In 2024, the city of Ridgefield experienced economic growth that has reshaped the bedroom community into a budding full-service city.
With the opening of Costco in August, the announcement of an In-N-Out Burger in February, along with critical road construction by widening Pioneer Street, Ridgefield will offer residents the chance to live, work and play as the city continues to develop its parks, as well. New and larger retail also benefits the city as both residents and shoppers from other jurisdictions are spending their money in Ridgefield, providing better sales tax revenue for services.
When Costco first opened its doors, among the grand-opening crowd was Ridgefield Mayor Ron Onslow. He walked around the store with a smile while constantly running into community members and even his cousin. Earlier in the week, one of Onslow’s friends told him the impact Costco has on his shopping routine.
“It’s best said by a friend that I was having lunch with the other day. He says, ‘You know, I won’t have to leave Ridgefield anymore and don’t have to go to Vancouver,’ ” Onslow said.
As residents of Ridgefield will no longer need to travel to other cities to shop at Costco, other community’s Costco-goers can now help support the city of Ridgefield, Onslow said.
“People are spending their money here,” Onslow said. “The tax benefits will go to the city itself, and that’s going to be a real positive flow for us. We needed to get away from just building homes and have commercial [development] sustain our city. This is a big start.”
On Feb. 29, the City of Ridgefield made a Facebook post of the Ridgefield Junction subarea with In-N-Out Burger’s logo on it, and social media chaos ensued.
“We recently filed a development application with the city of Ridgefield for a site. However, it is still very early in the development process, so we are hopeful for a positive outcome, as we work with the City in pursuit of our permits and approvals,” said Mike Abbate, vice president of store development for In-N-Out Burger, in a response to the announcement by the city. “... We look forward to the possibility of being a part of the Ridgefield community and having this great location to serve our customers.”
The announcement came during the early stages of the Union Ridge Town Center development, well before Costco opened to the community. Now, the In-N-Out Burger plot is beginning to take shape as well as further plans for a second Starbucks, a Chipotle, McDonald’s, Panda Express and more. Alone, the Union Ridge Town Center is slated for 14 businesses, including the Costco and Southern California cheeseburger icon.
Outside of the Union Ridge Town Center, Ridgefield has many other projects planned.
“So when you ask what’s coming next, all I have to do is look at the plans that have been adopted and that’s what paints the picture for us,” City Manager Steve Stuart said. “At the junction, it’s large-scale regional commercial businesses, educational institutions with Clark College and large employers. That area has been planned for that, with the zoning and with the infrastructure that’s being developed, for years. And that is what you will continue to see — those larger regional businesses at the junction.”
On the same side of the freeway, a YMCA is proposed for construction along Pioneer Street.
Across the freeway from the Union Ridge Town Center another commercial development will feature multiple buildings. The Tri-Mountain Station development is on the east side of Interstate 5, off of South 65th Avenue. This development is planned to have nine buildings, with one slated for 39,765 square feet of retail, with Goodwill having filed applications for the location.
A flyer for the Tri-Mountain Station development also shows plans for an 85-room hotel, two drive-thru food buildings, a drive-thru bank and three more retail buildings, the largest being 25,000 square feet.
