Tigard to purchase former Regal Cinemas’ property for park
Published 11:00 pm Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Tigard is planning to purchased the now-razed Regal Cinemas' Tigard site to build a park and possibly other amenities (Staff photo/Jaime Valdez)
A gravel pad is what’s left of the Tigard Cinemas. (Jaime Valdez/Valley Times)
The city is eyeing several possible possibilities of what the former Regal Cinemas' property could include. (Courtesy photo: City of Tigard)
The former parking lot for Regal Cinemas' Tigard property has been vacant for more than two years. (Jaime Valdez/Valley Times) RParking owned by the Tigard Cinemas (Jaime Valdez/Valley Times)
A pad pf gravel is all that's left behind on what housed Regal Cinemas' Tigard. (Jaime Valdez/Valley Times)
Regal Cinemas Tigard once had 11 different theater screens on this property. (Jaime Valdez/Valley Times)
The city’s development agency approves spending $12 million to purchase for 10.4 acres of land
A portion of the concrete jungle that comprises the Tigard Triangle development could soon be covered in natural grass after the city approved a $12 million purchase of the former Tigard Cinemas property.
On Tuesday, May 27, the Tigard City Council, serving in its dual role as the Town Center Development Agency, approved the purchase of 10.4 acres of property where the 11 cinemas screens and large parking lot once stood with plans to transform it into a park featuring plenty of amenities.
The cinemas, which shut down in the early part of 2023 and have since been razed, were located at 11626 S.W. Pacific Highway.
“The adopted Tigard Triangle Equitable Implementation Plan identified park land as one of the top priorities for the district,” Sean Farrelly, redevelopment manager for the city, told the agency. “Currently, there are no parks in the Tigard Triangle.”
Farrelly said a large part of the area is flat and provides for a potential opportunity to look at a public-private partnership to construct new housing, infrastructure or other facilities, including a stormwater improvement project along Red Rock Creek, slated to begin this summer.
Bull Mountain Park, at 13950 S.W. Alpine Crest Way, is an example of a 10-acre park neighborhood that includes amenities like a playground, picnic shelter and a nature trail.
Farrelly said the Tigard Triangle has seen extensive development over the last five years with 800 housing units already constructed or under construction. Of those units, 30% are regulated affordable housing, with the Town Center Development Agency having already made substantial investments in those projects.
“There’s another potential 1,000 units in the pipeline,” Farrelly told the council. “So there could be up to almost 4,500 new residents.”
He also said he expects community stakeholders to weigh in to see what they want included with the new park, adding that “the end result will include at least a park, greenway for the Red Rock Creek, new streets and street frontage improvements as well as the Red Rock Creek Trail.”
A proposed 2-mile multi-use trail, the Red Rock Creek Trail will run along Red Rock Creek and connect to the Fanno Creek Regional Trail.
One architectural concept plan shows a 47,500-square-foot multipurpose field or lawn, a play area, shade structure, sports court, community garden, nature trail, pedestrian bridge and plaza that Farrelly said would provide a “real lively center for the Triangle and create an identity in the Triangle.”
“It’s very exciting that this is moving forward,” Tigard Mayor Heidi Lueb said.
Councilor Jake Schlack said he believes the park purchase and development will be one of the biggest decisions that the council, serving as the Town Center Development Agency, will likely make.
Before the transaction is complete, Farrelly said both he and the city attorney will do their due diligence on the property.
The 500-acre Tigard Triangle is bound by Highway 99W to the north, Highway 217 to the west and Interstate 5 to the east.
To encourage development in that area, the Tigard City Council approved a so-called “lean code,” which makes it easier for developers to receive approval for their projects in a mixed-use zone that includes more pedestrian-friendly areas as well as less restrictive parking codes.
