Council hears update on Grand Ronde parcel; tribes propose mixed-use development and discuss temporary fire station and sheriff's campus

City staff updated the council on ongoing talks with the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde about the large undeveloped parcel within Wood Village—s town-center area. The tribes— highest-and-best-use analysis favored multi-story apartment development, with possible commercial pads and hospitality uses considered less economically viable in initial reviews.

Staff also said the Multnomah County Sheriff—s Office has expressed interest in consolidating scattered facilities into a 10—12-acre campus on the parcel and might seek a long-term lease. Separately, the tribes have suggested the city indicate by March whether it is serious about accommodating a temporary fire station (1 to 1.25 acres) on the northwest corner of the property; they hope for paperwork toward a lease by May so work could move forward in 2026.

Staff noted trade-offs: placing a large public-safety campus on the parcel could remove developable acreage from tax rolls and affect urban-renewal tax-increment expectations, but it also could provide local public-safety benefits. The staff proposed a joint urban-renewal-agency/city-council meeting in January to review remaining urban-renewal capacity (city staff said the urban renewal area had $11.7 million maximum indebtedness with about $4.6 million spent through June 30, 2025) and to define what incentives or amenities the city would require if development moves forward.