Commercial Development

The City of Pendleton is in a period of transition from the traditional central city shopping area to the neighborhood shopping center concept. The first major center was opened in 1976 on the west side of the city and others have followed.

The city has a “Downtown Riverfront Urban Renewal Plan” that seeks to circumspectly modernize and enhance business opportunities in the older part of the city with planning and incentives for upgrades and improved access.

Amongst the available inventory of commercial sites, Pendleton has a 60-acre site with freeway visibility, and zoned commercial, located in an expanding business district. The site has recently been developed and now has parcels available for sale. Several businesses have located in the proximity, some of these are: Wal-Mart, Oxford Suites, Taco Bell, Hollywood Video, Columbia River Bank and Schucks Auto Parts.

To the east of Pendleton, approximately five miles via interstate highway, a new casino was constructed on the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR). The new gaming facility opened in March of 1995. Within two years after the casino opened the CTUIR constructed a motel, golf course, recreational vehicle park, and the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute, which focuses on the Native American history and view of western development. The CTUIR is now the second largest employer in Umatilla County.