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Angelo building almost complete

Wednesday, June 17 | 9:36 p.m.

THE COLUMBIAN

The new Angelo Building is nearing completion at 400 E. Mill Plain Blvd. in downtown Vancouver. (Julia Anderson/The Columbian)

The new Angelo Building is nearing completion at 400 E. Mill Plain Blvd. in downtown Vancouver.

Crews are on track to finish work early next month on the first of two buildings in The Al Angelo Co.'s $57 million 400 Mill Plain Center in downtown Vancouver.

On the block between Mill Plain and 15th at D Street, the five-story, $18 million building greets Interstate 5 traffic exiting west into downtown. The revitalized location once was the site of a Denny's restaurant.

The Angelo Co. expects to move into the building's top floor in September and is working to lease the rest of the building to other office and retail users, said Craig Angelo, a principal in the family-controlled business.

The new building will eventually face a companion structure, planned to occupy the block directly to the west. No date has been set for construction to start on the second building, Angelo said.

by Lew Waters : 6/18/09 7:07am - Report Abuse

While it is fully their property to do with as they please, I miss stopping in at the old Denny's for weekend breakfasts. My wife and I met some really nice people there and enjoyed many a breakfast.

Progress can give us some very nice memories to reflect back on, too.

by Scott Burckhard : 6/18/09 7:32am - Report Abuse

another large building that will sit mostly vacant as further surpress office space values...I'd rather have the Denny's...

by M Johnson : 6/18/09 10:09am - Report Abuse

I like the new building! It's modern yet traditional at the same time. I think it's a much better "greeting" building (entering into downtown Vancouver from Mill Plain) than some old funky, decrepit Denny's building. It gives the downtown a lift. I swear, some of you folks in here would be unhappy no matter what is discussed in these blogs. Thanks to the Angelo Co. for designing and building an attractive facade for our downtown.

by Theresa Mack : 6/18/09 11:58am - Report Abuse

Bunch Construction built a very nice looking office complex that has been almost totally empty for the year it's been here in Orchards. I'm just saying...maybe the Angelo's will have better luck.

by Will Bridge : 6/18/09 3:37pm - Report Abuse

It won't be long before the owner of this building files for bankruptcy. They'll have plenty of company. I'm sure Scott Campbell can show Angelo the ropes.

by Penny Schinke : 6/18/09 4:02pm - Report Abuse

This town and county are starting to look like Aberdeen, Raymond and Westport on the WA coast....businesses leaving, leaving abandoned looking empty houses, stores and office buildings. Geez, there are places ALL OVER downtown that are empty, and have been empty for a long, long time. We tried to shop on Main St. the other day. I say "tried" because most of the stores are closed/empty...just like the mall. This struck me as a nice town when we moved here from the Chicago area in the spring of '79, but it has pushed itself into not looking prosperous, but into looking like it's "going under for the third time". This county and the city just do not have the jobs on this side of the river to support the population that will be needed to fill up the empty places...without counting the skyscrapers they're planning to put up on the riverfront. Does anybody get taxes and/or fees of any kind off of empty--since being built--retail and office spaces.

by Kurt Creager : 6/18/09 6:01pm - Report Abuse

This is a gutsy move from people really devoted to the quality of life in Vancouver and Clark Couty; the Angeleos are commended for their commitment to excellence. The Denney's Restaurant had outlived its usefullness and while I liked their food, the physical plant had long oulived its usefullness. Plus there are many better places to eat in and around downtown like Dulin's, Gray's and Christine's.

The Angelo Building may not lease up quickly, but it is the right use for the location and it will lease up in due time. The family can be proud that what they have caused to be constructed will be there for 80-120 years. Their acceptance of the requirement to preserve the oak trees at the entrance to downtown was a wise move and helps to reinforce the appearance of the entrance to downtown.

I say congratulate people who are willing to invest in the community!We need more people like the Angelos to keep our economy moving.

by BJ Davey : 6/18/09 6:34pm - Report Abuse

This is a great looking building in a good location. I too am tired of all the negativity and doom and gloom in regards to Vancouver. Too many people only like to complain instead of trying to improve their community.

by Penny Schinke : 6/18/09 8:17pm - Report Abuse

BJ...exactly how is one to "do" anything about anything in this county anymore?!? Yeah, I complain because I've watched the county, and the city of Vancouver, try to make itself into Portland or Seattle. I really, really would like a better county, and city, but that won't happen until we get some decent, family-supporting wage paying industries and businesses on this side of the Columbia River. This constant building of things that are not being bought/rented/leased is dragging this community down. We have sub-divisions that go from horizon to horizon, and they keep moving farther and farther away from "the city". Despite all of the campaigning for Main St. and downtown, the downtown is dying, if not already dead. It's fun to do things for the neighborhood folks, but to make any progress and/or cash, you need to draw "outsiders" into "the neighborhood". Especially with gas going up, few people want to drive to town unless there is something really going on...marathons for various issues, the Farmers' Market, scattered concerts in Esther Short. And now, with no 4th of July fireworks, there is nothing to bring people into town. There used to be a big event downtown...chili cook-offs...lots of family stuff...crafts, etc. And, yes, we've viewed all of the art work amongst the downtown buildings. The Turtle Place, the fountains, been there done that. The land bridge is nice, except for the trains and their tracks that mess with the view of Mt. Hood. Vancouver was better as a town...it just doesn't have the businesses/industries that can really help a town grow naturally...there's only so much that the citizen-taxpayers can afford.

by Mr. zakkwyldelp@yahoo.com : 6/18/09 11:23pm - Report Abuse

Denny's was everything to me; this new empty building does nothing for me.

by bonnie blue : 6/19/09 7:48am - Report Abuse

While the new building is very nice, I truly think a pretty little park space on that property would have been a much better "Welcome to Vancouver" than yet another empty office building. I'm also one that agrees with others in here this morning about the terrible lack of good jobs here in Vancouver and Clark County. Apparently our "leaders" just don't get that they need to attract good jobs so we can work here where we live and further support our own town. I have NO use for Portland, won't shop there, and if I didn't have to work over there, wouldn't cross that bridge EVER.

by Penny Schinke : 6/19/09 5:05pm - Report Abuse

bonnie...even when we worked on Front St. under the St. Johns Bridge in N.Portland, we did not drive into Portland to get there--I really don't like the Fremont Bridge. We would turn onto Marine Dr West and go through St. Johns on Fessenden, over the bridge, down to Hwy 30, and on to work. Took the same route in reverse when homeward bound, and avoided soooo much traffic, petrol w a s t i n g from being locked into the parking lot also known as I-5 northbound. Yeah, there's some big trucks and waiting trying to get on I-5 north, but not even close to what one gets at the Fremont. We do have a favorite restaurant near Lloyd Center that we go to, maybe, once a month, and we frequently use I-205...other than that, now that we're retired, we very rarely go into Portland, especially, on I-5. I firmly believe that we desperately need some GOOD, WELL PAYING JOBS in Vancouver....