Campus Planning

OHSU’s campuses consist of almost a hundred buildings across 400 acres on Marquam Hill Campus, South Waterfront Central District and Schnitzer Campus in Portland; and West Campus in Hillsboro. OHSU’s presence extends across Oregon and Southwest Washington through partnership affiliations, leased locations, and scattered owned facilities. Campus Planning and Real Estate (CPRE) facilitates the implementation of OHSU’s 20-Year Facilities Plan, and coordinates with partners across mission areas to respond to the changing needs of the University, such as organizational growth, operational efficiencies and external impacts and opportunities.

OHSU 20-Year Facilities Plan: 2011-2030

OHSU development is guided by the 20-Year Facilities Plan, established to provide a flexible campus framework with seven objectives:

  1. Preserve development capacity on Marquam Hill for future inpatient bed expansion.
  2. Link building expansion directly with building disposition and backfill.
  3. Implement the Schnitzer Campus Vision and plan for one new facility every five years to build out the campus in 20-30 years.
  4. Preserve land in the Central District for ambulatory expansion and OHSU support services.
  5. Focus research activities on Marquam Hill, West Campus & Schnitzer Campus.
  6. Greatly reduce leased space costs and all support service leases.
  7. Seek opportunities for “campus repair” on the Marquam Hill by developing complementary relationships between buildings and adjacent open spaces, reinforcing safe and convenient circulation throughout the campus.

Ch. 1 Executive Summary
Ch. 2 Existing Site Conditions
Ch. 3 Existing Facility Conditions
Ch. 4 Program Assessment & Recommendations
Ch. 5 Facilities Plan
Ch. 6 Marquam Hill Campus Placemaking
Ch. 7 Sustainability & Performance Standards
Ch. 8 Plan Implementation 
Ch. 9 Appendix

Marquam Hill Campus

OHSU's main campus, Marquam Hill, was first established in 1919 with the opening of Mackenzie Hall. Today it is comprised of 45 buildings across 116 acres, of which more than half is dedicated open space of Marquam Nature Park. The campus is located south of downtown Portland in the hills of the Homestead Neighborhood, where it is surrounded by forested park land and residential neighborhood. The campus consists of healthcare, research, education, and support functions, though the long-term vision is the preserve development capacity for inpatient bed expansion and hospital functions.

The City of Portland adopted the Marquam Hill Plan in 2003 and established the Marquam Hill Plan District (City Code Chapter 33.555) and Marquam Hill Design Guidelines to guide future development in a manner that is consistent with the Plan’s vision for Marquam Hill by allowing dense, urban institutional development that is physically and visually integrated with the surrounding neighborhood and open spaces. Part of the campus also falls within the Terwilliger Parkway Design District, where development proposals may also be subject to additional design guidelines intended to preserve the character of the parkway.

South Waterfront Central District

South Waterfront Central District Plan, 2016

South Waterfront Central District is located along the Willamette River, south of Downtown Portland. The Central District is comprised of 7 buildings on 12 acres, of which more than half is currently undeveloped and slated for the expansion of ambulatory services and support functions that are easily accessible to Marquam Hill with a 3-minute trip on the Portland Aerial Tram.

The City of Portland adopted the Central City 2035 Plan in 2018 which updated regulations to the Central City Plan District (City Code Chapter 33.510). The intent of the plan was to provide a framework for urban design for the city’s largest “center” which is anticipated to experience substantial growth. South Waterfront Central District is part of the South Waterfront subdistrict within the Central City Plan District.

Schnitzer Campus

South Waterfront Schnitzer Campus Plan, 2017

Schnitzer Campus is located along the Willamette River, south of Downtown Portland and adjacent to the Tilikum Crossing which provides access east and west of the river, solely for transit, pedestrians, and bicyclists. The site is a remediated brownfield which was donated to OHSU in 2004 by the Schnitzer Investment Corporation. Today the research and academics campus is comprised of 2 buildings on 15 acres, and the six remaining developable blocks will one day be linked by a pedestrian promenade and connected the open space and the greenway trail along the river.

Like the South Waterfront Central District, Schnitzer Campus is part of the Central City Plan District, South Waterfront subdistrict. See above.

West Campus

West Campus Plan, 2018

West Campus is located in Hillsboro, 13 miles west of Marquam Hill Campus, on a 154 acre site that is majority forest and natural resource areas that contribute to creating a landscaped buffer around the campus. West Campus is comprised of the Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC) and Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute (VGTI). In 2016, OHSU established the 20-year OHSU West Campus Plan with a vision for future development that densifies the core campus, and preserves and enhances the green spaces and natural character of the campus.

West Campus and the adjacent OHSU properties are part of the City of Hillsboro’s AmberGlen Community Plan district which is intended to create an intensive mixed-use development with high quality amenities within an urban and pedestrian environment. The City of Hillsboro approved OHSU’s Planned Unit Development (PUD) application in 2018, by which development proposals for incremental growth on West Campus is reviewed and approved.

Questions about OHSU’s future development and campus planning initiatives may be directed to Tara Mather, mathert@ohsu.edu or Sara Vonde Veld, vondevel@ohsu.edu. All other inquiries may be sent to cpdre@ohsu.edu.