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With the approval of the Wilsonville City Council Dec. 3, there will be a European-style piazza in the center of a housing development on what was once the site of Dammasch State Hospital.

The piazza will be a half-acre urban park with a fountain, bocce ball court, children’s maze, benches and other amenities as part of the Villebois subdivision.

Costa Pacific Communities is developing the piazza. Rudy Kadlub, the chief executive officer of the company, said the project will have roads on all four sides and be surrounded with retail outlets. Construction is scheduled to be completed in May.

鈥淭he piazza is important because it serves as the heart of the Villebois community,鈥� said Wilsonville Planning Director Chris Neamtzu. “It is anticipated to spur excitement and development in the Village Center. After more than a decade of hard work, we are really starting to see the vision come together.鈥�

Neamtzu said the council’s approval also allows for the construction of 100 new homes on the west side of the subdivision.

Construction on Villebois started in 2002 after Dammasch State Hospital, a mental hospital, closed in 1995. The subdivision has close to 9,000 units of single- and multifamily housing.

“It’s a pretty big area,” said Katie Mangle, Wilsonville’s long-range planning manager. “The piazza project is really bringing a lot of energy and interest to the neighborhood.”

Activity in Villebois is moving quickly, Neamtzu said. In addition to the new homes and piazza, there are plans for a 5,000-square-foot private recreation center and outdoor swimming pool. 鈥淭his is a massive piece of the jigsaw puzzle, and it is really exciting to see it all coming together,鈥� said Neamtzu.

Just north of the subdivision’s new elementary school, Lowrie Primary, developers just submitted plans for 185 single-family homes. Neamtzu said his staff is reviewing the application.