Mixed-use development considered for Vancouver block

A downtown Vancouver block that sold earlier this year could be transformed into a mixed-use development.

A pre-application submitted to the city by Gene Bolante of Studio 3 Architecture in Salem, Ore., calls for 96 units spread over a pair of two-story buildings. The proposal includes 43 on-site parking spaces, 24 bicycle parking spaces, balconies on some units and a covered outdoor area.

The block, which is bordered by East 16th, 17th, D and C streets and contains six houses, sold for $1.85 million last month to Mark R. Madden Revocable Living Trust of Portland. When the block went up for sale, business owners and residents were both curious and concerned about the block’s future.

Craig Roberts of C Roberts Hair Designs said if apartments end up being built, he imagines his salon will leave.

“It will probably take some time,” he said.

Pre-applications show a developer’s interest in the project, but they have to be reviewed and approved by the city before moving forward.

The eight-lot block is zoned city center, which is “designed to provide for a concentrated mix of retail, office, civic and housing uses in downtown Vancouver,” and lies within the Downtown Plan District, according to city documents. A neighboring block is owned by Vancouver Housing Authority and is also slated for development.