Families and seniors looking for affordable housing in Battle Ground may have 112 more options within the next couple of years.
The Vancouver Housing Authority is working with the city of Battle Ground and a developer to bring an affordable housing complex to the 21-acre Battle Ground Village.
The proposed project would include three buildings and help meet the ongoing need for apartments for those with limited incomes.
“We want to make sure in growing communities there is sufficient affordable housing,” VHA Executive Director Roy Johnson said. “We’re expecting that it will meet the needs of people already living in Battle Ground.”
The housing authority has entered into a nonbinding agreement with the village developer, The Gold Medal Group, to purchase affordable housing. In order for the project and construction to move forward, VHA needs approval from the Battle Ground City Council to work in the city, which is outside the agency’s jurisdiction.
Before agreeing, the city council wants to make sure the new buildings would fit in with the urban theme of Battle Ground Village. The village, at Southeast Rasmussen Boulevard and Southeast Commerce Avenue, is a mixed-use development with retail shops, live-work townhomes, a community library and a park.
Proposed senior housing includes six two-bedroom units and 34 one-bedroom units. The two multifamily buildings would consist of 18 one-bedroom, 30 two-bedroom and 24 three-bedroom units.
According to project designs, the senior housing building would be west of the new library and south of The Oaks live-work townhomes. The multifamily buildings would be southeast of the senior housing.
Johnson presented the project to the Battle Ground City Council in November. While the council members seemed to support the project, they thought the designs needed more work, Battle Ground Community Development Director Robert Maul said.
The council wants the architecture of the buildings to match the design of the village businesses and live-work townhouses, which have businesses on the first floor and living spaces on the top two floors, Maul said. Battle Ground Mayor Michael Ciraulo said the VHA-developed Esther Short Commons in downtown Vancouver are an example of what he hopes to see in Battle Ground. That complex was a nice addition to the area and complemented the design of other buildings in downtown Vancouver, he said.
“I don’t want just a standard, square apartment complex in something that’s unique in the area,” Ciraulo said.
VHA will present new design concepts to the Battle Ground City Council on Dec. 21. Maul expects the council to iron out the remaining details and approve the agreement in the coming months. If the project is given the OK, construction could begin as early as this summer, Johnson said.
The Battle Ground Village project wouldn’t be VHA’s first in the city. The group’s most recent project in the city is the Mill Creek apartments and senior estates built in 2007. The complex has 28 units for seniors and 50 units for families. Since it opened, the complex has had 100 percent occupancy and a continuous waiting list, VHA’s Johnson said.
“That demonstrates to us that there definitely is a need for additional affordable housing in Battle Ground,” he said.
When the city council approved the agreement with VHA to build the Mill Creek complex, Ciraulo said the council asked that a portion of the units go to Battle Ground residents. He expects the council will make a similar request for the proposed complex.
“I’m not looking to meet all of Portland and Vancouver’s affordable housing needs,” he said. “…The number one importance is to provide housing for Battle Ground.”
The new residents could also prove beneficial for Battle Ground Village. The village has more than a dozen businesses up and running, ranging from a coffee shop to a steak house, a hair salon to clothing boutiques. Nearby residents could be more inclined to do their shopping and dining across the parking lot rather than across the city, Ciraulo said.
“We all agree uniformly that Battle Ground Village has been wildly successful beyond everyone’s imagination and we want that to continue,” Ciraulo said. “We don’t want to hamper that.”
Marissa Harshman: 360-735-4546 or marissa.harshman@columbian.com.
