Woodburn Area Chamber of Commerce
124 W. Lincoln Street
PO Box 194
503-982-8221
Fax: 503-982-8410
Website Designed By:
503-982-8221
Economic Development
The City of Woodburn and the Chamber are co-chairing an Economic Development Task Force to develop an Economic Plan for the area. Begun in 2009, the goal is to present a plan to the City Council in 2010.
In 2008 the Chamber formed Woodburn Area Tourism (WAT), to separate and better track our tourism efforts. Working closely with the City of Woodburn to secure significant funding from Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) funds (taxes on motel visitors), WAT manages the Visitor Information Center at the Woodburn Company Stores, the Visitor website www.alwaysfreshdiscoveries.com, produces brochures on events and itineraries for spending more time in the area, and assists local celebrations with promotion and financing.
In January, 2010 the Woodburn City Council approved a Downtown Plan. With substantial input from the Chamber and area residents, this document lays out an exciting future for the heart of our City. Our Woodburn Downtown Association will play an integral part in implementing this vision.
The City with Chamber assistance has received a $200,000 state grant to develop a similar plan for the 99E Business District in east Woodburn, which will lead to the revitalization of this critical area. While this project is in its initial stages, the Chamber will help organize its members to provide input on the result.
The Oregon Legislature approved funding for the I-5 Interchange improvement during their 2009 session. This project is now nearly ¾ funded, and we are awaiting federal grants to completely fund this $90 million partial cloverleaf, park and ride facility, and widening of Highway 214 to Park Avenue. The Oregon Department of Transportation is moving forward on developing specific blueprints for this project, with anticipated ground breaking in 2012.
The mission of the Hubbard Business and Economic Development Group (HBED) is to “identify, develop, and promote opportunities to improve Hubbard’s image, business climate and local economy.” They meet the 2nd Thursday of each month at the Hubbard Fire Hall. Projects include the beautification of Highway 99E, increased communication through newsletters, better signage, park development, a business directory, city cleanup, and serving as the voice for the Hubbard business community.