One of the design sketches of the Vancouver waterfront project. Columbia Waterfront LLC
The Oregonian
By Kristine Guerra, Published Monday, November 14, 2011
The Vancouver City Council on Monday took the next step toward development of the waterfront along the Columbia River.
The city council members unanimously agreed on a nearly $600,000 contract with BergerABAM, a local architect and engineering firm, to serve as consultant in designing, constructing and working on the permitting phase of the city's waterfront park.
Funding for the $598,765 contract comes from $500,000 in state appropriation and $250,000 in park impact fees. But due to state budget cuts, the agreement includes a clause allowing the city to end the contract if state funding is lost. If this happens, work already done under the contract will be property owned by the city that can be used should the project move forward.
"We're not expecting that to happen," said Alisa Pyszka, business development manager for the city. "But we want to make sure that we won't be held liable."
Developing the park is part of a $1.3 billion, 32-acre waterfront development project, that, on the long term, is expected to include offices, shops, hotels and high-rise condominiums and apartments. The park will occupy 8 acres on the south side of the waterfront.
Columbia Waterfront LLC, a group of local investors managed by Gramor Development Inc. in Tualatin, Ore., owns the 32-acre former Boise Cascade industrial site and plans to start construction by early 2013.
In August, the city put out a call for proposals for the design of the waterfront park, which will reconnect Vancouver's historic downtown district to the waterfront. The park will connect to the 5-mile Columbia River Renaissance Trail and create more pedestrian and bicycle access to the waterfront from the downtown area.
The city received 10 proposals from nine firms, and BergerABAM was chosen as a consultant for the project. BergerABAM will be working with PWL, a landscape architectural firm based in Vancouver BC.
Elizabeth Jordan, capital programs manager for the city, said construction of the park will not start for another two years because of the long design and permitting process.
Also part of the waterfront project is the city's development of a $44.6 million railroad berm and opening up new access routes from downtown Vancouver to the river.
The railroad access project extends Esther and Grant streets under the tracks to the waterfront site. In May, the city announced the project will be delayed a year because it wasn't ready to issue bonds to pay for it. Work is expected to be done by early 2013.