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A proposed mixed-use development with 310 residential units could help transform Gresham‘s Civic neighborhood into a much busier place.

At the heart of the proposal is a five-acre parcel located near the intersection of Northwest Civic Drive and MAX blue light-rail tracks in downtown Gresham. It is one of four Metro-owned properties in the area and the first of those being targeted for development.

The plan for 鈥�Civic Northwest鈥� envisions as many as seven mixed-use or residential buildings being constructed on the site bordered by Northwest Fanning Way, Council Drive, Civic Drive and MAX tracks. Those buildings would surround a central parking lot and a public plaza with a playground and other amenities.

Metro and the city of Gresham nearly a year ago jointly released a for the project. They subsequently chose a development and design team of Atlanta-based Wood Partners and YBA Architects.

Design advice from the city planning department was requested in May, and site concepts were presented to the Gresham Design Commission shortly thereafter. The project is still in the design stage.

Early site concepts show four three-story residential buildings on the northwest portion of the trapezoidal property. Each of these buildings would have slightly more than 22,000 square feet and 24 residential units.

Then, on the southeast side, three other mixed-use buildings 鈥� two five stories and another four stories, would front Northwest Civic Drive. One five-story building would be 73,225 square feet and hold 87 residential units, and the other would be 71,190 square feet and hold 72 residential units. Each would offer ground-floor commercial space. The four-story mixed-use building would be 50,900 square feet and hold 55 residential units. It also would have ground-floor commercial space.

The plaza would feature prominently on the property’s southeast edge, near the MAX tracks.

Master planning efforts envision this part of the city featuring an array of housing, businesses and entertainment along with public gathering areas and green spaces. The Civic neighborhood is singled out as one of the city’s three core commercial areas for high-density, mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented development.

Both Metro and the city of Gresham are offering financial incentives to develop this parcel and the three others in the neighborhood owned by Metro.

For instance, the city has up to $634,000 in system development charges and local improvement district funds available for construction of the plaza and open space, with the requirement that those amenities be dedicated to the city. In addition, the city offers vertical housing tax credits for projects on these four sites.

Meanwhile, Metro’s Transit Oriented Development program was created with projects like this in mind. TOD supports high-density development near high-capacity transit lines. It has two mechanisms to accomplish this: the land value write-down, and the purchase of a TOD easement.