R. "Council, contractor pose Civic Center questions", The Oregonian , March 21, 2002.
  7. ↑ "Demolition to kick off work on Hillsboro Civic Center" Archived 2004-01-26 at the Wayback Machine , Portland Business Journal , June 5, 2003.
  8. 1 2 Bermudez, Esmeralda. "Coffee chain’s baristas will fire up espresso machine in Civic Center", The Oregonian , June 28, 2005.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Civic Center LEED Rated", Northwest Construction, January 1, 2006.
  10. ↑ Bermudez, Esmeralda. Civic Center near finish line. The Oregonian , December 17, 2004.
  11. ↑ Boone, Jerry F. "Hillsboro's Civic Center is built for civic life", The Oregonian , July 13, 2005.
  12. 1 2 "Specht Properties Wilsonville city officials have", The Oregonian , February 24, 2005.
  13. ↑ Suh, Elizabeth. "Sewer overflows anger residents", The Oregonian , December 6, 2007.
  14. ↑ Gordanier, Susan (April 14, 2009). "Tom Hughes honored as plaza takes his name". The Hillsboro Argus. Archived from the original on 2009-05-02. Retrieved 2009-04-15.
  15. 1 2 Olsen, Dana E. Hillsboro Civic Center. The Oregonian , October 7, 2004.
  16. 1 2 3 4 City Views: The Hillsboro Civic Center. February 2005. Archived 2006-10-03 at the Wayback Machine The City of Hillsboro. Retrieved on October 2, 2007.
  17. ↑ Gragg, Randy. Sight lines: Hillsboro Civic Center. The Oregonian , April 17, 2005.
  18. ↑ Bermudez, Esmeralda. Plan highlights. The Oregonian , November 16, 2006.
  19. 1 2 Olsen, Dana E. Hillsboro Civic Center. The Oregonian , January 27, 2005.
  20. 1 2 Best Public Project-Oregon. Archived 2006-10-19 at the Wayback Machine Northwest Construction. Retrieved on October 1, 2007.
  21. ↑ "Local OR Civic Center to Acquire New Solar System". Renewable Energy Today. July 13, 2005. Retrieved 2008-02-18.[ dead link ]
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 Hillsboro Civic Center: LEED Gold Certification. Archived 2007-08-14 at the Wayback Machine GreenerBuildings. Retrieved on September 27, 2007.
  23. 1 2 Hillsboro Civic Center scores LEED gold rating. Archived 2012-02-17 at the Wayback Machine Daily Journal of Commerce, December 1, 2005.
  24. ↑ Hillsboro Civic Center First City Hall in Oregon to be 100 Percent Green Powered. Archived 2008-05-16 at the Wayback Machine Bonneville Environmental Foundation. Retrieved on September 27, 2007.
  25. ↑ Bermudez, Esmeralda. Earth-friendly Hillsboro Civic Center wins gold. The Oregonian , December 6, 2005.
  26. ↑ City of Hillsboro Civic Center. Archived 2007-10-11 at the Wayback Machine SkanskaUSA. Retrieved on September 27, 2007.
  27. ↑ Castillo, Andrea (November 16, 2012). "Washington County Museum retrieves memory of Bracero farm laborers". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2017-10-18. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  28. ↑ Howard, John William (September 7, 2017). "County museum will exit downtown Hillsboro". Hillsboro Tribune. Archived from the original on 2017-10-18. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  29. ↑ What’s Up at the Farmer’s Markets. Hillsboro Argus , July 13, 2007.
  30. ↑ Colby, Richard (June 28, 2007). "The Civic Center hungers for an upscale dining option". The Oregonian .
  31. ↑ Administration. Archived 2008-02-25 at the Wayback Machine City of Hillsboro. Retrieved on February 19, 2008.
  32. ↑ Planning. Archived 2008-01-26 at the Wayback Machine City of Hillsboro. Retrieved on February 19, 2008.
  33. ↑ City REcorder. Archived 2008-02-25 at the Wayback Machine City of Hillsboro. Retrieved on February 19, 2008.
  34. ↑ Municipal Court. Archived 2008-02-29 at the Wayback Machine City of Hillsboro. Retrieved on February 19, 2008.
  35. ↑ Mayor Tom Hughes. Archived 2008-12-21 at the Wayback Machine City of Hillsboro. Retrieved on February 19, 2008.
  36. ↑ Hillsboro City Council Meeting Information. Archived 2008-04-11 at the Wayback Machine City of Hillsboro. Retrieved on February 19, 2008.

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