A windowless, brick base section of the 805 Broadway Building in downtown Vancouver is set to be redeveloped to bolster the block’s appeal with retail space.
The section of the building, at 805 E. Eighth St., is under construction with plastic sheets hanging from spaces that will hold two stories of glass curtains.
Mark R. Schlesinger, partner at Schlesinger Co., which owns the building, said the storefront space will be open by the end of the year. No tenants have signed a lease for the new area, he said, but some businesses are showing interest.
Workers will also start installing the glass in about 2 1/2 weeks, he said.
“We’re excited about it,” he said.
Leasing agents at Colliers International, the leasing company for the space, are asking a rate of $30 per square foot, according to a news release.
The new development will offer 13,640 square feet of space, according to a news release from Colliers International.
For the redevelopment, Schlesinger hired Vancouver-based LSW Architects, which recently designed the RiverWest building at The Waterfront Vancouver; Walen Construction LLC, from Wilsonville, Ore; and Grummel Engineering LLC, from Portland.
Schlesinger Co. built the 10-story building in 1982 with a partner, Pacific Telecom, and bought them out in 2007. Schlesinger Co. earned LEED Certification for the 805 Building in 2015.
“Our family was involved with the original design and development of the 805 Broadway Building built as the headquarters for Pacific Telecom in 1982,” Schlesinger wrote in the news release. “Watching the transformation of this space and introducing an inclusive pedestrian experience on Broadway … will change the way the property relates to the community.”
