TD wins $50K grant to provide shade in Federal Street Plaza project
Here is a view of the corner of Federal and Third streets in The Dalles looking east. The vacant lot surrounded by chainlink fence is the former location of Tony’s Town & Country which was demolished. The new Federal Street Plaza will be built on this street section providing a gathering place for locals and events. A T-Mobile grant just added $50,000 toward the purchase of shades to keep the space comfortable during warmer months.
By Tom Peterson
THE DALLES, Ore., Dec. 11, 2025 — The City of The Dalles has been selected as one of T-Mobile’s newest Hometown Grant recipients, securing $49,840 to install shade canopies at Federal Street Plaza and expand its usefulness as a year-round public gathering space.
The project was submitted by the city and chosen from a competitive pool of more than 900 applicants. The shade canopies are considered a key addition in a community that experiences summer heat, providing much-needed relief and making the plaza more usable during peak temperatures.
The Federal Street Plaza will convert the block between First and Second Streets into a flexible public space designed for markets, festivals, and everyday use. Plans call for new public restrooms, upgraded utilities, and a pump house to support a future water feature. Funded largely through the city, the plaza is budgeted at roughly $4.7 million.
Federal Street Plaza construction could start as early as Spring 2026.
City officials say the plaza is designed to become a visitor- and resident-friendly anchor for downtown, creating a comfortable, welcoming space that encourages people to stay longer and return more often. Increased foot traffic supports a healthier local economy by driving sales activity throughout the downtown corridor.
“We are absolutely excited about it — we were selected out of 900 applicants and we landed in the top 3 percent to get one of these grants,” said City Economic Development Officer Jacob Anderson. “It shows this project is worth investing in and the city is doing its part. This is the cherry on top. We had not designed shade structures in the project… now we can include it since we got this grant.”
T-Mobile announced 25 new grant recipients nationwide on Thursday. Across Oregon, the company says it has now provided $200,000 to six towns through the Hometown Grants initiative.
