Pamplin Media Group photo – Christopher Keizur
Troutdale, Oregon, is repurposing a 38,077 square foot building into a dynamic pickleball facility with 12 courts. Lancaster Mobley is the transportation consultant for the project.
This endeavor, driven by local visionaries, is poised to invigorate the community and breathe new life into the area.
This project started when Junki Yoshida, who owns the Troutdale Marketplace, asked Salvador Blume Properties, LLC, to find a tenant for the vacant space that would eventually house the pickleball courts.
The building was a former grocery store; then was split between a church and dance studio; and most recently was a movie production studio.
The duo brainstormed what could be done with such a large venue. They talked about an expo center or another sports hall. But the former had too many permits to deal with, and the latter kept hitting speedbumps: the rafters were too low for volleyball, and support beams prevented the space needed for indoor soccer. Through all the research and discussions, they settled on pickleball.
However, before the first ball can be served, a meticulous transportation study is underway to assess the project’s impact on traffic flow. Lancaster Mobley leveraged data from a previous study on the building’s former occupancy as a film studio, and predicted an increase in trips during peak hours and weekdays. This necessitates adherence to Multnomah County Road Rules, mandating a Transportation Impact Study to gauge the facility’s effect on traffic patterns and intersections.
Key considerations included trip distribution patterns, utilization of existing access driveways, and validation of trip generation estimates. Community input and ongoing development data informed the study, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the project’s implications on the transportation system.
