Waterfront milestone celebrated on City Hall rooftop

Even with Thursday morning’s fog, the vantage from the roof of Vancouver City Hall provided a clear view of where crews have started deep utility work for one of the city’s top priorities: a $1.3 billion commercial and residential redevelopment of the waterfront.

Vancouver Mayor Tim Leavitt, Port of Vancouver Commissioner Nancy Baker and Barry Cain of Columbia Waterfront were among those gathered to celebrate the milestone for the public-private venture, which has been in the works for years.

“It’s not going to happen. It is happening,” said Cain, a Tualatin, Ore.-based developer who proclaimed the property as “the best waterfront site in the whole Vancouver-Portland area.”

He counted proximity to Portland International Airport among the property’s selling points.

“I know I can get to that airport in 15 minutes,” he said.

The opportunity for the project arose in 2005, after Boise Cascade announced it would be closing its paper-finishing operation and selling the 32-acre property.

Cain, president of Gramor Development, formed Columbia Waterfront in 2006 with local investors Jan and Steve Oliva, Al and Sandee Kirkwood, Jo Marie and Steve Hansen and George and Paula Diamond. The group purchased the former industrial site in 2008. A master plan for the multiphase development, which includes restaurants, up to 3,300 residential units, office space, retail space and one hotel, was approved by the City Council in 2010.

In August, the Nutter company was awarded an $850,950 contract by the port for phase one of infrastructure improvements. Phase one work includes installation of deep stormwater, sewer and water lines for extensions of Columbia Way and Esther and Grant streets, which will serve six waterfront parcels owned by the port and properties owned by Columbia Waterfront.

Leavitt and Baker praised the public-private collaboration on Thursday. A $44 million access project, funded in part by grants, was completed this year. It included design, rights-of-way acquisition and construction of two new railroad bridges at Esther and Grant streets, three new streets, the closure of railroad crossings at Jefferson and Eighth streets and related utility work.

An extension of Columbia Way, which will be the main east-west access street to the site, will start in 2015, and the street should be finished by the end of the year, said Chad Eiken, the city’s director of community and economic development. To achieve a straight alignment, plans have been announced to demolish the Centennial Center, part of the 1962-built Red Lion Hotel Vancouver at the Quay.

According to an agreement signed by port commissioners, talks are underway with Red Lion Hotel Holdings about the future of the hotel.

With the exception of a public park, the waterfront site will be privately developed.

Plans for the 7.3-acre park were approved by the city council last year and include an extension of the Waterfront Renaissance Trail.

Cain said Thursday that construction on buildings will start by the end of next year. The first buildings, which will include space for two restaurants, will be on either side of Grant Street.

The project includes a hotel, and Cain said he could be announcing an operator as early as next month. The entire site could take 10 to 15 years to build out, he said.

When the City Council voted on the master plan, all planning-related approvals were given a duration of 20 years because of the “scope and complexities” of the project.

While the city and port are working together on the redevelopment project, there was no mention Thursday by Leavitt or Baker of the controversial plans to build the Northwest’s largest oil-handling facility at the Port of Vancouver. The Vancouver City Council went on record opposing the $210 million project proposed by Tesoro Corp. and Savage Companies. Cain has said there’s zero chance the development project will happen if the oil terminal gets built.

Cain didn’t mention the oil terminal during his speech, either.

“We’re taking the high road,” he said afterward. “We’re thinking it won’t be approved.”