Canby, Oregon

and youth activities, as well as recreation options for all ages including boating, cycling, fishing, and golf. The progressive Canby School District has a campus thriving with consistent investment in modern buildings and state-of- the-art technology, and the Technical Education Center equips students with valuable skills and exposure to many career options. In the 1990s, Canby established an Urban Renewal District, in order to kick start the expansion of its industrial parks and the revitalization of its downtown business corridor. Tax increment financing (TIF) from the Urban Renewal District funds was initially invested in roads, power, water, and sewer for the industrial parks, which over the last 15 years, has increased the tax value of the land. The City used the funds to borrow against that value, which enabled the financing of several new downtown projects, including redone parking and street structures on First Ave., a community parking lot, a new Police Station, and the construction of a new, 35,000-square-foot building, which now houses the library, City Council Chambers, Community and Economic Development programs, the Finance Department, and City Administrative functions, freeing up four former civic buildings for redevelopment. According to Economic Development Director, Jamie Stickel, one of those buildings, the former library, is now being repurposed. “The idea is to have a hybrid public market that will have space for restaurants and retail and also some small office and conference space in the back,” she explains, “so we can offer options for entrepreneurs or smaller businesses that don’t yet have a space; perhaps someone who might be looking to make a leap, say, from making jam in their garage and selling it at the farmers market, to having a brick and mortar location.” The City’s Economic Development Department applied for, and received, an Oregon Main Street Revitalization grant of $200,000 to assist in the redevelopment of the 11,000-sq.-ft. building.