The Vancouver City Council on Monday approved technology hardware company HP Inc.’s plan to turn part of a former rock quarry into a mix of office, research and development.
“We know that Vancouver is a desirable location for our employees to live and work,” said Justin Chi, HP’s program manager for the development.
The approved HP East Master Plan encompasses about 30 of HP’s 98 acres at 18208 S.E. First St. north of the Columbia Tech Center development. The city council approved the company’s first master plan for a multibuilding, 1.5 million-square-foot complex in 2021.
HP, which makes printers and computers, is the 13th largest employer in the county with about 1,000 workers here, according to the Columbia River Economic Development Council.
The company has been in Vancouver since it established an ink-jet printer plant here in 1979. HP operates at the nearby Columbia Tech Center but previously occupied what is now the Vancouver Innovation Center in east Vancouver.
The 30-acre site HP plans to develop currently has no structures and very little vegetation except for some trees along the western property line, according to city staff.
HP coordinated with the city forester to develop a list of trees types, including native trees, to fill outdoor spaces. The landscape plan includes a mix of plants, including ones that attract pollinators, and will incorporate drought-tolerant, low-maintenance ground covers, HP staff said.
The streets will have separated bike and pedestrian paths “that are safe for all users, ages and abilities,” City Manager Lon Pluckhahn said in a staff report.
Throughout planning with HP, city staff have said the company’s ongoing investment in Vancouver ensures the city has accessible and living-wage jobs. HP staff echoed that Monday.
“It’s been an income generator for decades in the city of Vancouver,” said Jennifer Bragar, a land use attorney for HP.
