Cornelius Town Center

Project

Year

2018

Location

Cornelius, Oregon

Client

City of Cornelius

The Challenge

Expanding the Heart of Cornelius

The Hanks/Grande Foods property sits at the center of Cornelius — a large retail block surrounded by high-speed arterials and disconnected sidewalks. Once a hub for local shopping, the site had become underutilized and difficult to navigate on foot. The challenge was to transform this auto-oriented block into a walkable, mixed-use neighborhood that could restore civic life, support local businesses, and express the city’s multi-cultural identity.

Working with the City of Cornelius and local property owners, the team developed a framework for the site’s long-term evolution: to make it more connected, more livable, and more distinctly Cornelius.

Option 1: Neighborhood Blocks

The first option focused on repairing the city grid by introducing new streets and smaller development parcels. These new neighborhood-scaled blocks would create a finer grain of housing and retail — reconnecting the site to its surroundings and improving safety and circulation.

This approach balanced urban structure and flexibility but would demand coordinated redevelopment over several phases and higher upfront costs.

Option 2:
Building Evolution

The next concept proposed incremental transformation, reusing parts of the existing Hanks building while activating its edges with new retail frontages and a food market courtyard. This scenario introduced a food cart pod, flexible maker spaces, and temporary plaza improvements to attract activity and test market demand before larger redevelopment.

It required less investment and allowed short-term activation — an achievable starting point for revitalization.

Option 3:
Plaza

The first concept envisioned a series of plazas that stitched together the library, school, and neighborhood through pedestrian pathways and green corridors. This option emphasized public space visibility and walkability, carving new connections through the large site to reveal gathering areas framed by local art and small storefronts.

While highly walkable and community-focused, this approach required significant long-term investment and full redevelopment of the site.

Preferred Design

The preferred plan blended the strengths of all three options. It established a new network of pedestrian alleys, a mid-block greenway connection, and a central market plaza — all supported by phased development of "missing middle" housing such as townhomes, mansion-style apartments, and live/work units.

By organizing new buildings around public courtyards and clear view corridors, the site becomes a walkable extension of Cornelius’s civic core — where the library, school, and neighborhoods meet through everyday activity.

Cornelius Market

At the heart of the plan is the Cornelius Market — a hometown gathering space that celebrates local food, art, and entrepreneurship. The market would become a flexible venue for food carts, events, and indoor/outdoor vendor stalls.

With covered seating, murals, and community art, the market brings visibility and pride to Cornelius’s multicultural character while offering affordable space for local small businesses to grow.

Parklets + Public Spaces

New parklets, plazas, and pocket parks are strategically placed throughout the site to promote walkability and social connection. These small-scale public spaces extend the identity of the city center — offering shaded seating, public art, and play opportunities along key pedestrian routes.

Together, they transform a single large block into a lively neighborhood fabric that supports everyday encounters and celebrates community life.

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