Canby economic development initiatives sets focus on Canby growth

Published 4:45 am Monday, July 28, 2025

City initiatives focus on parking, hotel development, and long-range planning

Growth is top of mind for the City of Canby’s Economic Development Department as work continues on priority projects to address the growth Canby has seen – as well as what is to come.

The Canby City Council identified three objectives in their 2025-2027 goal setting that highlights the growth Canby has seen and plans for thoughtful growth in the future.

The Council identified downtown parking management, incentives for hotel development, and continued long-term planning as priorities for staff, which have been at the forefront of Economic Development’s initiatives, according to Economic Development Director Jamie Stickel.

Canby City Council adopted the Downtown Parking Management Strategy Update and Implementation Guide at its July 16 meeting which will pave the way for addressing parking constraints felt in the core of downtown Canby.

The work was completed with parking and transportation consultants, Rick Williams Consulting (RWC), from Portland. This consulting firm completed the 2012 parking study in Canby and has revisited that plan to update and amend recommendations based on Canby’s current and future parking needs.

They (RWC) surveyed available parking in late April during a “typical weekday” and on a “typical Saturday” to understand the usage and turnover of parking spots within the downtown core.

Once the data was analyzed, the city held an open house on June 10 to gain input and insight from the greater Canby community, which included many downtown business and property owners.

In addition to creating a better parking environment for customers downtown, Canby Economic Development is also addressing lodging for visitors and tourists.

The city has begun to identify “room night generators” such as traffic to the Clackamas County Event Center and fairgrounds and Swan Island Dahlias, overnight stays for family and friends, and corporate stays to accommodate the businesses in the Canby Pioneer Industrial Park.

The room night generators report provides detailed data for developers looking to construct a hotel in Canby and supports hotel recruitment, according to Stickel.

The city’s Economic Development Department continues its work with the Canby Planning Department on Cultivating Canby, which will see the city’s Comprehensive Plan update, Transportation Systems Plan update, and the Urban Growth Boundary Expansion.

“Cultivating Canby is vitally important to determine where and how Canby will grow in the future,” said Stickel, who also serves as the city’s communications specialist. “The city addressing  downtown parking and hotel development is a step in the same direction. Canby has grown significantly over the last several years and it is important to address the growth and plan for the future.”

The city will hold the Cultivating Canby Community Summit #5 on Tuesday, Aug. 19, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Ackerman Middle School library. Community members are encouraged to attend and provide feedback on transportation system plan priority projects, as well as the goals and policies for the comprehensive plan.

While work continues on these priority projects, the city’s Economic Development Department continues to work on its ongoing projects such as business retention and recruitment, supporting local businesses, and signature summer events such as the Canby Independence Day Celebration, Big Night Out Street Dance, and First Thursday Night Market.

“Summertime is such a special season in Canby, where the city blooms into its ‘garden spot’ slogan,” Stickel noted. “It’s an honor to welcome people into our beautiful city for events such as the upcoming Big Night Out Street Dance on Aug. 22. I look forward to seeing the priority initiatives come to fruition so we are showing everything Canby has to offer throughout the year.”