News / Business / Clark County Business

Hurley plans downtown Vancouver apartments on top of ‘solid bones’

Development would be perched over existing building

By Will Campbell, Columbian Associate Editor

Published: June 21, 2020, 6:00am

Hurley Development's new project calls for an additional two-story apartment complex built on top of the current building. (Alisha Jucevic/The Columbian)

Hurley Development has a penchant for building in unique spots.

The Hurley Building was wedged in near railroad tracks in downtown Vancouver. The Hurley Tower II building will rise close by, squeezed into a triangular space between Interstate 5 and Columbia Street.

The next challenge: Perching an apartment building on top of an existing commercial building at 1600 Washington St. that currently houses the NW Furniture Bank and was formerly home to Bennett Paper & Supply.

Although there are no renderings for the project yet, owner Ryan Hurley said he plans “to meld the existing building into a much more modern and contemporary concept.”

“We’re trying to maintain the lower structure because it has a lot of character,” he said. “It has really solid bones.”

Hurley said that there aren’t many similar buildings in Vancouver, partly because it’s difficult to build.

“It’s basically on stilts,” he said. “Hopefully, we’ll have as little impact on the commercial structure as possible.”

The planned development is about 44,000 square feet and two stories. It includes a separate 3-story, wooden-framed apartment building on the block along 17th Street. So far, 56 parking spaces are planned and more could be included in the final design, Hurley said.

The units will be studio, one-bedroom and lofts ideally suitable for the young professional, Hurley said.

“We feel like there’s a strong opportunity for the product,” he said.

Although the stilted apartment structure sounds like a leading-edge design, Hurley is aiming for the units’ rent to be affordable, he said.

Hurley, who owns Ten Talents Investments 24 LLC., purchased the property and most of the block with the LLC for $2.2 million in March, according to Clark County property records.

Vancouver-based Jackola Engineering and Architecture PC is working on the designs for the project, Hurley said.

Hurley said that the building will complement the growth in Vancouver’s nearby Uptown Village area, where taprooms and restaurants including The Thirsty Sasquatch, Uptown Barrel Room and Bleu Door Bakery are drawing more people to the area.

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