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The city of Beaverton is one step closer to finding a developer to create workforce housing on a land parcel it purchased earlier this year.

Three developers are prequalified to purchase and redevelop a city-owned block at the southwest corner of First Street and Lombard Avenue. The teams – Portland-based Blankslate Development, Catholic Charities/Caritas Housing and Community Partners for Affordable Housing – now will go through a request for proposals process.

The city of Beaverton purchased the property in June with $1.07 million of general fund money that had been set aside for strategic property investments. A building on the property was deconstructed last month. Don Mazziotti, community and economic development director for the city, envisions the property being transformed into a four- or five-story building with 70 or 80 units of workforce housing over ground-floor retail space.

The firms have three months to respond to the RFP with a detailed plan of how they plan to purchase and develop the property. A firm should be selected sometime in October, Mazziotti said, and could potentially start construction by November.

Though the city owns the property, Mazziotti doesn’t expect much public investment. The site sits in the city’s proposed new urban renewal area, but construction would likely start before voters even get a chance to vote on the URA.

City officials hope the project will not only provide workforce housing – essentially housing for families that make less than $66,900 a year – but also help bridge the gap between Beaverton’s Old Town and downtown areas.