Before it was a town, Vancouver was a fort, the cradle of European development of the Pacific Northwest.
For that reason, the old military grounds and buildings around the old Fort Vancouver will always hold a special spot in the hearts of local citizens and history-minded visitors.
So it is most encouraging to see the Vancouver Barracks emerging also as a strong component in the community’s future. As Andrea Damewood reported in Saturday’s Columbian, plans are under way for conversion of the south and east barracks to nonmilitary use. The U.S. Army Reserve’s 104th Training Division (Leader Training) will complete its transfer to Fort Lewis this summer, and that will leave more than two dozen buildings of the south and east barracks available for the new owner, the National Park Service. The west barracks site, including 16 buildings, was transferred last year by the Army to the city of Vancouver, which is still finalizing development plans.
Commendably, the Park Service is reaching out to the public for suggestions on what to do with the 25 buildings on the east and south barracks sites. Two public meetings are scheduled for April 7: noon to 2 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. at the Red Cross Building, 605 Barnes Street on the west barracks. The meetings will also include site tours.
While the past is what distinguishes the Vancouver Barracks, the present and future also are rather interesting when compared to military posts elsewhere. In most places, losing a military installation can be catastrophic to the local economy, the region’s history and the community’s spirit. Immense rescue efforts frequently are launched by local politicians and business leaders, especially where local economies are not so diverse. But here, this change has been understood for many years and — through careful planning among local and federal governments — the transition has been intricately coordinated and will be exciting to watch. Today, the beautifully serene Officers Row stands as glowing testimony to how historical building structures can be converted in different ways to benefit the community.
As for the rest of the site, walk into many of the Vancouver Barracks buildings — such as the auditorium, which already is available to the public — and the future is clear. Other buildings seem like natural choices for office sites; the Park Service itself expects to renovate and move into at least one of the east barracks buildings. But for most of the buildings, the potential is as vast as the creativity that we expect will emerge at the April 7 meetings. “We want a good, complementary mix of functions here that serve the whole site,” Park Service Project Manager Ray Cozby said in Damewood’s story. That’s the right approach to take.
Still to be decided is the exact management agreement for the south and east barracks. The Park Service is considering a system similar to what exists on Officers Row and in the west barracks, which the city of Vancouver owns and the nonprofit Fort Vancouver National Trust manages.
Many of the buildings will need extensive improvements and upgrades. Funding is expected to come from federal and private developmental sources to be determined. But now is not too soon to start dreaming, suggesting and planning.
Clark County residents are encouraged to help in the Vancouver Barracks planning efforts. The significance of the past is well-known: countless military heroes including Ulysses S. Grant, William Sherman and George C. Marshall walked those hallowed grounds.
The future of the barracks, while respecting and preserving history, offers a whole new source of community pride and activity.
