Cedar Hills Crossing

Cedar Hills Crossing is a retail shopping center in Beaverton, Oregon, United States. The property occupies a site with an unusual aviation history: before the shopping center was built, the area was home to Bernard's Airport, a small airfield associated with aircraft experimentation and aviation activity during the 1920s and 1930s. The center began operating in 1969 under the name Beaverton Mall and became one of the established retail destinations serving Beaverton and the western Portland metropolitan area. The center is positioned along Cedar Hills Boulevard between the Walker Road and Hall Boulevard areas. Its tenant mix has included retail stores, restaurants, entertainment uses, and other consumer-facing services. The property gained a notable bookstore presence when Powell's Books opened a location there in 2006. A 16-screen movie theater operated by Century Theatres opened in November 2004, and a food court was added around the same period, broadening the center from a conventional shopping mall into a more diversified retail and leisure destination. A major transformation began in September 2002, when C.E. John Company initiated a redevelopment of the former mall. During the project, the property adopted the Cedar Hills Crossing name. The redevelopment added three entrances, introduced new building facades, created approximately 40,000 square feet of additional retail space, and incorporated new restaurants and redesigned interior areas. In 2003, the center's tenants and operators also successfully opposed a proposed Fairfield Street–Terman Road connection through the site, helping preserve the property's internal layout. In 2016, C.E. John Co. announced a further five-year, five-phase redevelopment program valued at $70 million. The plan was intended to modernize the center and expand its collection of freestanding retail buildings. Work associated with the plan included the development of 11 new retail buildings by sister company J.E. John Co., as well as a two-story concrete parking structure. These changes reflect a broader shift from an enclosed-mall format toward an open-air, mixed retail environment with individual buildings, restaurants, entertainment, and larger-format tenants. The site has also been subject to environmental review because an underground chemical release was discovered during the 1980s. Analysis of the release and other environmental conditions continued in connection with the property and the safety of patrons and nearby residents. Available reference material indicates that the center operated in compliance with most applicable local environmental standards during the 1970–1990 period discussed in the site history. Cedar Hills Crossing remains an active shopping center and a recognizable commercial property in Beaverton, while its former-airport setting gives it historical significance beyond its retail function.

The Cedar Hills Crossing site was originally associated with Bernard's Airport, a small airport that operated before the shopping center was constructed. The airfield is historically notable because aviation experimentation and aircraft-related innovations took place there during the 1920s and 1930s. The airport's presence gives the later commercial property an unusual place in Beaverton's local history. The shopping center opened in 1969 as Beaverton Mall. It developed as a retail destination near Cedar Hills Boulevard, with its location extending between the areas around Walker Road and Hall Boulevard. Like many retail properties of its era, it initially operated in a mall-oriented format, but later projects progressively introduced more open, restaurant, entertainment, and freestanding-retail elements. An underground chemical release was identified at the site during the 1980s. Environmental analysis addressed the release and other site conditions in relation to the safety of shoppers, employees, residents, and nearby properties. The available historical account states that, during the 1970–1990 period covered by the review, the center generally operated in compliance with most applicable local governmental environmental requirements. The environmental history remains part of the site's record, although the available reference does not identify a major closure, enforcement penalty, or litigation outcome. In September 2002, C.E. John Company began a substantial redevelopment of Beaverton Mall. As the work entered its final stages, the property was renamed Cedar Hills Crossing. The project added three additional entrances, refreshed the building exteriors, created approximately 40,000 square feet of new retail space, and introduced new restaurants and redesigned interior areas. The changes marked a transition from the original mall identity toward a broader shopping-center concept. Transportation planning became an issue during the redevelopment period. In 2003, tenants and center operators successfully removed a proposed Fairfield Street–Terman Road connection from the city's local street master plan. The planned route would have cut through the shopping-center property, so its removal preserved the center's site organization and access arrangement. Entertainment and cultural retail expanded in the following years. Century Theatres opened a 16-screen cinema in November 2004, and a food court was added at approximately the same time. Powell's Books opened a branch at the center in 2006, strengthening its appeal as a destination for books and media as well as general retail. In 2016, C.E. John Co. announced a five-year, five-phase redevelopment plan reported at $70 million. The program sought to continue modernizing Cedar Hills Crossing and to add new retail capacity. Following the plan, sister company J.E. John Co. developed 11 new retail buildings and a two-story concrete parking structure. The resulting property reflects an open-air, multi-building retail model that combines shops, restaurants, entertainment, services, and parking infrastructure. Cedar Hills Crossing is active as a Beaverton shopping center. Its identity rests on three overlapping features: a long-running local retail role dating from 1969, a redevelopment history that repeatedly reshaped the property, and the historical significance of the former Bernard's Airport site.

• 2016

  Five-phase redevelopment plan announced

  [1]Cedar Hills Crossingen.wikipedia.org

  C.E. John Co. announces a five-year redevelopment program reported at $70 million.

• 2006

  Powell's Books joins the tenant mix

  [1]Cedar Hills Crossingen.wikipedia.org

  Powell's Books opens a location at Cedar Hills Crossing.

• 2004

  Cinema and food-court expansion

  [1]Cedar Hills Crossingen.wikipedia.org

  Century Theatres opens a 16-screen cinema in November, with a food court added around the same period.

• 2003

  Proposed road connection removed from city plan

  [1]Cedar Hills Crossingen.wikipedia.org

  Center tenants and operators succeed in removing a proposed Fairfield Street–Terman Road link that would have crossed the property.

• 2002

  Redevelopment and renaming begin

  [1]Cedar Hills Crossingen.wikipedia.org

  C.E. John Company starts redevelopment, and the property adopts the Cedar Hills Crossing name during the final stages of the work.

• 1969

  Beaverton Mall begins operation

  [1]Cedar Hills Crossingen.wikipedia.org

  The retail center opens on the former Bernard's Airport site under the name Beaverton Mall.

A community-oriented retail and entertainment center serving Beaverton and the western Portland metropolitan area, combining shopping, dining, books, cinema, services, and larger freestanding retail buildings.

• Shopping center retail · 1969

  Retail stores

  Cedar Hills Crossing provides a collection of consumer retail stores in both shopping-center buildings and freestanding structures. The overall merchandise offer has included apparel, books, household goods, electronics, groceries, and other everyday consumer products. The property has evolved from its original mall format into a more dispersed open-air retail environment.

• Food and beverage · 2004

  Dining and food court

  Restaurants and food-service venues form an important part of the center's customer proposition. A food court was added around the time of the 2004 cinema opening, while later redevelopment also introduced additional restaurants and standalone retail buildings containing food and beverage uses.

• Entertainment · 2004

  16-screen cinema

  A 16-screen movie theater opened at Cedar Hills Crossing in November 2004 under Century Theatres. The cinema expanded the center's role beyond shopping by adding a substantial leisure and entertainment anchor.

• Books and media retail · 2006

  Powell's Books

  Powell's Books opened a branch at Cedar Hills Crossing in 2006. Its presence added a destination bookstore and strengthened the center's cultural and media-retail offer.

• Retail real estate · 2016

  Redeveloped retail buildings

  The redevelopment program announced in 2016 resulted in 11 new retail buildings developed by J.E. John Co., together with a two-story concrete parking structure. These buildings support the center's contemporary open-air shopping-center configuration.

• 2016

  Launch a five-year, five-phase modernization programStrategy

  Background

  C.E. John Co. sought to continue modernizing the property and expand its open-air retail capacity.

  Action taken

  The company announced a five-year, five-phase redevelopment program, followed by construction of 11 new retail buildings and a two-story concrete parking structure by sister company J.E. John Co.

  Aftermath

  The center's physical format became more heavily oriented toward freestanding retail buildings and structured parking.

  Announced redevelopment investment. $70 million (Five-year plan announced in 2016)

  Source

• 2003

  Protect the existing site plan from a proposed road connectionOther

  Background

  A proposed Fairfield Street–Terman Road connection would have passed through the shopping-center property.

  Action taken

  Tenants and center operators successfully advocated for removal of the connection from the city's local street master plan.

  Aftermath

  The proposed route was removed from the plan, preserving the center's site arrangement.

  Source

• 2002

  Convert the former mall into Cedar Hills CrossingStrategy

  Background

  C.E. John Company undertook redevelopment of Beaverton Mall to refresh the property and increase its retail and dining capacity.

  Action taken

  The project added entrances, new facades, approximately 40,000 square feet of retail space, restaurants, and redesigned interior areas; the center was renamed Cedar Hills Crossing.

  Aftermath

  The property moved toward a broader shopping-center identity rather than retaining the older Beaverton Mall positioning.

  Source

1. 1Cedar Hills Crossingen.wikipedia.org