The Vancouver City Council is poised to approve the final piece of the downtown waterfront development.
At Monday night’s city council meeting, councilors approved the ordinance on the evening’s consent agenda, paving the way for a public hearing and final acceptance of the Port of Vancouver’s master plan Terminal 1 project at next week’s meeting.
City Manager Eric Holmes noted on Monday night that it’s been a long process and councilors appear ready to finalize the last steps.
At a previous city council meeting, Mayor Tim Leavitt called it a “great project.”
The Port of Vancouver would like to develop 10.37 acres of four developable blocks close to the site of the former Red Lion Hotel Vancouver at the Quay. The old landmark hotel closed in October 2015 and was partially demolished.
The overall development could include up to 355 residential units, including both apartments and possibly live/work units, 62,000 square feet of retail space, 200,000 square feet of commercial office space and a 160-room hotel, according to information from the city.
The project also includes extending the Columbia River Renaissance Trail, improving the existing pier and opening up spaces for public enjoyment. The project could also use 36,600 square feet of existing building area and convert it into a marketplace.
The advantages for the city include using vacant and underutilized land within the city’s urban core and creating employment opportunities, including construction and longer-term office jobs.
One of the possible disadvantages, which Councilor Bill Turlay noted in an earlier meeting, was the impact on the city’s services and infrastructure. Turlay asked about parking and public restrooms at the space. Restrooms are planned at both ends of the waterfront development, with the possibility of others opened in some of the other buildings as well.
The city’s staff deemed the impacts from the development would be manageable.
The city is scheduled to approve the ordinance after a public hearing on June 19 at the council’s meeting.
