Tigard

THE ARTS
Tigard is home to the Deb Fennel Auditorium which hosts the professional Broadway Rose Theatre during the summer. Broadway Rose now has a permanent venue for spring, fall and winter productions in their 270-seat facility located at 12850 SW Grant Ave., Tigard.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
The Tigard Chamber serves as the local information center and sponsors many community and business events throughout the year. Business events continue to grow and give Chamber members many opportunities to expand their businesses. Good Morning Tigard! meets every Thursday at a host business location. The Tigard Chamber monthly lunch forum incorporates networking along with speakers from the community and business alike. Chamber membership is open to all businesses and individuals conducting business in the Tigard area. Our Chamber values the art of people working together because it encourages business and community prosperity.

CHILDREN
Tigard is truly a family-oriented community. Neighborhoods revolve around the schools. Summer reading program for kids and teens are offered through the library as well as swimming programs through the school district. Organized, professional daycare services are abundant at private facilities or on-site after school.

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY
Since incorporating in 1961, Tigard developed a strong tax base and a diversity of businesses. The city’s tax rate is among the lowest in the Portland metropolitan area, and industrial and commercial properties represent a large portion of the Tigard tax base. Today, there is over 5.5 million square feet of flex/warehouse/industrial space and over 3.1 million square feet of office space in Tigard. These buildings are primarily found in the Washington Square Regional Center, the Tigard Triangle, Downtown Tigard, the Pacific Highway Corridor and Sequoia Parkway areas.

DOWNTOWN
Downtown Tigard is experiencing a resurgence of public and private investment. A variety of restaurants, a café, a brewpub and unique retail are found on Main Street. The surrounding area includes Fanno Creek Park and Trail, the Tigard Civic Center, the Tigard Skate Park, the Ash Street Dog Park, the seasonal Tigard Area Farmers Market and a variety of businesses and residences. Learn more at www.exploredowntowntigard.com.

ENTRYWAY MONUMENTS
As part of a plan to give the city its own unique image, the Tigard City Council decided to install entryway monuments along six major thoroughfares into the city. The first two monuments are complete and are located just off Pacific Highway northbound, (just south of Durham Road) and on Walnut Street eastbound, (just east of Barrows Road).

FARMERS MARKET
2014 Season: Sunday, May 11 through October 26, 2014 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Public Works parking lot located at the corner of Hall and Burnham (8777 SW Burnham St., Tigard). See Tigard Farmer’s Market Website for additional information.

FESTIVALS
Tigard is home to a variety of community festivals that bring families and adults together to enjoy the cultural and outdoor bounty of the region. Festivities include the Festival of Balloons held at Cook Park as part of the Portland Rose Festival, 4th of July fireworks at the Tigard High School stadium and the annual Downtown Tree Lighting that takes place the first weekend in December.

HISTORY
Curtis Tigard, whose grandfather Wilson M. Tigard founded our city in 1852, sat down with cameras rolling on October 1, 2010 and recalled some great tales for use as a historical record. Mr. Tigard was born in 1909, and as you’ll see in the video, he is witty, conversant and very sharp as he recalls magical moments of his boyhood in Tigard in the early 1900’s. Hunting skunks at the foot of Bull Mountain, swimming in Fanno Creek behind where the library now sits, catching crawdads in the Tualatin River, walking 6 miles to and from high school fueled by 6 maple bars after football practice are just some of the stories you’ll hear. He also discusses finding a job during the Great Depression and how his wife helped the founding of Cook Park half a century ago. The interview was conducted, appropriately, in his uncle’s home, the John Tigard House (now the Tigard Historical Association,) which was saved from demolition in the 1970’s. The home was moved over 30 years ago and sits on the corner of SW Canterbury Lane and SW 103rd in Tigard.

The Curtis Tigard interview is available in two file formats:
If you have trouble viewing the Windows Media file , you can download the 465 MB QuickTime Movie file (for faster download, right click on link and choose “save target as”).

JOHN TIGARD HOUSE
John Tigard constructed the three room 1880 Carpenter Gothic Victorian house in 1880 at the corner of what is now Pacific Highway and Gaarde Street. The house was threatened with demolition in the late 1970’s, but due to the efforts of the Tigard Historical Association, the house was restored. In 1979, the house was entered in the National Register of Historic Places and now resides at the corner of SW Canterbury Lane and SW 103rd in Tigard. The Tigard Historical Association operates the house. See Tigard’s other Designated Historical Sites.

LIBRARY
The Tigard Library offers much more than books. The library houses more than 220,000 items, including 33,000 DVDs, CDs, and Blu-Rays. Storytimes and a popular summer reading program entertain both children and adults. The library provides current business information and accurate online research resources. Free public internet access is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Cardholders have access to all public libraries in the Portland metropolitan area.

PARKS
Tigard features many opportunities for activity and recreation including several public and private golf courses, city parks, outdoor tennis courts, bike and pedestrian paths and the Tigard High School Swim Center. The 79-acre Cook Park, located along the banks of the Tualatin River, is the largest of Tigard’s neighborhood and community parks. Summerlake Park and Fanno Creek Park are unique havens to waterfowl and wildlife in the middle of the busy suburban community.

SENIORS
Tigard offers a variety of activities for seniors and an abundance of conveniently located and affordable housing for retirees. Several adult living communities are within or adjacent to the city. The Tigard Senior Center is the hub of senior activity. The Center serves 44,000 meals annually, plus Meal on Wheels serves hot meals each day to housebound adults. The Center offers many social events, classes, activities and the amenities of a gift shop.

SHOPPING
Washington Square, one of the Northwest’s largest climate controlled shopping malls is in Tigard. It features newly remodeled major department stores including one of the largest Nordstrom stores on the West Coast. Tigard is also proud to be home to one of the West Coast’s largest Price Costco warehouse store as well as major home improvement centers and food and office superstores. All major grocery chains are represented in Tigard conveniently anchoring smaller shopping centers that include specialty and retail stores.

TIGARD DAFFODIL
According to the Royal Horticultural Society website, the flower is about 90mm wide (3.5 inches) with petals that are ivory and a center that is reddish orange.

TRANSPORTATION
Tigard is located at the junction of Interstate 5, Highway 99W and Highway 217—a mere 10 miles from the Portland core, offering easy access to major interstate transportation routes. Tri-Met, Portland’s mass transit system, transports hundreds of people to and from Tigard daily. The Tri-Met bus transfer is located in downtown Tigard. Westside Light Rail runs east/west through neighboring Beaverton. The Portland International Airport is 25 minutes north of Tigard and is accessible via light rail.