Alpenrose Dairy Real Estate Project Update
Updated 09/2024
We’ve written about Portland’s real estate inventory crisis over and over for the past four years. Like everyone else, we’re watching how the city and developers are dealing with a growing population alongside this shortage of homes—in both real estate and rental housing. One response was the Residential Infill Project, which was passed in 2022.
Another step that could bring some relief is the Alpenrose Project. The 56-acre Alpenrose Dairy/Shattuck Road property at 6149 S.W. Shattuck Road could become the location for a new 269-home subdivision. As of 2024, the project has a planned completion date of 2030. However, since the project’s inception in 2021, there has been an active debate about how the subdivision will affect the area.
Alpenrose Dairy is More Than a Dairy
The Alpenrose Dairy property has been a fixture of Southwest Portland for more than 100 years. Founder Florian Cadonau opened the dairy in 1916, and the area grew into more than “just” a dairy.
- Alpenrose Velodrome became a cycling destination for well over 50 years—one of only twenty-five cycling tracks of its kind in the U.S.
- Alpenrose Field offers three baseball diamonds for youth softball and baseball games.
- Dairyville is a family-friendly western frontier town with quaint shops and a 600-seat opera house.
- The Quarter Midget racing track provides auto racing for children aged 5 to 16). It is home to the Portland Quarter Midget Racing Association (PQMRA).
- Other activities on the property included Easter egg hunts, horseback riding, special Christmas events, and July Fourth celebrations.
In 2019, the Cadonau family sold the dairy business to Washington-based Smith Brothers Farms while simultaneously maintaining ownership of the real estate. The sale process was contentious, exposing a family rift.
The Smith Brothers Farms continued operating the dairy there for a few more years. Then, in 2021, plans for redeveloping the property began to surface. Florida-based Fortune 500 residential construction company Developer Lennar Northwest, Inc. proposed turning the entire site into a 193-unit housing development, stirring concerns within the local community.
By 2022, the redevelopment plans had evolved. The Portland-based West Hills Land Development, in collaboration with AKS Engineering & Forestry, took over the project. Their updated proposal increased the scope to include 263 housing units, consisting of 133 detached single-family homes and 130 two-unit townhouses.
Residents Began Rallying to Preserve Its History
Grieving the loss of the century-old fixture, neighboring residents began voicing their concerns over the development in 2022. Some have accepted the change as mere progress, but others have not. The Friends of Alpenrose Farm was formed in 2022 to serve as a mouthpiece for local residents who want to see these landmarks at the heart of their community preserved. Since the project’s inception, the Friends of Alpenrose continues to voice concerns over transportation needs, environmental impact, and preserving the property’s historical features.
Due to community concerns and regulatory feedback, West Hills Land Development and its predecessor, Lennar, made several changes. Examples include increasing the amount of green space and addressing specific transportation and environmental issues. Still, some residents felt more could be done to preserve Alpenrose’s history and culture.
West Hills Land Development Bought the Land in 2024
Smith Brothers Farms decommissioned and relocated Alpenrose Dairy operations to Clackamas in 2023 after purchasing Larsen’s Creamery. Since the Cadonau family still owned the land, the move paved the way for the family to sell the land to Raleigh Crest LLC, a subsidiary of West Hills Land Development, in early 2024, who began finalizing their redevelopment plans for a new neighborhood called Raleigh Crest.
West Hills Land Development continues to address community concerns throughout Portland’s permitting and review processes. As of today, the project would be supported by streets connecting two existing nearby roads, and four acres would be reserved for a public park.
The Future of the Alpenrose Development Project
Though the permit process is ongoing, West Hills Land Development plans to complete the project in 2030. The Friends of Alpenrose continue to advocate for preserving some traits of the property and have taken part in public meetings to make their voices heard in the ongoing development discussions.
What Does the Alpenrose Project Mean for Portland?
It depends on who you ask. For people like the Friends of Alpenrose, it signifies a loss if developers of the project ignore residents’ pleas to retain certain features of the current property.
From an economic and real estate perspective, it could be a boon for the area. Considering the Portland metro’s inventory crisis, the new subdivision could help reduce some of the pressure and serve as a remedy to a problem that has, in part, been responsible for rising home prices.
In the Market for a Portland Home Right Now?
If you want to relocate within the Portland metro area long before the new Alpenrose subdivision is finished—if it even is—why not get in touch with an experienced, licensed Portland real estate agent? Our top 1% buyer’s team has access to all Portland homes for sale, and we’d love to help you find the one that’s perfect for you. Give us a call at 503-773-0000 or chat with the bot on our site.
