43 residential units, 33 businesses in Washington and Oregon could be hit by I-5 Bridge replacementSubscriber Exclusive

That option would require two additional property acquisitions in downtown Vancouver, both off C Street: the Normandy Apartments, where 33 residential units would be displaced, and the Regal City Center complex, where three businesses would be displaced.

Downtown Vancouver

Two buildings in downtown Vancouver are slated for full acquisition in every design option: The six-story, 5-year-old Hurley office building overlaps with the path of the light rail extension, and the adjacent headquarters of Pacific Energy Concepts is in the way of a local street extension. Both are on West Third Street.

Property acquisition in downtown Vancouver will be required for realignments and improvements to local roads and the addition of transit infrastructure through the eastern portion of downtown, according to the document.

The reconstruction of the Highway 14 interchange will require small permanent property acquisitions at the Old Apple Tree Park and Vancouver National Historic Reserve near the Land Bridge crossing.

Marshall Park will also be partially impacted to accommodate a northbound flyover ramp connecting East Mill Plain Boulevard and East Fourth Plain Boulevard, but the ramp would not affect the existing community center or the parking lot.

Shumway neighborhood

The seven homes slated for full acquisition are in the Shumway neighborhood on I Street between East 35th and 37th streets.

Permanent acquisition of property will be required in this area to accommodate the reconstruction of the Fourth Plain Boulevard and state Highway 500 interchanges and the realignment of I-5 between these two interchanges, according to the document.

Partial property acquisitions are also slated for the area.

Freeway interchange improvements, including retaining walls, will require partial acquisition of 17 residential properties along the east and west sides of the freeway between the Fourth Plain Boulevard interchange and East 29th Street.

Four additional residential properties will need to be partially acquired along the north sides of East 29th Street both east and west of the freeway to accommodate additional bike and pedestrian improvements.

Continuing north from East 33rd to 39th streets, eight residential properties west of the freeway will need to be partially acquired to accommodate the ramp connecting Fourth Plain Boulevard with Highway 500. The same ramp configuration is responsible for the full acquisition of the seven single-family homes.

Four additional residential properties — two single-family and two multifamily — will need to be partially acquired between East 39th and 40th streets for retaining walls on the west side of the freeway.

The northernmost impact of the project is a partial acquisition from the southwest corner of the Discovery Middle School property. This would not affect the building but could cut off the corner of the school’s parking lot, according to the document.

Outreach

Property owners in the crosshairs have been notified, said Ray Mabey, assistant administrator for the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program.

“We’ve sent mailers and flyers to those impacted property owners so they can engage the program and get more information,” he said.

Formal discussions about property acquisitions won’t happen until the final version of the supplemental environmental impact statement is published along with an amended record of decision, both of which are expected by late 2025. After that, the program can begin construction.

“We will be communicating well in advance of construction with landowners, because we know that the appraisal process, the negotiation process, takes time,” Mabey said. “We want to make sure that there’s time built in so nobody feels unduly rushed.”

Where displacements are unavoidable, impacted residents will receive compensation and relocation assistance from the Washington State Department of Transportation, according to the document.

Displaced households and businesses will be relocated per the Uniform Relocation and Real Property Acquisitions Policies Act of 1970. For example, individuals cannot be displaced from their residences unless a comparable replacement residence is available, and individuals cannot be required to move less than 90 days after an offer to purchase has been made. Homeowners and tenants may receive payments for moving expenses and, if necessary, the increased cost of replacement housing.

Property will be purchased at fair market value, and displaced homeowners will be provided “decent, safe and sanitary replacement housing,” the document states.

But what if an owner doesn’t want to give up their property? In those cases, eminent domain may be used — that is, the right of a government to acquire private property for public purpose following payment of just compensation to the property owner.

“The impacts to businesses and people is real to us,” Mabey said. “We have lots of tools to work with businesses and owners to come to an agreement.”

Eminent domain is the “last resort” and “not a tool that we use lightly,” he added.

Public comment

Program officials want to hear from impacted property owners.

A 60-day public comment period began following the release of the draft supplemental environmental impact statement. Responses will help inform technical analysis and design options and will refine the preferred alternative, according to program officials. The public comment period ends Nov. 18.

The full document is posted on the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program’s website, including a 60-page executive summary available in multiple languages and a full list of impacted properties. The website also includes tools and videos to help people understand the document and how to comment on it.

“This is the most important time for community members to use their voice and make their opinions heard on this program,” program administrator Greg Johnson said.

To learn more, visit www.interstatebridge.org/updates-folder/supplemental-environmental-impact-statement.