MARCH 2008: AROUND THE STATE
New projects could help boost Oakridge
OAKRIDGE
Boom times are coming to Oakridge — boom being a relative
term, mind you.
The once-thriving timber town 45 miles southeast of Eugene was
left with barely a pulse when Pope and Talbot shut down its
mill in 1990. Since then Oakridge has tried tourism, small
business development and a government-financed $2 million bid
to convert the old mill into an industrial park.
But the list of failed businesses is long, including the
clothing store, the movie theater and the hardware store. Local
boosters have branded Oakridge the “Center of Oregon
Recreation” for its 30 nearby campgrounds and 500 miles
of bike trails, but it’s no Bend.
Still, two developments, one retail and the other industrial,
could bring prosperity. Particularly promising is the proposal
from Atherton Properties LLC of Nevada to set up 16 businesses
providing 545 jobs in the industrial park. Details are sparse,
but the mood is upbeat.
“I think we’re on the upswing,” says Paige
Gardner, the 28-year-old co-owner of Double Trouble Espresso,
who was born and raised in Oakridge. “Finally,” she
adds.
BEN JACKLET
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