Amberglen: Hillsboro's Next Great Urban Neighborhood

For decades, Amberglen was an expansive, office-heavy business park. Today, the area south of Cornell Road and the Tanasbourne neighborhood is evolving into a vibrant, walkable district oriented around a central park with nearby shopping, jobs, and recreation.

Since 2014, more than 2,400 housing units have been constructed in Amberglen, with 98% of those in multi-story apartment buildings. This rapid growth is part of a reimaged vision laid out for the area in the 2010 Amberglen Community Plan, which helped lay the foundation for the transformation of Amberglen into a mid-rise neighborhood with active public spaces.
While Downtown Hillsboro celebrates its established character, Orenco Station features transit-centered living, Avenida Diez reflects the city's Latino culture, and South Hillsboro represents the city's newest master-planned community, Amberglen is carving out its identity as Hillsboro's modern midrise neighborhood.

About the Amberglen Area

In addition to being home to employers like Applied Materials, Nvidia, ASM, Microsoft, and Oregon Health and Sciences University, the Amberglen Community Plan area is minutes from Hillsboro's major employment centers in North Hillsboro, providing convenient access to thousands of technology and manufacturing jobs. It's also close to employers to the east including Nike and Columbia Sportswear.

Amberglen is a dense neighborhood with strong pedestrian connectivity. Bus service is currently limited to the edge of the neighborhood with the Quatama MAX station about a mile to the south.

The area is close to shopping and large commercial centers in the nearby Tanasbourne area. Over time, planners envision more neighborhood shops, restaurants, and public gathering spaces in Amberglen with a potential for the neighborhood's own distinctive main street.

Currently at the heart of the neighborhood is Amberglen Park. This 32-acre green space features walking paths, recreation opportunities, a pond and fountain, and public art that helps define the neighborhood's identity.

Three creeks and mature trees in Amberglen feed into regional greenway systems. Future plans call for the Bronson Creek Greenway Trail to bisect the neighborhood.

Significant Projects

Several high-profile developments demonstrate how the vision for Amberglen is taking shape.

The Alta development series most recently includes Astral and Revel, a 594-unit luxury apartment community that brings a mix of units from studios to three bedrooms across four buildings with ground floor retail space. The adjacent Alta Arcadia development includes 267 apartments in two buildings plus 59 three-story townhouses. Both are adjacent to a 10-acre preserved natural area, walking trails, and a pocket park.

The Villas at Amberglen West are a 352-unit residential project on four blocks to the north of NW Wilkins Street and east of NW 206t^h Avenue.

The Hana Apartments include 162 units in two four-story high buildings with a private dog park.

The South Amberglen development includes two constructed multi-family apartment buildings with 352 units. Another five story building features 143 senior living apartments.

Looking Ahead

Amberglen's evolution from business park to a modern midrise neighborhood is still in its early chapters. As new residents move to the district and redevelopment continues, Amberglen is poised to become one of Hillsboro's defining urban neighborhoods. Its future is not simply about adding more housing or replacing aging office campuses, it is about creating a district with its own character.