Several of the one and two-bedroom units have accessibility features of wide doorways and roll-in showers. Proximity to transit, amenities attract Tigard's senior residents
It took five years just to identify the building site for The Knoll at Tigard, the 48-unit apartment complex for seniors of modest means that officially opened April 21.
Located at Hall Boulevard and Hunziker Road, the four-story structure is within walking distance of downtown Tigard, the senior center, restaurants and shopping. The Barbur Avenue frequent service bus line and the downtown Tigard WES commuter rail station are less than a half-mile away.
While finding a site close to transit, amenities and the kind of activities that are important to residents age 55 and above made the search for a location a challenge, the appeal to Tigard's senior demographic was immediate. Nine of the 48 spaces were leased in April with four more applications pending.
Funded in part by Metro's Transit-Oriented Development Program and developed by Community Partners for Affordable Housing, The Knoll helps fill an important need for housing options for seniors in Washington County. Market research conducted by CPAH indicates that there are over 1,000 seniors within this market alone that qualify for housing at The Knoll.
Providing affordable housing and addressing homelessness
Speaking at the grand opening, Tigard city mayor Craig Dirksen acknowledged The Knoll's role in moving Tigard toward becoming a full spectrum housing city by meeting the needs of the city's high concentration of low-income seniors.
Once established, the leafy vines will shade the atrium in the summer, reducing the amount of solar heat captured through the glass front. Washington County Commissioner Roy Rogers noted The Knoll's value in helping meet Washington County's goals for preventing and addressing homelessness. Twelve of the 48 units are dedicated to housing homeless veterans.
Remarking on Metro's investment in the project, Metro Council President Tom Hughes remarked, "When Metro opens a toolbox to make local visions happen, the most effective tool in the box is local government."
Revitalizes and re-greens Tigard city center
As the first housing development built in Tigard's Downtown Urban Renewal District, The Knoll falls easily in line with Tigard's campaign to revitalize and re-green its city center. The year-long construction project created approximately 135 living-wage jobs for onsite labor alone.
With a grant from Metro's green innovation fund, Ben White, project architect, co-designed a "living column" to grace the courtyard and glass atrium at the front of the apartment complex. The free-standing, 40-foot column holds deciduous, leafy vines that shade the atrium in the summer and allow direct sunlight to warm the space in the winter when the vines have dropped their leaves.
The project’s many sustainable features, including Energy Star compliant appliances, deep insulation, automatic shut-off lights in the bathrooms, and a cistern for rainwater collection and reuse, contribute to the “greening” of downtown Tigard.
Other amenities of The Knoll include an onsite library, a private residential living room, a computer room with high speed Internet access and a large community room on the ground floor, available for neighborhood use.
Transit-oriented development helps support the region's six desired outcomes by creating vibrant communities and safe and reliable transportation choices that enhance the quality of life for residents of the Portland metropolitan area.