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Proposals sought for block in downtown Vancouver, Wash.

By: Chuck Slothower//May 12, 2016//

Proposals sought for block in downtown Vancouver, Wash.

Chuck Slothower//May 12, 2016//

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The city of , Wash., has issued a request for proposals from parties interested in purchasing a city-owned downtown block for redevelopment.

Officials want to sell the property at 811 Washington St. to a developer intent on building a multistory mixed-use building.

The property, known as , formerly was the site of a Lucky Lager brewery. It is the last remaining vacant block in the heart of downtown Vancouver, according to city officials.

A pre-submission meeting will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. on May 19. Much more detailed information will be available at that meeting, said Teresa Brum, Vancouver’s economic development manager.

The deadline to submit proposals is 3 p.m. on July 15.

“We think the time is right in Vancouver for the city to put the property out on the market,” Brum said. “We’ve seen a lot of development activity – we’ve noticed an increase in the last six months. So this is the time to get the best possible project for that property.”

Block 10 is 0.96 acres, or 41,681 square feet. The property was appraised at $3.125 million in August 2015. It’s zoned for 10 stories outright, or up to 20 stories with conditional permitting.

City officials have already had some positive conversations with developers, Brum said.

“We’ve had some casual conversations that have led us to believe there is interest in the property right now,” she said. “We’re asking for the proposal to include a timeline, so we’re looking for a developer who can start right away.”

The city is offering a 30 percent discount on building permit fees, a waiver of a traffic study, a cost-reduced traffic-impact fee and a streamlined 90-day review process.

“I think we have an excellent value proposition and a good incentive program for a developer,” Brum said.

Vancouver’s City Center Vision and Subarea Plan, developed in 2007, envisions the property holding housing or offices with active first-floor services such as restaurants, a grocery store or other retail.

“It’s zoned for mixed use, so we expect to see office, residential or a mix of the two, and we expect commercial on the first floor,” Brum said.

After reviewing the proposals, the Vancouver City Council will decide whether to sell the property, depending on how well the proposals meet the city’s vision, according to a news release.

The city purchased Block 10, along with four other city blocks, from the General Brewery Company in 1993. The city in the next two years fenced off the property and demolished all of its existing buildings. The site has since served as a temporary public park and staging area for events in Esther Short Park.

Heritage Place, a mixed-use building, is located across Columbia Street from Block 10.

More information is available at www.cityofvancouver.us/Block10.



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