Washougal’s Parker House restaurant is going away, but the public is invited to purchase mementos of the landmark restaurant today and Saturday.
Memorabilia from the Columbia River waterfront building will be on sale both days, said Russell Brent, a part owner of the property who is overseeing plans to demolish the structure and build a new restaurant on the site.
“The public is welcome,” Brent said Thursday, adding that the nostalgia some people feel toward the landmark Parker House prompted him to conduct a public sale “as opposed to a restaurant auction or a liquidation company coming in and buying everything.”
Brent added that he doesn’t want any items going to a landfill: “I want to do a responsible demolition of the building.”
The sale of memorabilia, including everything from brass lanterns and solid oak tables to an Earthstone gas-fired pizza oven, will occur at 56 S. First St. today from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday starting at 9 a.m. and ending when most of the items are sold. In December 2009, the Parker House property was sold to a group of investors, including Brent, for $1.65 million. Demolition of the structure is expected to occur in the next 30 to 60 days, Brent said. The group of investors then plan to build the Black Pearl on the Columbia restaurant on the site.
Backers of the project have yet to formally apply for a demolition permit, said Joanne Boys, community development director for the city of Washougal, although they have asked for information about how to obtain one.
2011 opening plans
Meanwhile, plans for the new restaurant are still in the design phase, said Brent, who will be the general manager of what he described as a seafood restaurant that will offer comfort and waterfront views. Brent said he hopes to open the new restaurant in early 2011. He said he did not yet have an estimate of the cost of building the restaurant but would have the numbers soon.
Mitch Kneipp, planning manager for the city of Washougal, said the project’s preliminary site plan has been approved. A shoreline permit, and final site and building plans must be approved before the project can move toward construction, Kneipp said.
The Parker House property dates to about the 1950s with the former Dolphin Restaurant. In 1969, it became the Parker House, named for 1840s settler David Parker. It was operated by George Goodrich, who also managed what then was known as the Quay in Vancouver. The Parker House was part of the package when Thunderbird Corp., which became Red Lion Inns, bought the Quay in 1973.
Over the years, the property changed hands again and eventually was bought by professional jockey Victor Espinoza in 2004. Espinoza operated the restaurant as the Parker House until December 2009, when he sold it to the current owners.
Brent said demolition of the structure is necessary for several reasons, including problems with the Parker House’s foundation and beams, and because of the need to position the new restaurant to maximize views.
Brent said now is the time to build a new restaurant, despite a sour economy. “In a bad economy, that’s when you want to shop for a location to get a good deal,” he said. “This is the best time to build a restaurant. As the economy continues to improve, we should hit the ground running.”
For more information about the sale of memorabilia, send an e-mail to info@blackpearlonthecolumbia.com.
