Philomath council favors mixed-use plan for city'owned former gas station, asks staff to draft RFQ

PHILOMATH, Ore. ' At a Dec. 8 work session, the Philomath City Council reviewed an area-wide downtown revitalization report and discussed redevelopment options for a city-owned former gas station at 14th and Main (1340 Main).

City manager and urban renewal manager Tiff, who presented the history and options, traced the city's urban renewal work from the 1990 plan through later expansions and infrastructure projects. Tiff said the city has used renewal funds for College Street improvements and later to address chronic downtown flooding by extending storm drains down 13th Street. She told council the city recently completed an underground-tank removal and environmental cleanup at the 14th and Main site under DEQ oversight.

Why it matters: the site is a visible gateway into downtown and sits inside the urban renewal area, so how the city disposes of or develops the property will shape downtown character and private investment. Stantec's area-wide plan offered three options for the parcel: a mixed-use building with ground-floor commercial and…