Relocation Guide Wilsonville Economic Development
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Relocation Guide Wilsonville Economic Development 1 Why Wilsonville? Once a small farming community, Wilsonville has transitioned into a well‐planned city with a mix of high‐tech industries and family businesses where approximately 21,000 residents enjoy the invigorating feeling of living in the ‘country’ combined with the convenience of living near a big city. Wilsonville's population is younger than the regional average, with a median age of 36. Our largest demographic group is young, working‐age residents between ages 20 and 39. 2 A Great Quality of Life When you choose Wilsonville, you are choosing a community with a relaxed family environment that fosters a hometown spirit, a town where the crime rate is low and your children get a great education. Located at the southern end of the Portland metro area, Wilsonville is the gateway to the Willamette Valley and Oregon’s many wineries. Surrounded by Oregon’s horse country, we sit on the Willamette River with boating, fishing, kayaking, and canoeing just out our back door. Mount Hood and ocean beaches are only an hour away, and Portland’s cultural, shopping and recreational activities are just 17 miles to the north. 3 Wonderful Amenities The Wilsonville Public Library offers programs for The City of Wilsonville’s Parks and Recreation Department adults, kids, and teens, including a very popular story consists of senior programs, adult and youth programs, time program, music concerts, public film showings, and special events with a focus on promoting healthy and book groups and literary courses. In addition to active life styles for all individuals of all ages. offering more than 120,000 items including large print books and audiobooks in CD, MP3 and downloadable The department operates a Community Center, several formats, the library has access to over 1.5 million items picnic shelters, historic barn, skate park, dog park, sports from the Library Information Network of Clackamas fields, a community garden, and multiple parks and County. Wilsonville is Oregon’s natural areas throughout the city. first HEAL City. Public Parks & Library Recreation 4 A Passion for Parks In addition to natural open spaces, the city owns and maintains nearly 200 acres of parks. Memorial Park is the city's largest park and includes a community garden, a trail system, a skate park, tennis courts and baseball and soccer fields. Town Center Park is home to the Korean War Memorial and hosts concerts and festivals throughout the summer. Murase Plaza provides adancing water fountain, picnic areas, children's play equipment, and a renovated historical barn that hosts special events. These are just a few of the community's many parks and recreational opportunities. 5 Convenient Shopping & Dining Wilsonville residents enjoy a casual lifestyle that includes easy access to shopping, dining, and other services. Shopping districts include Town Center, Old Town Square, and Argyle Square and an array of retail establishments and services including McMenamins’ Old Church & Pub, Oswego Grill, The Beer Station, Fry's Electronics, and Bullwinkle's Family Fun Center. 6 A Variety of Neighborhoods Whether your dream home is on the golf course, in a new urban village, a luxury apartment, a low‐maintenance condominium, on the waterfront, or in a traditional suburban cul de sac, you can find it in Wilsonville. 7 The West Linn‐Wilsonville School District, one of Oregon's top‐ ranked school districts, serves Wilsonville north of the Willamette River with two elementary schools, a middle school, high school, special charter high school and an environmental studies center. Canby School District serves the Charbonneau district south of Willamette River. Outstanding Educational Opportunities Oregon Tech Wilsonville serves students and employers in the Portland metropolitan area by offering a portfolio of high‐demand Bachelor and Master degree programs. Clackamas Community College has a campus in Wilsonville focusing on electrical utility training in conjunction with Portland General Electric and PacifCorp. Pioneer Pacific College, a private vocational‐education institution also has a campus in Wilsonville, with a program dedicated to health‐care training. 8 K-12 Education Higher Education Wilsonville’s Oregon Tech campus (formerly Oregon Institute of Technology) offers bachelor’s degree programs in Information Technology, Manufacturing, Electrical and The West Linn‐Wilsonville School District is one of Oregon’s Mechanical Engineering Technology, and both a bachelor’s top‐rated programs and serves Wilsonville students north of degree and master’s degree in Renewable Energy the Willamette River, while the Canby School District serves Engineering. Wilsonville students south of the river in Charbonneau. The West Linn‐Wilsonville School District operates three elementary schools, a middle school, Wilsonville High School, the Art‐Tech High School, and the Center for Research in Environmental Sciences and Technologies, which is an environmental education center. The Clackamas Community College campus in Wilsonville provides academic courses as well as business and Private school options include the Pacific Northwest vocational training programs. The Wilsonville campus is Academy, which offers a fully accredited, non‐profit focused primarily on workforce training courses for elementary and middle school. Portland General Electric and PacifiCorp, although other classes are offered on the campus as needed. University campuses less than an hour drive from Wilsonville: Portland State University, Oregon Health Sciences University, University of Portland, Willamette University, Reed College, Lewis & Clark College, Pacific University, Linfield College, Pioneer Pacific College offers classes and degrees for George Fox University, Marylhurst University, Concordia working adults in fields such as business, health care, University, Portland Community College information technology and law. 9 Superior Transit Service SMART (South Metro Area Regional Transit ) & WES (Westside Express Service) Operated by the City of Wilsonville, SMART maintains a fleet of over 35 vehicles ranging from 40 foot buses to minivans and an open‐air trolley. SMART also operates Dial‐a‐Ride, which provides door‐to‐ door service within Wilsonville and medical transport services to Portland and other nearby cities for the elderly and disabled. SMART services are free within Wilsonville, but intercity services charge a fee. Funding for SMART is provided primarily by local businesses and grants. In addition to bus routes and Dial‐a‐Ride, SMART manages the SMART Options Program which promotes alternatives to driving alone, such as riding transit, walking, bicycling and ridesharing. SMART also provides buses for special events and pre‐scheduled senior lunches, shopping, and other trips. In February 2009, TriMet’s Westside Express Service (WES) Commuter Rail, a self‐propelled diesel rail line servicing 5 stations from Beaverton to Wilsonville, began operation. In Beaverton, the Commuter Rail connects with TriMet buses and MAX lines serving Beaverton, Hillsboro, downtown Portland, and the Portland International Airport. In Wilsonville, SMART buses take WES commuters to businesses and neighborhoods throughout the city and provide service or direct transfers to Salem and Canby. 10 Nearby Sports, Arts & Culture Wilsonville is within minutes of Portland, the "City of Roses" where you can experience a diversity of attractions, entertainment, sporting, dining, culture and educational amenities. Home to the Portland Trailblazers, the Portland Timbers, and the Portland Winterhawks, our bigger neighbor to the north provides opportunities to enjoy professional basketball, soccer and hockey. The Portland Art Museum, Keller Auditorium, the Portland Center for Performing Arts and the Arlene Schnitzer Theater some of Portland's major venues for art and cultural experiences. Wilsonville is located on I-5, six miles from I-205, and 27 miles from 1-84. Easy Airport Access The Portland International Airport, ranked the number one best airport in the nation for 2013 by Travel + Leisure Magazine, is located 30 miles and 35 minutes from Wilsonville. The airport served 14.7 million travelers in 2012 and had direct connections to major airport hubs throughout the United States, plus non‐stop international flights to Canada, Japan, and the Netherlands. The Aurora airport, the third busiest airport in Oregon just behind Portland International and Portland‐Hillsboro, is located four miles from Wilsonville. The Aurora airport is primarily a general aviation airport with significant business aviation. 11 A Pleasant, Moderate Climate As part of the Willamette Valley, Wilsonville is within the marine west coast climate zone. Summers are generally warm, but temperatures year‐round are moderated by a marine influence from the Pacific Ocean. Wilsonville receives most of its precipitation during the mild to cool winter months, with the wettest period from November through March. July and August are the warmest months with an average high temperature of 80°F, while December is the coolest month with an average low of 33 F. On average, December is also the wettest month with 6.75 inches of precipitation. 12 Excellent Health Care Major ospitals and medical centers near Wilsonville include: Legacy Meridian Park Hospital ‐ located approximately 5 miles north of Wilsonville in Tualatin, Oregon Providence Medical Group ‐ offices in Wilsonville, Tualatin (8 miles) and Sherwood (9 miles) Providence St. Vincent Medical