In a recent article written for Business 2.0, Paul Kaihla writes about Seattle, Portland and Eugene all growing together to become a Northwest Megapolitan area he calls “Cascadia”. Here are some of his predictions for the future:
CASCADIA
Vast quantities of cheap, prime greenfield surrounding Seattle, Portland, and Eugene give the Northwest megapolitan explosive growth potential. By 2030 the three metro regions will be intertwined.
KEY DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFT: The Asian population will more than triple; the number of seniors will double.
NEW GROWTH INDUSTRY: Seattle will become one of three global hubs for bioinformatics startups.
BEST BUSINESSES TO START: Architectural firms catering to green developers.
BEST RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE BET: $200,000 homes in small towns 30 minutes outside Portland, beyond the urban-growth boundary.
BEST COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE BET: Retail or office space around Snoqualmie Ridge, one of three “urban villages” in early development near Seattle.
GOVERNMENT CARROT: Oregon’s new property-rights law, which opens the door to more rural development.
IT’S ALREADY TOO LATE TO …: Speculate on Paul Allen’s Seattle redevelopment project, South Lake Union.
The entire article can be found online at: http://www.business2.com/b2/web/articles/0,17863,1122957,00.html
This is absolutely going to happen. Eugene real estate is on a steady upward climb. Mild weather (for those that can stand the drizzle – although not as bad as Seattle), intelligent and artistic people. A little crunchy around the edges, but that’s the charm of Eugene, and Oregon in general.
When I’m out of town on business, and tell people I live in Oregon, their eyes usually light up. Then they tell me a story about a friend who’s been here. That lucky, lucky friend.
That’s right, Oregon’s got the right amount of crunchy mojo!