Tokola Properties Announces New Mixed Use Development Coming to Downtown Forest Grove
Tokola Properties, is pleased to announce that construction is underway on its most recent development, The Jesse Quinn, a transit oriented/mixed use project located at the corner of Pacific Avenue and A Street in downtown Forest Grove. The pioneering 4-story project is being developed under terms of a public/private partnership between the Forest Grove Urban Renewal Agency and Tokola Properties. Metro is also a supporting partner in the development via its Transit Oriented Development program. The Jesse Quinn will feature 73 market rate apartments, 5 live/work lofts and approximately 2,500 square feet of ground floor retail space. Ground breaking on the $16 million development is slated to commence next month with completion targeted for spring 2018.
Apartment units at The Jesse Quinn will include of a diverse mix of floorplans ranging from a 503 square foot studio flat up to a 1,209 square foot three bedroom /two-bath layout. All units feature private decks or patios, 9’ ceilings, in-unit washer/dryers and air conditioning. The 5 live/work lofts will be situated on the ground floor and offer direct access from the adjacent public walkways. Rents for the apartments and live/work lofts are forecast to range from approximately $895 to $1,600 per month. Retail space at The Jesse Quinn will be located at the corner of Pacific Avenue and A Street and feature glass storefronts, dramatic ceiling heights and direct access to an outdoor urban plaza with open air seating. Rents for the retail spaces will be announced nearer to project completion.
The Jesse Quinn will also feature an abundant package of common area amenities including controlled building access, gated parking, elevator service, bike storage, bike wash and repair station, transit tracker display, 24 hour fitness center, community garden, playground, ground level urban plaza and fourth floor community room with roof top patio. The development includes important green features, as well, such as rain gardens which capture and treat storm water run-off before release to the public storm system and a green roof system over a section of the parking area which helps treat storm water and mitigate the urban heat-island effect. Tokola Properties President, Dwight Unti, states “The Jesse Quinn will provide a high quality, urban form living environment not previously available in Forest Grove and, we believe, will be embraced by a wide diversity of people seeking the opportunity to live in the heart of Historic downtown.” Design of the project was led by Principal Architects, Jim Walker, Eric Cugnart and Brian Bennett of Studio C Architecture, Portland. Principal Architect, Jim Walker notes “We worked incredibly hard with the team at Tokola Properties to create a dynamic architectural design that both honors the historic fabric of downtown while also pointing to the future of the community. We couldn’t be more pleased with the results.”
The name of the development, The Jessie Quinn, is derived from the name of Oregon historical figure Jessie Quinn Thornton who arrived in Oregon by Wagon train in 1846. According to Oregon Geographical Names, on January 10, 1851, at a meeting of the trustees of Tualatin Academy (later known as Pacific University), Resident and school trustee J. Quinn Thornton suggested the name Forest Grove. This was a name which he had also used for the name of his homestead and referred to a grove of oak trees that still stand on what is now the campus of Pacific University. Jessie Quinn Thornton also served as the 5th Supreme Judge of the Provisional Government of Oregon, presented Oregon’s petition for official territorial status to Congress and served in the Oregon Legislature. Tokola Properties Vice President, Jeff Edinger notes that “Tokola Properties was excited to select a project name related to this important figure in the region’s history and a display recounting the life of Jessie Quinn Thornton will be on exhibit in the leasing center at The Jessie Quinn.”
On completion, The Jessie Quinn development will add approximately 125 new residents living in downtown and increase the diversity of new businesses and retail services. Tokola Properties President, Dwight Unti, commenting on the importance of the project to downtown revitalization states “A central component of successful downtown revitalization is to have more people living downtown, activating the streetscape into the evening and spending their disposable income on local goods and services. Expanding the base of business and retail services is also critical to successful revitalization. We are pleased to report The Jessie Quinn has been specifically designed to achieve these outcomes and we believe will have a catalytic impact on the resurgence of historic downtown Forest Grove.”
The Jesse Quinn is the third in a series of projects developed by Tokola Properties which have focused on introducing urban form development to re-emerging main street districts. Prior projects include 4th Main in historic downtown Hillsboro and 3rd Central in historic downtown Gresham. Both projects are fully leased and have made significant contributions to revitalization efforts in the respective downtown districts of Hillsboro and Gresham.
Forest Grove celebrates groundbreaking of Jesse Quinn Apartments (OregonMetro.gov) >