Anybody who has visited Seattle’s Pike Place Market in recent months can see the potential of Vancouver’s Terminal 1 development.
It’s not that we expect the site along the Columbia River, just west of Interstate 5, to eventually become a destination for travelers from all over the world — although we are not counting anything out. It’s just that recent changes to Seattle’s famous market can serve as inspiration for developers in Vancouver.
Earlier this year, the Alaskan Way Viaduct that for decades had separated Pike Place Market from Seattle’s waterfront was torn down. The viaduct, which carried Highway 99 and provided an unsightly barrier, has been replaced by a tunnel through the downtown area.
From an aesthetic standpoint, the change has been remarkable, providing visitors to the market with stunning views of Elliott Bay and much of Puget Sound while lending an open, inviting feel to the area.
That success can be copied at Terminal 1, as it has at the nearby Waterfront Vancouver development. Vancouver is blessed with a unique amenity in the Columbia River, one that is appealing to locals and tourists alike while highlighting the region’s natural beauty.
Preliminary plans for the Terminal 1 development — which is owned by the Port of Vancouver — indicate a desire to take advantage of that amenity. Developers and architects recently presented a proposal to the port’s board of commissioners for development, which is on track to break ground in early 2021.
A pair of seven-story buildings are recommended for blocks A and C, which together comprise the northern half of the 10-acre property between the Columbia River and a nearby railroad berm. One building would be residential and the other would be office space, with each including ground-floor retail outlets. The first two floors of each building would be for parking.
Most important, entrance to the parking structure would be on the north side of the buildings, away from the river. As The Waterfront Vancouver has demonstrated, success of the development will depend on allowing the public to connect with the Columbia River, which will provide the true appeal of the site.
As The Columbian reported: “The central feature of the proposed design is a raised pedestrian area on top of the garage between the two buildings, with an elaborate set of stairs and terraced platforms leading down to the ground level on the south side.” There also will be “lots of landscaping and places for visitors to meet and sit down.”
All of this reflects a remarkable change in urban planning in recent decades. For years, waterfronts were regarded as places for heavy industry — The Waterfront Vancouver is on the site of a former Boise Cascade plant — or roadways. These days, no self-respecting city would consider separating the public from its waterfront with a two-story viaduct or by putting an interstate freeway along a major river (right, Portland?).
Waterfronts have become a source of civic pride in addition to an economic engine, driving tourism and commerce and enhancing residents’ quality of life. We’re guessing that nobody in Clark County ever said to out-of-town visitors, “Let’s go see the Boise Cascade plant!” But plenty of them will venture to the ever-evolving waterfront.
With that, we expect Terminal 1 to eventually become a worthy companion to The Waterfront Vancouver development. And we are excited about the possibilities.
