Imagine Vancouver’s Main Street extending south all the way to the banks of the Columbia River, rather than dead-ending at an Interstate 5 southbound onramp as is seen today. Actually, that’s more than just a dream; it’s a firm part of Vancouver’s past.
Historians note that 19th- and 20th-century ferries landed at the spot that now marks the northern end of the Interstate 5 Bridge, just east of the Red Lion Hotel Vancouver at the Quay. And now Main Street’s connection with the river looms in the future as well.
As Columbia River Crossing (CRC) plans evolve for the new bridge, an amazing side benefit is emerging for the city: a large area of “new” land available for use beneath the new bridge. The bad news is that most of the land will be under the bridge. But that’s more than offset by the fact that Vancouver will have undetermined but significant new acreage (we’re guessing several square blocks) that could be used for myriad public benefits.
As Erik Robinson reported in a Monday Columbian story, no one yet knows what source might produce money to pay for these developments. And there’s the legitimate concern that if the new area beneath the bridge is left vacant, it could become more of a liability than an asset to city officials. We see those as challenges or opportunities, certainly not permanent impediments. Last year, city officials conducted a brainstorming session to study how to best use this property, and recently the city decided to advertise for a design team to produce conceptual drawings. That will cost about $50,000, shared by the city, the Port of Vancouver and the Fort Vancouver National Trust.
Already, the vision — although preliminary — is ripe with encouraging possibilities such as trails, boat access, parkland and festival space. Likely, the current waterfront trail will be extended west to connect with the Vancouver waterfront project at the old Boise Cascade site. Planning for that redevelopment project is continuing.
A few suggestions from last year’s report should be extended into this year’s visioning exercise: “Make the character of the waterfront project unique to Vancouver … a theme of exploration/discovery.” Also: “Place open space, parks and trails as a priority. Portland did not push the parks agenda enough. Do not make it the last item on the list but rather the first. Parks and trails are a key economic driver.”
We could not agree more.
Another great idea: “Mix the river and the urban half and half like a handshake between the two geographies. Do not linearly split the site with waterfront vs. nonwaterfront uses. Figure out how to carry the water theme north and the city center urban theme south.”
No. 1 among priorities, though, must be public safety. As Robinson reported, Vancouver police Lt. Mike Witney, who has met with CRC officials, is concerned that minimally lighted or secluded locations could “invite people who want to commit crime.”
Overcoming these challenges will not be inexpensive. No one knows if and when any economic recovery might allow Vancouver city officials to find money for such redevelopment efforts. For that matter, it’s uncertain if any recovery will occur before or after a new bridge is built; let’s all hope the current financial calamity ends sooner than that. At minimum, though, if development of these new areas has to wait, then the vacant land should be fenced and monitored as necessary, as we see in a few other downtown areas.
Rare is the chance for any downtown as old as Vancouver’s to claim “new” land. Even more rare is for that new acreage to be on the banks of a large river. That’s why sufficient planning is crucial. And if most or all of the area is in the shade, so be it.
