Growing Battle Ground

Sunday, February 6, 2005
BY JULIA ANDERSON, Columbian staff writer

BATTLE GROUND -- The value of taxable property inside Battle Ground's city limits increased to $740 million last year, up $72 million from 2003, mostly because of new construction.

The same thing will likely happen again this year.

New projects either under construction or planned inside city limits include an eight-screen cinema and surrounding retail development; a three-story, 50-unit hotel with restaurant; a giant indoor motocross sports center; 290 units of multi-family housing; a new police station; and as many as 320 new single-family homes.

A separate village-style commercial-retail center planned by developer Dennis Pavlina is expected to get started this year on 25 acres southeast of city center. The project, to include a new community library, will offer as much as 190,000 square feet of construction. Only three or four buildings inside the project are to be started this year. But the master-planned development, which includes separate housing units and a nearby business park, could eventually be worth an estimated $200 million.

Battle Ground City Manager Eric Holmes and Mayor John Idsinga like the mix of economic activity coming to the city despite the pressure that growth puts on services.

"In the late '90s it was all residential," Holmes said. "Now with Gardner Center and its cinema and Pavlina's project, it feels like we've reached a critical mass. We're beginning to attract the interest of a lot of folks."

To illustrate, Holmes said Battle Ground's Internet Web site at www.cityofbg.org is getting 12,000 hits a day.

Growth not new

Population growth is not new to Battle Ground, a city of 14,220 in north-central Clark County at the crossroads of state Highways 502 and 503. The city's population jumped an estimated 13.2 percent between 2002 and 2003 and has nearly tripled since the mid-1990s, making it the second-fastest growing city in the state.

Planners expect Battle Ground to add 1,000 new residents each year for at least the next five years.

"We're optimistic that growth will create a a well-rounded community," said Idsinga, mayor for the past three years. "We want growth to pay for growth."

Because of Battle Ground's central location, planners aren't shy about explaining that the city draws from a much larger market. According to census data, an estimated 209,000 people live within a 10-mile radius of city center (That's more than half the county's total population of about 380,000).

Many of those rural residents do their shopping in Battle Ground city limits. Figures from the state Department of Revenue show that taxable retail sales in Battle Ground in 2003 totaled $145.5 million. That translates into a per capita spending rate of $11,743, nearly 10 percent higher than the countywide per capita spending average of $10,625.

"The numbers illustrate that we are becoming a regional center for all of north Clark County," Holmes said.

Momentum to continue

With the expected opening of Gardner Center in late April at the northeast corner of Northeast 199th Street and 503, retail activity will continue to increase. The completion next fall of a three-story hotel and restaurant at the southeast corner of Southeast 15th Avenue and West Main Street and the opening of the first buildings inside Pavlina's Battle Ground Center project in 2006 will keep the momentum going.

Mike Heston, a Vancouver consultant who represents the hotel developers, sees pent-up demand in Battle Ground for services.

"Athletic teams participating in tournaments hosted in Battle Ground want a place to stay," he said. "So do families looking for someplace to put out-of-town relatives."

Construction on the $2.5 million hotel should get started within the next 45 days.

Pam Lindloff, a commercial real estate agent with Norris, Beggs & Simpson, said Battle Ground's customer base includes people living in Orchards, Brush Prairie, Hockinson and even Ridgefield.

"The lack of a direct connection to Interstate 5 was once viewed as a hindrance to retail growth," Lindloff said. "But now, I'm actually seeing a lot of potential national and regional tenants looking at the area."

Lindloff, who represents the 50,000-square-foot Gardner Center project, said interest there has been strong enough that developer Elie Kassab could choose from as many as three tenants in each business category.

"That speaks to the need that's unfulfilled and the broader market," she said.

Kassab estimates the cinema complex, which will employ about 30 people, could sell as many as 300,000 movie tickets a year.

A dental office, chiropractor and eye clinic are expected to be among tenants, Kassab said about the $19 million project.

City agenda

More investment by developers such as Kassab and Pavlina translates into additional tax revenue for the city, which in turn provides flexibility for how the city manages growth, Holmes said.

"Right now we've got a lot of momentum, but we have to be thoughtful about our planning because that momentum can be squandered," Holmes said. "We want these opportunities to be used to the fullest advantage of the community. We want to grow the whole pie."

The city's 2005 budget totals $38 million, with $11.5 million earmarked for capital construction including a new police station, several parks and new streets, and sewer and water projects.

The city also wants to energize Battle Ground's funky East Main Street, called Old Town.

The departure of farm supply store Wilco is viewed as a plus. The retailer is remodeling and will occupy a long vacant store at 815 W. Main St.

That leaves the old location at 209 E. Main prime space for remodeling and a new tenant.

At some point, the city wants to provide a boost to the east end by using eight city-owned acres there to create a community destination point.

What that will be is not certain.

"We really want to focus on that as a public policy priority," Holmes said.

Battle Ground also wants more land (at least 120 acres and up to 1,100 acres) inside its growth management boundary to accommodate long-term economic development goals. The city is among several entities appealing Clark County's recent update to the area's 20-year plan, which shut the door on such expansion.

The additional land would give the city room to recruit more business investment, which in turn would generate tax revenue to fund redevelopment in the city center and East Main areas, Holmes said.

Meanwhile, 169 single-family homes and duplexes are planned inside Pavlina's project. New Tradition Homes, already a builder in Battle Ground, will do the work. Another 175 homes are planned for construction elsewhere inside the city.

Challenges

Managing growth and providing public services are among several challenges facing the city, says developer Dennis Pavlina.

"The city must not ignore the importance of quality schools in building a solid community," Pavlina said. "If Clark College is interested in bringing a branch campus to Battle Ground, we'd like to be a front runner in bringing it here."

He also wants city guidance in helping developers manage stormwater run-off on new project sites, since many of those sites sit on flat clay soil with little elevation change.

Neither is Pavlina sure about the future of the Lewis & Clark Railway, which cuts diagonally across the city's east side. The rail line was recently leased by the county to Yakima-based Columbia Basin Railroad Co.

"From our perspective the railroad is under-funded," Pavlina said. "We have rail frontages inside our business park, but whether we'll ever be able to promote that to potential tenants can't be guaranteed." He sees the whole rail line as too small to handle modern rail cars and traffic.

Pavlina, too, wants Battle Ground's east-side Old Town revitalized. He sees Wilco's departure as an opportunity.

"That site could be home to a mix of all kinds of things," he said.

I-5 connection

With plans in the works for a new interchange on Interstate 5 to Highway 503 and further expansion of the city's sewer treatment plant, the city's population growth potential seems unlimited.

But Battle Ground officials have an underlying mission: recruit more jobs to town.

"We're going to do everything we can to make the initial investment here by a business as attractive as possible," Holmes said.

Right now, the job ratio is a meager 0.5 jobs per household inside city limits.

Within 20 years, the city's goal is to increase that ratio to 1.2 jobs per household with more residents living, working and recreating within the city.

By then, Battle Ground's total population is likely to have reached a robust 30,000.

Julia Anderson is The Columbian business news editor. To reach her, call 360-759-8071 or send e-mail to julia.anderson@columbian.com.

Did you know?

* An estimated 209,000 people live within a 10-mile radius of the city of Battle Ground.

* Battle Ground is expected to add 1,000 new residents each of the next five years.

* Over the next 20 years, planners want to increase the job ratio inside the city from 0.5 jobs per household to 1.2 per household.

COMING TO BATTLE GROUND

Battle Ground Center

WHAT: 108-acre project to include housing, commercial, retail development, as well as a business park, southeast of city center north of 199th Street and east of Southeast Grace Avenue. A village-style commercial-retail project called Battle Ground Village is planned on 25 acres inside the development.

DEVELOPER: Dennis Pavlina, The Gold Medal Group, Vancouver.

BUILDOUT VALUE: $200 million.

TIMELINE: First three commercial buildings as well as a new community library could get into construction by late summer. Home building and business park construction will soon be under way.

SIXTH STREET STATION

WHAT: 169-lot housing project planned as part of Battle Ground Center on 18.5 acres east of the rail line and Southeast Grace Avenue, and north of Rasmussen Boulevard.

BUILDER: New Tradition Homes.

BUILDOUT VALUE: Undetermined.

TIMELINE: The project, which will include both duplexes and single-family homes, will be constructed in two phases with work on the first 62 lots getting started this spring. Phase two, planned in 2006, will include another 107 lots.

Gardner Center

WHAT: A 50,000-square-foot retail project including an eight-screen cinema at the northeast corner of Northeast 199th Street and state Highway 503. The project will include a restaurant or two, a dental office, an eye clinic, a chiropractic office and other services.

DEVELOPER: Elie Kassab.

BUILDOUT VALUE: $19 million.

TIMELINE: The cinema is expected to open in late April, along with the first phase of retail construction.

Gardner Oaks

WHAT: Retail-commercial project on five acres north of Gardner Center. A health club once was planned for the site, but now the developers are considering other options, including retail or medical office projects.

DEVELOPERS: Mark Hinton, Joe Melo.

BUILDOUT VALUE: Undetermined.

TIMELINE: Construction will begin after fill permits are approved by the Army Corps of Engineers. That could be as early as August.

Battle Ground Hotel and Retail

WHAT: Three-story building with a restaurant and other retail on the ground-level and 50 hotel rooms on two upper floors. The project is planned south of West Main Street at 15th Avenue.

DEVELOPER: Group of private investors led by Mike Heston.

BUILDOUT VALUE: $2.5 million.

TIMELINE: Construction could start within 45 days, with completion in the fall.

Pro-Moto Sports Arena

WHAT: An 86,000-square-foot enclosed arena with bleachers offering space for motocross practice and racing on 10 acres at 19611 N.E. 142nd Ave. The building would contain a two-story section, with the lower portion for concessions and sports accessories. The upstairs would house offices and a viewing area.

DEVELOPER: Don Boespflug.

BUILDOUT VALUE: $3.5 million.

TIMELINE: The project is contingent on resolving some wetlands issues with the Army Corps of Engineers. If all goes as planned, the arena could open in September.