If you’ve been watching what’s happening on the south end of Newberg, you know something big is taking shape along the Willamette River. The Riverrun subdivision, the City of Newberg’s Riverfront Master Plan, and the long-anticipated redevelopment of the former WestRock mill site are all converging into one of the most significant real estate stories in the Chehalem Valley. And as someone who lives and works here — and invests here — I want to give you a clear picture of what’s happening, where it’s headed, and what it means for you.
What Is Riverrun?
River Run is a master-planned residential subdivision located on the south end of Newberg, just north of the Willamette River, west of College Street and north of Weatherly Way and East Waterfront Street. Approved by the Newberg Planning Commission in October 2018, the development spans approximately 130 single-family home lots across three phases, with large open-space tracts built in and an expansive forest bordering the project to the north.
The development was brought to life through a partnership between Willcuts Company Realtors and a group of respected local builders — Del Boca Vista Construction, Tassy L. Davis Builders, and Quinn Johnston Construction. If you’ve driven through the area lately, you’ve seen the neighborhood taking shape: well-designed homes in a setting that feels genuinely connected to the natural landscape rather than dropped on top of it.
The development has been actively selling, with open houses held every weekend from noon to 3 p.m. at the model home on site. For buyers interested in new construction in Newberg, River Run has been one of the most compelling options in the market.
Why the Location Matters So Much
Location in real estate is everything, and River Run’s position on the south end of Newberg is more strategic than most people realize. This isn’t just a neighborhood near a river — it sits at the heart of one of the most significant long-term development plans in the history of Newberg.
The City of Newberg adopted its Riverfront District Master Plan in 2019, amended in 2020, covering approximately 450 acres on the south side of town — all within the city’s Urban Growth Boundary, bordered by 9th Street to the north and the Willamette River to the south. The plan envisions transforming this area into a vibrant mix of commercial, residential, recreational, and public uses over the coming decades. Think riverfront promenades, trail connectivity, new commercial districts, and a mix of housing that takes full advantage of one of the most underutilized stretches of Willamette River waterfront in the entire Chehalem Valley.
River Run sits within that footprint. Buyers purchasing in River Run today aren’t just buying a house — they’re buying into the early stages of a long-term vision that, when fully realized, will look very different and very appealing.
The WestRock Mill Site: The Sleeping Giant
Any honest conversation about Newberg’s south end has to include the former WestRock paper mill property — because it’s the single largest factor shaping what this area eventually becomes.
The mill, which sat on the south end of River Street on South Wynooski Street, was purchased by St. Louis-based Commercial Development Company Inc. (CDC) from WestRock after the plant shuttered in 2016. The mill was razed in 2020, and the land has sat mostly idle ever since. The parcel totals approximately 192.6 acres, of which 100 acres are flat, contiguous, and developable. It fronts the Willamette River and has direct rail access — an extraordinary asset for certain industrial or mixed-use buyers.
As of April 2026, the property has been listed for sale and lease through Macadam Forbes, a Lake Oswego commercial real estate firm. The asking price is $12 per square foot — which totals more than $100 million if the entire parcel is purchased. According to the latest broker, Clayton Madey, there has been interest from buyers looking at both smaller chunks and the full site, but nothing is under contract.
The land is currently zoned industrial by the county and is designated for manufacturing and production, warehouse and freight, industrial service, rail yards, storage and self-storage, utilities, battery storage, and data centers. Any shift toward the residential or commercial uses outlined in the Riverfront Master Plan would require rezoning.
There are also complexities: the city of Newberg purchased the mill’s water rights for $3.18 million, sections of the Blaine Street rail spur have been decommissioned, and the site will likely require significant environmental remediation given its 140-plus year history as a lumber and newsprint operation.
None of this makes the site undevelopable — it makes it complicated. And complicated industrial land with Willamette River frontage in a growing market is exactly the kind of opportunity that eventually attracts serious capital. When it moves, it will reshape the south end of Newberg.
The Riverfront Master Plan: A Long Game Worth Playing
The city’s Riverfront Master Plan is a separate but intertwined story. The plan covers the land adjacent to the mill site — the area between the Newberg-Dundee bypass and the Willamette River — and envisions it as a commercial, residential, and recreational zone. The city has been clear that the plan is not contingent on the mill site selling; those parcels are independent and the city cannot control how or when CDC chooses to sell them.
What the plan does establish is the framework: a riverfront promenade or pathway running along the Willamette, local street connections designed to integrate new development with existing neighborhoods, and a mix of uses that could make the south end of Newberg a genuine destination rather than a pass-through.
The rebuilt South River Street (which the city is currently in the process of designing — I wrote about that project separately) will serve as the main artery connecting downtown Newberg to this emerging district. When River Street is rebuilt and the riverfront comes online, the connectivity story becomes very compelling.
What This Means for Buyers
If you’re considering buying in the River Run neighborhood or anywhere on Newberg’s south end, here’s my honest take as both a realtor and a local investor:
The fundamentals are strong. You’re buying into a planned community with good bones, a builder-backed neighborhood still in active development, and a city that has made long-term investment in this area a stated priority. The Riverfront Master Plan gives the south end a 20-year tailwind that most neighborhoods simply don’t have.
The trade-off is patience. The full vision for this area — a walkable riverfront district with commercial amenities, trails, and activated public space — is still years away. The mill site sale and environmental work alone will take time. If you’re looking to buy and hold, that patience will likely be rewarded. If you need immediate walkability and amenities, manage those expectations accordingly.
New construction pricing in Newberg has climbed substantially. A market that once saw homes in the $150,000 range now sees averages closer to $400,000 and above, a shift driven by population growth, constrained supply, and the sustained demand that comes with Newberg’s quality of life and wine country location. River Run represents some of the best-positioned new inventory in that price environment.
What This Means for Investors
As an investor myself — and as the co-host of Newberg’s only investor meetup — I’ve been watching the south end closely for years. Here’s the investor perspective in plain terms:
The mill site is one of the most interesting large-parcel opportunities in the Willamette Valley. At $12 per square foot and 100 usable flat acres with river frontage, the raw land value proposition is real. The challenges (zoning, environmental, infrastructure) are also real. This is sophisticated investor territory — not a flip, but potentially a long-duration hold or development partnership play for the right capital.
For residential investors, River Run and the surrounding south-end neighborhoods represent an opportunity to get positioned in an appreciating corridor before the riverfront plan matures. Rental demand in Newberg is consistent, and new construction product in well-planned communities holds value well.
If you’re an investor who wants to talk through what’s happening on the south end — or any part of the Newberg market — I’d love to connect. I also host a monthly investor meetup here in Newberg, the only one of its kind in the Chehalem Valley. It’s a great room full of people who are actively investing and thinking about exactly these kinds of opportunities. You can RSVP and find upcoming events here: Newberg Investor Meetup on Eventbrite.
Keeping an Eye on the South End
Newberg’s south end is one of the most interesting stories in Chehalem Valley real estate right now. River Run is an active, well-designed community for buyers who want new construction near the river. The Riverfront Master Plan is the city’s long-term framework for what comes next. And the WestRock mill site is the wildcard that, when it finally sells, will determine how quickly the rest of the plan gets activated.
I’ve spent years building local knowledge in this market, and staying on top of projects like these is exactly what I mean when I say John Knows Newberg. Whether you’re buying, selling, or investing, having a realtor who understands the development pipeline — not just today’s listings — makes a real difference in the decisions you make.
Let’s talk. Call or text me directly:
📞 503-217-4229
John Knows Newberg
Connect with John Laney | John Knows Newberg
🌐 Website: AssuranceTeamRealEstate.com 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/JohnKnowsNewberg 📸 Instagram: @JohnKnowsNewberg 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/JohnLaneyRealtor
📞 Call or text John directly: 503-217-4229 📧 john@assuranceteamrealestate.com
John Laney is a licensed Oregon REALTOR® with Epique Realty / Assurance Team Real Estate, specializing in seller representation, investor properties, and commercial real estate in Newberg and the Chehalem Valley.
More Articles by John
Sources: City of Newberg — Riverrun Subdivision Review | City of Newberg — Riverfront Master Plan | Business Tribune — What’s the Latest on the Newberg Mill Site? (April 2026) | River Run Newberg | The GFU Crescent — Subdivisions and the Future of Newberg Housing (2024)
