Why selling the former library property for $50,000 is a good investment for the Gladstone Community The potential buyer of the former library property at 135 E Dartmouth is currently in the due‑diligence phase of purchasing the property. Although the building was appraised much higher, residents have understandably asked why the City is selling it for $50,000. The key reason is that the appraisal reflected the building’s theoretical value, while the real‑world cost to redevelop it was significantly higher, and the City received only one viable proposal after the Request for Proposal (RFP) was posted nationally to 470 brokers, and viewed more than 5,000 times.
A recent example from Clackamas County illustrates this dynamic clearly. The County sold the old Main Street courthouse for $100,000, even though earlier appraisals valued it much higher. Updated analysis showed the property had negative value once seismic, structural, and redevelopment requirements were factored in. The courthouse needed tens of millions of dollars in improvements, making the low sale price not only reasonable but financially prudent.
Gladstone faced similar conditions. The former library had been vacant for a couple years (and should have been vacated many years sooner) and required ADA, and structural upgrades. Bringing it to modern standards would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. As seen with the courthouse, older civic buildings across Oregon often sell for less because rehabilitation costs outweigh their theoretical value.
The buyer is proposing to rehabilitate the former library as a public gathering place that maintains its civic character while returning it to active use. The concept—called the Gladstone Beer Library—includes a taproom operated by Oregon City Brewing Company, an integrated food offering, and a covered, heated patio for year‑round use. The development team intends to purchase the property outright, invest private capital in improvements, and operate the facility in alignment with the City’s goals for downtown vitality and community benefit.
They have been successful with this concept in Canby and I encourage you to visit the Canby Beer Library to understand the experience they want to bring to Gladstone. The project emphasizes everyday accessibility, family‑friendly operations, and preservation of the building’s mid‑century character. It responds directly to resident input supporting welcoming spaces, local business activity, and downtown vibrancy without overdevelopment or loss of identity.
Selling the property eliminated future maintenance and liability costs for the City and enabled private redevelopment. The buyer plans to invest more than half a million dollars into the site—far beyond what the City could invest. As with the courthouse, a modest sale price will unlock new tax revenue, construction activity, and long‑term community benefit. In both cases, selling the property created a larger opportunity for the community’s future.
Gladstone Economic Development Advisory Committee This week, the City Council appointed members to the temporary Ad Hoc Economic Development Advisory Committee, which will advise the Council on economic development priorities and opportunities related to revitalizing Portland Avenue’s Main Street and other key corridors. Appointees include Bryce Morrow, Dane Herrin, Steve Perkins, Dustin Long, Shannon Byerly, Pamela Bloom, and Planning Commissioner Sherry Grau, who will serve as the liaison to the Planning Commission. Over the next couple of weeks, staff will coordinate the committee’s first meeting, where members will begin discussing priorities and developing an initial work plan for the coming year.
Portland Avenue Revitalization Staff has developed a set of design concept options for the Portland Avenue Revitalization Project. Over the past several months, the project team has been evaluating potential improvements to curb lines, sidewalks, bike lanes, striping, beautification elements (including street trees and lighting), and signage along the corridor from Abernethy Lane to Arlington Street. The 2017 Plan includes three cross‑section concepts tailored to different segments of the corridor and recommends removing the existing center turn lane, which would require adjustments to the signalized intersection at Portland Avenue and Gloucester Street.
To support this work, the City engaged a traffic engineer to collect peak‑hour traffic counts at the Portland/Gloucester intersection. The data confirms that the intersection will continue to operate acceptably without dedicated left‑turn lanes for the northbound and southbound approaches. These counts will also guide decisions on signal timing and overall intersection operations once improvements are implemented. The engineer will additionally provide recommendations on curb lines, bulb‑outs, and signing and striping throughout the project area.
Staff held a Council work session in May, and the design options were narrowed down to two, which were also reviewed again during last week’s Gladstone Business Social. The preferred concept at this stage is to add diagonal parking on the west side of Portland Avenue and parallel parking on the east side. The City will continue discussing this option as design work progresses and keep the businesses and community appraised of the process.
There is no Gladstone Planning Commission Meeting or Gladstone Community Center Advisory Board Meeting next week due to a summer break. The Clackamas County Library Advisory Board will meet Monday July 20th at 5:30 pm at the Gladstone Library.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Jacque M. Betz
Gladstone City Administrator