Visitors center renovation approved for Fort Vancouver

“We had put together a project that would expand the square footage but scaled it back to stay within the footprint and focus on the building itself,” Patterson said.

“In 2002, we started on it,” Superintendent Tracy Fortmann said. “We were close for a number of years, but things took higher priority.”

In one of the high-profile design changes, “We will reconfigure the interior so the bathrooms are inside,” Patterson said.

“We will make the theater much bigger,” Patterson continued. “The capacity now is 40, which is pretty tight.”

When some visiting groups of students watch a 22-minute introductory film in the theater, Patterson said, “We’ve had to split up school groups.”

Other aspects of the project will involve removing hazardous materials, including lead-based paint and materials containing asbestos; replacing mechanical, electrical and lighting systems to save energy; and installing a fire suppression system.

Officials hope to break ground in late summer or early fall, Patterson said. The project is expected to take about nine months.

While the facility is closed for remodeling, a temporary visitors center will be established within the reconstructed Fort Vancouver stockade, 1001 E. Fifth St.

A large assembly area in the reconstructed fur warehouse will be an interim theater space, and the bookstore will be moved to the Indian trade shop — “Which is a neat thing, given the history of the trade shop,” Patterson said.

The transition will require some adjustment to the admission policy at Fort Vancouver, Fortmann said.

While the visitors center is free to enter, getting through the gates of Fort Vancouver requires an entry fee or a federal pass.

“We will address the issue,” Fortmann said, so people will not have to pay an entry fee to buy a T-shirt or browse through a bookshelf.

Because the contract will be the result of a bidding process, the Park Service does not announce any estimates of the cost of the project, Patterson said.

However, Patterson noted that the project will help in “eliminating over a million dollars in deferred maintenance.”