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Hillsboro’s suburban skyline could soon become taller.

The city recently approved an ordinance to rezone a Tanasbourne business park and make way for the AmberGlen Community Plan, a 20-year growth strategy expected to produce multiple commercial and residential high-rise buildings.

The 606-acre development planned between 185th and 206th avenues will create more shopping and dining opportunities, but also provide convenient housing options for people working at technology and retail corporations nearby, said Colin Cooper, a planning manager for the city. It also will help Hillsboro handle the influx of residents but remain inside the urban growth boundary.

Hillsboro in the past 20 years has built other large housing and retail developments 鈥� Orenco Station, in particular 鈥� but the city has never had a development this dense, Cooper said.

鈥淭his district will take it to the next level; we’re bullish on its future,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e believe it provides market choice for those people that want more urban-style living or amenities in both work and shopping but want to do so in a more suburban context.鈥�

Conceptual planning started in 2009, when the city decided that the AmberGlen business park would join the Tanasbourne Town Center and become the first new regional center since Metro adopted the 2040 Regional Growth Concept in 1996.

Approximately 6,000 new medium- to high-density residential units are expected to be built, as well as 3 million square feet of office space and 500,000 square feet of retail. A large park will sit in the middle, while green pathways will be spread throughout to connect the property to Rock and Bronson creeks.

Transportation access will also be a key element of the development; a facility is being planned to incorporate multiple TriMet bus lines and the MAX blue line.

Cooper said he is confident that all of the plan’s goals will be met. Since the rezoning ordinance was passed last week, the city has received interest from multiple developers and companies, he said. Permits are in place and ground is set to be broken in August for the development’s first project 鈥� a four-story, market-rate apartment complex being built by West Hills Development.

City officials hope larger, more upscale residential units will be built in the future. These units would be tailored primarily to local workers, Cooper said.

鈥淚 often refer to this regional center as the 50-yard line between the two clusters of industry,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e believe there is a market of compensated workers that don’t necessarily want to commute from Portland and are willing to pay for the beautiful views of this region and to live in close proximity to their jobs.鈥�

The development could resemble the Pearl District, Hillsboro Mayor Jerry Willey said, because it would have similar commercial zoning, upscale living units and shops nearby.

Hillsboro’s population has increased 30 percent since 1990, according to data collected by the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis. The development will add living options for incoming residents, but maintain the UGB, Willey said. He added that the development will appeal to people in their late 20 and early 30s who work at the large industries in the area.

鈥淭he 20- and 30-year-olds actually feed off each other if they’re in close proximity, and this is our attempt to create that sort of dynamic,鈥� he said.

The overall project’s cost is undetermined. City officials will eventually meet to draft a 鈥渕emo of understanding,鈥� which will outline details. However, at least one high-rise 鈥� residential or office 鈥� is expected to be built within the next five years, Cooper said.