A new vision for waterfront
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Julia Anderson, Columbian business editor
Now that the development ice jam is breaking up on Vancouver's waterfront, let's look ahead to what might happen on the 29-acre former Boise Cascade site.
Last week, we learned of two key agreements. First, the Port of Vancouver made a deal with BNSF Railway and Lafarge Concrete to move a rail spur from the middle of the Boise site. Second, Gramor Development and its investor group said the port's agreement triggered their purchase of the Boise property for $19 million. Both transactions closed last week.
So what happens next? Gramor plans to hold meetings with community, civic and business groups to gather input on what should go on the waterfront property before submitting development plans to the city. The intention is to be in construction in 2010 on what is expected to be between $900 million and $1.2 billion worth of office, retail and residential construction.
Let's face it, the Boise site is a gorgeous piece of property that along with three port-owned acres at the Red Lion Hotel at the Quay is the gateway to Vancouver, Clark County and Washington. Some 100,000 vehicles cross the Interstate 5 Bridge on any given day within sight of the property. Passengers on planes arriving and departing from Portland International Airport get a daily aerial view of the location. There's river and rail traffic. It would be difficult to identify another piece of ground on the West Coast as visible and with such dramatic river views as this one. So what would we like to see at the gateway to our community? Here are some thoughts:
- Through some partnership the city, the port, Gramor and the folks involved with the Center for the Arts must work to build a public performing arts center on the site. Such a structure would bring community identity to Clark County, give us a long-hoped-for arts facility and provide an iconic "signature" structure on the waterfront symbolizing our economic energy. Think Sydney Opera House, the Louvre Museum, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
- Gramor must design a mix of residential housing there available to different income groups; Enough housing for at least 3,000 people. As nice as it is, we don't need another Tidewater Cove, but downtown Vancouver does need a lot more people living within a few blocks of Esther Short Park.
- Something funky. Portland's Pearl District has a bit of funkiness. Let's try for at least as much. That means bringing a diverse mix of businesses to the project. Could McMenamins be enticed to join in the planning? How about a Big Al's bowling center that would draw from all of west Vancouver? How about a movie theater-pub?
- Something for kids. Provide space for some kind of water-oriented interactive educational facility similar to the Seattle Aquarium. Or, even better, a permanent museum linked to the rich Native American history and culture of this region. We've got Fort Vancouver, Officers Row and Pearson Field. A Native American museum such as the fabulous one in Santa Fe, N.M., would offer rotating exhibits of artifacts and live cultural displays. It would complement what we've got.
Let the Cowlitz Tribe pay for it in exchange for getting their casino near La Center.