A Vancouver, Washington-based firm plans to break ground in August on a seven-story AC Hotel by Marriott on the Vancouver riverfront.

The $50 million hotel, expected to appeal to business travelers, will have 150 guest rooms and two floors of above-ground parking on the second and third floors. It’s the latest ground-up project for Vesta Hospitality, which in the past has mostly used a different strategy.

“Our primary focus has been acquisition of product and repositioning for better value of product,” Vesta CEO Rick Takach said.

The building will also have about 5,000 square feet of top-floor office space that Takach said he may take for Vesta.

In the case of the AC Hotel, Vesta took a gamble on the chance to be part of new development on Vancouver’s south-facing Columbia River frontage.

“We wanted to be down on the waterfront,” Takach said.

The project comes amid a rapid transformation of the area. Gramor Development is overseeing a massive 20-block redevelopment of a former Boise Cascade paper mill site nearby.

The AC Hotel will occupy land leased by the Port of Vancouver USA. Takach agreed to build the hotel to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold standards as a result of negotiations with the port. He also agreed to build 160 parking spaces for the fast-growing area.

Takach said he turned his attention to the port’s land after declining to meet Gramor’s asking price for a parcel at The Waterfront Vancouver.

Takach said he’s interested in bringing in additional investors for the AC Hotel project, which is in an opportunity zone. The tax designation helped attract construction financing from Rockbridge Capital of Columbus, Ohio, a frequent Vesta partner.

DLR Group is designing the AC Hotel, and Camas, Washington-based Robertson & Olson Construction is serving as the general contractor. Otak is the engineer, and Urban Resources Inc. is the developer’s representative. Robertson & Olson’s experience working on the Vancouver waterfront and its relationships with subcontractors made it an obvious choice, Takach said.

Meanwhile, Vesta is also closing in on a purchase of the Cannery Pier Hotel, a 15-year-old, 46-room hotel that juts into the Columbia River in Astoria. Vesta is under contract to buy the hotel for $13 million, Takach said. The property is being offered by the estate of Astoria developer Robert “Jake” Jacob, who died last year.

Takach is waiting on approval of a waterway lease from the Oregon Department of State Lands before the transaction closes.

“I think it’s arguably an irreplaceable asset,” Takach said, noting development of the hotel took more than a decade.

Takach said he meets with Vesta’s acquisition team every Friday to review hotels for sale across the United States. Currently, the company owns 12 hotels, but that could change, he said.

“It’s a good time to sell,” he said.

Notably, the company has avoided the crowded hospitality market in Portland’s Central City. Takach described Portland’s hotel market as “in one word: scary.”

More than 1,900 hotel rooms are in development or under construction in central Portland, including the 600-room Hyatt Regency at the Oregon Convention Center, the 486-room Toyoko Inn, the 251-room Ritz-Carlton at Block 216, the 170-room Hyatt Place in the Pearl District, the 250-room Hyatt Unbound and the 179-room Moxy.

“As an industry, we try to do this to ourselves every few years,” Takach said of the rapid expansion.

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The Historic Landmarks Commission has approved a design for the Rothko Pavilion – an ambitious, $70 million to $75 million renovation and expansion of the Portland Art Museum.

The museum’s staff and supporters are raising money for the project, which is meant to enhance the institution’s ability to attract world-class artwork, improve accessibility and show off the museum’s art – even to passing pedestrians.

“Our goal is to be part of the fabric of the city, interwoven, and reflective of the community,” said Brian Ferriso, director of the Portland Art Museum.

Approval of the design by Chicago’s Vinci | Hamp Architects and Portland’s Hennebery Eddy Architects came via a 4-0 vote on Monday. The design centers on a four-story glass box bridging the museum’s Belluschi and Mark buildings.

The Historic Landmarks Commission spent much of Monday’s meeting discussing plans for the museum’s exterior, including a plaza with planters and textured walkways. Commissioners questioned the placement of bollards – structural barriers that will prevent vehicles access – but eventually acceded to them for security reasons.

“If it’s a safety feature, then it’s fine to keep them where they are,” Commissioner Maya Foty said.

Perhaps the Rothko Pavilion’s most remarkable feature will be a glass passageway between the two buildings. Pedestrians will be able to peer into curated spaces in both buildings. The passageway will have a clear height of 11 feet, with widths of 16 feet on the west side and 15 feet on the east side.

Historically, an easement has ensured public access between the two buildings. City staff assured commissioners that a deal previously approved by the City Council will continue to guarantee access.

The design sought to solve a decades-old problem for the museum: how to link the Belluschi building, completed in 1932, with the Mark building (a former Masonic temple), erected in 1927. Museum officials have said visitors are often confused about how to navigate the buildings.

Anthony Belluschi, a son of the original architect, Pietro Belluschi, who died in 1994, weighed in on the project.

“I am quite sure that my father would approve of this new plan,” said Anthony Belluschi, who is also an architect.

The design includes a revolving door on the east side’s ground floor, replacing two smaller revolving doors in earlier versions.

The project involves removing a small amount of brick masonry where the glass box bridges the buildings. The material dates to a 2005 remodel.

“We’re not removing virgin material,” said Philip Hamp, president of Vinci | Hamp Architects.

Public comment focused on potential traffic impacts. The city of Portland’s Central City in Motion plan calls for turning Jefferson Street into a one-lane street. Commissioners said that city initiative is not within the purview of their Rothko Pavilion review, but downtown residents still took the opportunity to question the move.

Disability advocates praised the design.

“They have been very receptive to our feedback,” said Philip Wolfe, a member of the Portland Commission on Disability.

The project, first announced in 2016, was the subject of three design advice hearings before it proceeded to design review. Opponents have 14 days to appeal the Historic Landmarks Commission’s approval, but no serious organized opposition was evident at Monday’s meeting.

“It’s a good process,” Ferriso said after the vote. “We’re very pleased.”

Ferriso declined to specify when construction would begin, saying it depends on fundraising. The Rothko Pavilion fundraising drive began with an $8 million anonymous donation and a $5 million donation from the Schnitzer family.

The project team also includes Mortenson Construction, Walker Macy, Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture and Urban Resources Inc.

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Urban Resources Inc. has promoted Larry Atchison to senior project manager. Atchison has been involved in planning and construction for 25 years, including 17 years working with Lewis & Clark College. His project management experience involves educational, commercial, multifamily and industrial facility projects through Oregon and Southwest Washington.

Please send your announcements for 91��Ƶ People to djcpeople@djcOregon.com.

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