About the Springbrook Project

What better place to experience Oregon’s abundance than where it all began, the Willamette Valley, a fertile paradise that yields an agricultural bounty ranging from hazelnuts and grass seeds to pears and wine. And now it gives birth to Springbrook, a 450-acre development in Newberg, Oregon (20 miles southwest of Portland), that will boast a luxury inn and spa, a restaurant, conference center, mixed-use village center, multi-use trails, parks, residences and business/employment opportunities.

That this region could reap so much bounty should surprise no one. It’s done so for more than 160 years. Early settlers quickly tapped the valley’s rich topsoil—deposited during the Ice Age by raging floodwaters—by growing wheat, oats, peas, hops, Silver Dollar strawberries and Bartlett pears. Willamette Valley fruit was soon famous from Portland to London.

Moreover, those early settlers included direct relatives of the Austin family, the visionaries behind the current Springbrook project. Which means the Austin legacy reaches deep into that topsoil, rooted in seven generations of personal history.

This connection ensures that Springbrook will continue Oregon’s respectful land ethic. It will be built on land inside the Newberg urban growth boundary, thus leaving untouched the valuable agricultural and vineyard acreage that abounds in this part of the Willamette Valley.

Construction started on October 9th, 2007 on The Allison, Oregon Wine Country's Premier Inn & Spa, opening August 2009.

Development Highlights

• 85-room luxury inn, restaurant, spa and conference center
• Distinctive neighborhoods offering variety of housing styles
• Village center that is a gathering place for shopping and community events
• Preservation of historic Springbrook School
• Preservation of natural features and trees
• Nearly 50 acres of open park and community areas
• Multi-use trails for pedestrians and bicyclists
• Consistent high standard of architectural character and design

Joan Austin

The driving force behind Springbrook Properties is long-time Oregon entrepreneur and philanthropist, Joan Austin. Along with her husband, Ken Austin (founder of the A-dec dental equipment manufacturer), Joan has been a vital member of the Newberg community for more than six decades—it’s her home—and she is overseeing the development with the care you'd expect from a neighbor.

Now in her mid-70s, Joan retains a boundless energy and a selfless commitment to the project, determined to create a development that embodies the unique character of the region. Or as she puts it: “Our family will do it right.”