50 Ways To Love Downtown TD: Urban Renewal to dive deep into resurgence strategies

This blue building at 508 E. Second Street once was a Radio Shack which shuttered more than a decade ago. The building was then home to a couple of restaurants, but has been absent a business in multiple years. Storefront windows are now home to cat comforts.

By Tom Peterson

The Dalles, Ore., March 12, 2026 — A proposal under discussion by the Columbia Gateway Urban Renewal Agency would ask downtown building owners to help improve the appearance and upkeep of their properties as part of a broader effort to strengthen economic activity in the city’s historic core.

The board is set to meet on St. Patrick’s day at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 313 Court Street, The Dalles.

The idea of upkeep is rooted in the concept often described as “Pride of Place,” sometimes associated with the “broken window” theory of urban maintenance — the notion that small signs of deterioration, if left unaddressed, can gradually lead to larger problems and declining confidence in a neighborhood.

The concept is just one of more than 50 ideas the Urban Renewal Agency will consider Tuesday as board members discuss how to strengthen downtown and guide future redevelopment efforts.

Urban renewal officials have previously estimated the agency could direct between $4 million and $7 million in future investments, depending on project costs and funding decisions.

The board will review 51 ideas aimed at improving downtown, ranging from housing incentives and building rehabilitation to public space improvements and business support programs. Readers can see the full list themselves in the meeting background on pages 15–21.

The libely Sigman’s Flowers & Gifts is undergoing façade improvements through The Columbia Gateway Urban Renewal Agency’s Incentive Program.

Other concepts range from beautification incentives and storefront improvements to broader infrastructure and redevelopment strategies that could reshape the downtown district.

Well-maintained buildings, clean storefronts and cared-for public spaces can help create a sense of vitality that encourages visitors, shoppers and residents to spend more time downtown.

Maintenance Standards

One proposal being explored would consider establishing commercial property maintenance standards aimed at preventing long-term deterioration of buildings in the downtown district.

This building at 409 E. Second Street has been vacant since Another Chance Resale & More vacated in August 2021. The building is in the catbird seat, with the new Federal Street Plaza to be constructed in the near future.

The concept would address situations where buildings experience deferred maintenance that affects safety, appearance and the overall economic health of the area.

City staff note that such an ordinance would likely require City Council action and legal review and would not be a direct urban renewal investment program.

Crestline Construction loaded out pieces of the demolished The Dalles Soda Works building at 800 E. 2nd Street on April 28, 2023. The building was the recipient of funding through the City’s Brownfield Revitalization Program contributing approximately $18,000 for a Phase 1 Environmental Survey, Phase 2 Environmental Site Assessment, Regulated Building Materials Survey, as well as assisting in abatement and demolition cost estimates. In addition, the Urban Renewal Agency contributed approximately $21,000 toward the abatement and demolition through the Agency’s new Incentive Program. 

No changes to the property have occured since the demolition. The property is owned by the James and Shawn Stroud of Rufus, who purchased the building in 2015 for $48,000, according to Wasco County records. They also operate Dinty’s Market next door.

Increased Housing

File photo - The Honald building at 400 E. Second Street was rehabilitated 7 years ago with a complete gut and rebuild of the second floor which now provides 8 new loft apartments, which were incentivized through city redevelopment money.

Another group of proposals focuses on increasing housing in existing downtown buildings by making it easier for property owners to convert unused upper floors into apartments.

While the city already offers incentives for creating housing units downtown, one proposal would expand eligibility to include costly building upgrades — such as roofs and fire-suppression systems — when tied to creating livable upper-story housing.

Those upgrades are often the most expensive barriers to converting upper floors into housing. Many older downtown buildings face obstacles such as outdated roofs, a lack of fire sprinkler systems and structural upgrades required to meet safety codes before residential occupancy can be approved.

The proposal suggests the city may be looking beyond the existing per-unit incentive program toward addressing the underlying building systems that prevent projects from moving forward.

The meeting will also include a presentation from the University of Oregon Sustainable City Year Program on a proposed downtown market analysis and retail mix strategy for The Dalles.

The Columbia Gateway Urban Renewal Agency board will meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 17, at City Hall, 313 Court St. The meeting can also be watched online via Zoom.