McMinnville and Yamhill County begin joint review of downtown properties ahead of 'Downtown 2045' plan

McMinnville and Yamhill County officials met in a joint session April 8 to begin coordinating on a Downtown 2045 update and to review city- and county-owned parcels in and adjacent to downtown McMinnville.

The discussion centered on a city-led Downtown 2045 planning effort that the McMinnville Urban Renewal Agency has funded and expects to start selecting a consultant team in the second quarter of 2025. The city said the study will run about 18 to 24 months and will examine land uses, redevelopment opportunities, market analysis and, if warranted, an amendment to the downtown urban renewal plan.

“We're here to sort of start a dialogue about Downtown McMinnville and how it serves this community for the next 20 years,” Community Development Director Heather Richards said. The city provided maps showing properties owned by the City of McMinnville (blue), Yamhill County (red) and other tax-exempt parcels (purple), and flagged historic‑inventory sites and reduced parking requirement zones that affect redevelopment options.

County Administrator Ken Huffer described the county’s near‑term property plan tied to the county’s purchase of the OMI campus. Huffer said the county intends to consolidate several county functions into the OMI campus — including the County Clerk’s Office, Planning, IT, Tax & Assessment, Health & Human Services administration, veterans services and county administration — and that consolidation will free up eight county‑owned downtown parcels for potential sale or redevelopment.

“We're looking at a couple hundred employees that we're…