City Center Redevelopment Authority Agenda – Oct. 15, 2020 This meeting will be held telephonically and will not be open to in-person attendance.
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MEETING AGENDA 12:30 PM ACTION NO. ITEM REQUESTED 1. Call to Order Richard Keller, Board President • Roll Call • Excusal of Absence, if needed 2. Approval of Minutes Sept. 17, 2020 Richard Keller, Board President Sept. 21, 2020 3. Executive Director’s Report Informational Teresa Brum, Economic • New Development Report Presentation Development Division Manager • CCRA Development (5 mins) Subcommittee Meeting Report 4. Aegis Phase I at Providence Recommendation Keith Jones, Senior Planner Academy • Design changes • Amend MFTE 5. Waterfront Block 3 Recommendation Mark Person, Senior Planner • Design Review 6. Waterfront Gateway RFQ Recommendation John Collum, Principal Planner 7. Other Business Richard Keller, Board President 8. Executive Session (as needed) Richard Keller, Board President
Citizen Communications In accordance with the Governor's Stay Home Stay Safe order, and Proclamation 20-28 regarding the Open Public Meetings Act, this meeting will be modified to be held telephonically. City Hall will not be open for in person attendance but the public is welcome to access the live meeting by call. Citizen Communications will be accepted in writing but verbal comments cannot be accommodated. Please send all comments to Kirsten Hull at [email protected]. Find more about the City's COVID-19 response here. Anyone needing language interpretation services or accommodations with a disability may contact Kirsten Hull at (360)487-7813 (Voice/TTY 487-8602). Every attempt at reasonable accommodation will be made. To request this agenda in another format, please also contact the phone numbers listed above.
CITY CENTER REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY MEETING MINUTES Vancouver City Hall – Council Chambers – 415 W. 6th Street PO Box 1995 – Vancouver, Washington 98668-1995 www.cityofvancouver.us
Richard Keller • Marc Fazio • Debi Ewing • Jack Onder • Brad Hutton • David Copenhaver • Richard Krippaehne
September 17, 2020
REGULAR MEETING (Convened telephonically, no in person attendance) The meeting agenda materials referenced in these minutes can be found online.
ITEM 1: CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL The September 17, 2020 meeting of the City Center Redevelopment Authority was called to order at 11:11 am by Debi Ewing.
Present: Dick Krippaehne, Jack Onder, Brad Hutton, Debi Ewing, Marc Fazio, David Copenhaver Richard Keller Absent: None
Motion by Krippaehne, seconded by Hutton, and carried unanimously to excuse the absence of Richard Keller. Richard Keller joined the meeting at 11:30 am.
ITEM 3: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT Item Summary Chad Eiken, CCRA Executive Director, reported additions to the Development Project List, focusing on Downtown. Please see “CCRA Updated Development Project List August Development Activity.”
The Development Subcommittee met in September to discuss the agenda items for this meeting in greater detail.
ITEM 4: WASHINGTON DEVELOPMENT (HURLEY) DESIGN REVIEW AND MFTE Item Summary Stefani Randall of LSW Architects introduced the project. The Washington Street Apartments is 40,954 square foot mixed-use development in Downtown Vancouver, to be located on the full city block bounded by Columbia, Washington, W 4th and W 5th Streets. The 6-story building will contain 9,080 City Center Redevelopment Authority | Meeting Minutes September 17, 2020 Page 2 of 4 square feet of retail and restaurant space, 170 apartments, and 124 parking stalls. Building amenities include an outdoor courtyard, a resident clubhouse, and an outdoor rooftop deck. Façade materials consist of patterned metal cladded siding, and cementitious panel siding in wood grain and solid patterns. Level one will feature stacked brick and aluminum storefront window glazing. A component of this project includes improvements to an offsite parking lot located east of Washington between the SR 14 on ramps and the BNSF railroad berm. The parking lot currently accommodates 53 stalls and would be expanded to 93. Additional improvements to the lot include lighting and drainage enhancements to that meet current City code. This improvement is in addition to the project’s affordability-based Mutli- Family Tax Exemption (“MFTE”) and is not intended to fulfill the “public benefit” of the market rate rent MFTE option.
Mike McColloch, CCRA consulting architect, spoke in support of the project, commending the architectural emphasis on the storefront corner and the vertical design created by the blocks of color on the façade. He stated he was initially concerned about the dark colors of the building but that the addition of white, grey and wood tone panels has lightened its overall appearance. Peggy Sheehan, Community Development Program Manager, introduced MFTE request for the project. The applicant has requested an 8-year property tax exemption by restricting the rent of 20% of the units (34 total) to a rate affordable to those making 100% of Area Median Income.
Board Discussion Chad Eiken stated that the Development Subcommittee had general positive feedback on the design and were supportive of the application. David Copenhaver asked if the developer sought any additional financial incentives such as Sector 8 or Market Tax Credits and the developer indicated that they used a traditional financing approach. David Copenhaver added that the proposed market-rate rents are conservative for the area.
Motion carried unanimously to recommend to City Council approval the multifamily tax exemption application.
ITEM 2: APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion by Ewing, seconded by Copenhaver, and carried unanimously to approve the minutes from July 16, 2020.
ITEM 5: WATERFRONT GATEWAY VISIONING PROCESS - PHASE II Item Summary John Collum, Economic Development Principal Planner, presented the second phase of the visioning process that will inform the Request for Qualifications (“RFQ”) for the redevelopment of the Waterfront Gateway site. The RFQ document is tentatively scheduled to be presented to the Board for approval at its October 2020 meeting. Last year, SERA Architects developed a draft community vision for the site. This year, that vision was refined and expanded upon by a team lead by Mike McColloch. Dylan Morgan, PLACE Landscape Architecture, provided case studies of similar developments, emphasizing locations that made use of existing buildings, programable public spaces and plazas, and placemaking through City Center Redevelopment Authority | Meeting Minutes September 17, 2020 Page 3 of 4 branding, public art, and creating ties to the area’s historical usage. Allen Scott, Intertek, noted that many aspects of sustainability and resiliency additionally contribute to placemaking, such as the utilization of locally sourced building materials like pacific northwest timber. Mike McColloch reviewed the concept sketches for the site, beginning with an overview of the site’s connectivity to downtown and the waterfront to identify areas of activity and mobility types. Karen Whitman, Karen Whitman Projects, detailed branding considerations for the site, stating that the RFQ should include the expectation that the project will be a branded district, but that it may be premature and unnecessarily restrictive to identify that brand or a district name before the developer is awarded the project.
Board Discussion Marc Fazio spoke in support of location of the parking garage and orientation of the convention center entrance but had concerns about how to integrate the western portion of the site. He agreed that he brand will evolve naturally as other components come together and did not need to be specified at this stage. Debi Ewing expressed support for allowing the project branding to evolve once the developer is on board and thanked the project team for their work. David Copenhaver observed that he already sees a higher volume of pedestrians taking Esther Street to the waterfront relative to cars and encouraged keeping their experience at the center of the design. Dick Krippaehne expressed hesitation to overdesign the district, and instead encouraged the board and staff to think of these plans as a framework to allow the developer to bring their own creativity and expertise to the design. He spoke in support of the emphasis on public art and convention center connection.
Brad Hutton expressed hesitation at moving forward without an understanding of the convention center expansion space needs. Natasha Ramras, City CFO, provided an update on the Convention Center Expansion Study, stating that the study had been delayed, but regardless any expansion would occur in 2026 or later. Mike McColloch encouraged the board to consider multiple options for expanding or maintaining the current footprint of the convention center and providing that flexibility in their RFQ. Jack Onder commended the team on their work, and agreed that the question of the convention center expansion is a key component to the overall land use of the district, with public parking being second to that, and noted that 4-6 years is an aggressive time schedule for the development given the present uncertainties of the residential and office market downtown. President Keller added that weather protection would be key to activating the site year-round. Additionally, he suggested incorporating efforts to locate a performing arts center in Vancouver at this site and noted that Waterfront Gateway was intended to be a temporary name.
ITEM 6: MULTI-FAMILY TAX EXEMPTION PROGRAM CHANGES – PHASE I Item Summary Chad Eiken, CCRA Executive Director, suggested continuing the meeting to a later time to give the MFTE Program Changes topic time for a full discussion. The board decided to continue the meeting to Monday, September 21 at 1:00 pm. City Center Redevelopment Authority | Meeting Minutes September 17, 2020 Page 4 of 4
CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONS None.
ADJOURNMENT
1:09 PM ______Richard Keller, President
Meetings of the City Center Redevelopment Authority are electronically recorded on audio. The audio tapes are kept on file in the office of the City Clerk for a period of six years.
To request other formats, please contact: City Manager’s Office (360) 487-8600 | WA Relay: 711 [email protected] CITY CENTER REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY MEETING MINUTES Vancouver City Hall – Council Chambers – 415 W. 6th Street PO Box 1995 – Vancouver, Washington 98668-1995 www.cityofvancouver.us
Richard Keller • Marc Fazio • Debi Ewing • Jack Onder • Brad Hutton • David Copenhaver • Richard Krippaehne
September 21, 2020
SPECIAL MEETING (Convened telephonically, no in person attendance) The meeting agenda materials referenced in these minutes can be found online. The agenda for this meeting was a continuation of agenda items from the regular meeting on Thursday, September 17, 2020.
ITEM 1: CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL The September 21, 2020 meeting of the City Center Redevelopment Authority was called to order at 1:01 pm by President Richard Keller.
Present: Richard Keller, Dick Krippaehne, Debi Ewing, Marc Fazio, David Copenhaver Absent: Brad Hutton, Jack Onder
ITEM 2: MULTI-FAMILY TAX EXEMPTION PROGRAM CHANGES – PHASE I Item Summary Chad Eiken, Community and Economic Development Director, introduced proposed revisions to the Multi-Family Tax Exemption (MFTE) program. These revisions seek to address two issues identified by the CCRA, City Council, city staff and program applicants: to ensure that the maximum rents allowed under the affordability criteria are indeed affordable to Vancouver residents, and to tie the public benefit requirement for market rate housing to the value of the tax incentive in order to create project- to-project consistency. Peggy Sheehan, Community Development Program Manager, provided some background on the program, stating that it has been initially enacted to incentivize residential growth downtown, and was subsequently revised in 2017 to additionally incentivize affordable housing. Paul Lewis, consultant, walked the board through the methodology used to compare the Portland metropolitan statistical area’s median family income (used to define affordability in the current MFTE program) to Vancouver’s median household income (a Vancouver-specific number that is additionally inclusive of single person and non-family households) to establish meaningful rent thresholds for Vancouver.
City Center Redevelopment Authority | Meeting Minutes September 21, 2020 Page 2 of 3
Chad Eiken presented proposed changes to the Public Benefit Option for market rate projects, using a fee-in-lieu model. Previously, the CCRA board had provided feedback requesting additional guidelines to assist with comparing the value of public benefit proposals project-to-project, to alleviate some of the subjectivity in their decision making. This proposal would replace the public benefit requirement that is negotiated project-by-project with a per unit fee of $2,000 per unit. The fees would then be directed to the City’s Affordable Housing Fund, providing predictability for developers and leveraging affordable units for lower income households for a longer period (20 years). Next steps include a City Council workshop for introduction on Sept. 28, a CCRA meeting to discuss program refinements and implementation on Oct. 10, and adoption of the changes at a City Council hearing in November. Staff anticipates a second phase of program analysis and revisions to occur in the second quarter of 2021.
Board Discussion The CCRA board discussion centered around the origins and intent of the various iterations of MFTE program and sought to understand potential constraints to the feasibility of development if these amendments were enacted. The was general acceptance of the need to ensure rents labeled affordable by the program are indeed affordable to the Vancouver market. Paul Lewis noted that value of the revised tax inventive would still be significant relative to the opportunity cost of the foregone marker- rate rents, but board members were particularly interested in potential outcomes to development pro formas and potential for securing funding. Chad Eiken indicated that there would be a stakeholder meeting including developers later that week and one group had volunteered to share that type of numerical analysis. David Copenhaver noted that including incentives from the Opportunity Zone designation would be useful to include in the rate of return analysis. President Keller noted that the cost of land and need for high rise buildings downtown increase construction costs and wondered if there should be a VCCV adjustment factor built into the program.
Dick Krippaehne observed that since 2017, the MFTE program has had two objectives, to incentivize development downtown, and to incentivize affordable housing. Those two objectives, coupled with the regional cost of construction and geographically variable rent prices, create a narrow ‘tight rope’ to walk in order to balance incentivizing investment and preserving rent prices. Marc Fazio built on this observation, questioning whether incentivizing residential buildings downtown and incentivizing affordable housing should be blended into the same program. He asked if the 2017 changes undermined the original intent of the program and wondered at what point development downtown will be stabilized and no longer in need of stimulus. Debi Ewing echoed Marc Fazio’s question about the stability of downtown development and added that City Council must decide if all developers seeking a property tax exemption should be required to contribute to affordable housing. Ewing asked about the possibility of eliminating the 8-, 10-, 12-year options and requiring all developers to pay into the affordable housing fund. Chad Eiken indicated that idea had been discussed at one point, but the concerns arose that the only affordable housing projects benefitting from the fund would be at the very low income levels (50% of AMI and below), which could undermine efforts to preserve working wage and missing middle housing options.
President Keller stated concerns that making the wrong choice in amending this program could halt nascent development on the Waterfront and at Waterfront Gateway. David Copenhaver provided preliminary rate of return calculations based on a recent project, the Broadway, which is anticipated to City Center Redevelopment Authority | Meeting Minutes September 21, 2020 Page 3 of 3 receive the market rate with public benefit MFTE. It was indicated that without any MFTE program the return would be 3.75%, with the pending MFTE proposal it would be 6.5%, and with the fee-in-lieu model proposed here the return would be 6.35%. It was noted that 6.35% was adequate to move forward (as opposed to 3.75%), but other factors came in to play in project feasibility besides the yield of cost, such as availability of funding and debt service options. Debi Ewing encouraged the board and City Council to keep their eye on the intent of the original program and assess when the rental market downtown will be saturated. David Copenhaver expanded on that thought, noting that at some point downtown incentives will need to switch over to business recruitment to employ these new downtown residents, and without those opportunities, downtown will stagnate regardless.
CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONS None.
ADJOURNMENT
2:06 PM ______Richard Keller, President
Meetings of the City Center Redevelopment Authority are electronically recorded on audio. The audio tapes are kept on file in the office of the City Clerk for a period of six years.
To request other formats, please contact: City Manager’s Office (360) 487-8600 | WA Relay: 711 [email protected] NW 209TH ST
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September 2020 Activity
Total Res Live/ Sq Ft Parking Applicant, Developer or MapProject Location Area Use Units Work Coml Spaces Notes Contact or Contractor Owner PRE-APPLICATION Proposal for two residential town home buildings 1 138th Street Townhomes 13720 NE 18th ST MFR 9 15 (one 4-plex and one 5-plex) on the site with SGA Engineering Ginn Group LLC associated off-street parking.
This project proposes to divide 6.51 acres in the IL zone into 4 lots and construct four buildings including one 85,000 sq ft and three 6,000 sq ft. Bauer Case Site Plan & Sh SW Corner NE 162nd AV and North East 2 Industrial 85,000 Buildings will be primarily manufacturing and/or PLS Engineering City of Vancouver Plat NE 65th ST #159147000 Side warehouse with small areas of supporting office space, but may also contain up to a maximum of 10% commercial uses per code.
3 phased development: Phase 1 on an R-18 zoned parcel creates *30 narrow lot, single family attached dwellings in triplex, four-plex and five-plex Fourth Plain Nazarene Fourth Plain Church 16807 NE FOURTH PLAIN North configurations , Phase II on an R-18/MX split zoned 3 Mixed use 90* PBS Engineering Church Nazarene BLVD 98682 Fourth Plain parcel creates a 20,000SF phased church with Wm and Michele Maitland accessory parking lot and stormwater facility, Phase III of R-18 and MX zoned parcels creates 13 additional lots with SFR and live-work units.
Page 1 of 5 Total Res Live/ Sq Ft Parking Applicant, Developer or MapProject Location Area Use Units Work Coml Spaces Notes Contact or Contractor Owner PRE-APPLICATION Project is currently approved for an 18 unit multifamily apartment complex with 2 buildings. The current proposal will utilize the same site improvements plan, but the structures will be utilized as follows: Phase 1 construction of all approved site improvements and a structure for a Mullen Polk Staffed 30 bed staffed residential facility for 30 foster care Residential Harney 4 2805 E 19TH ST 98661 Mixed Use youth aged 12-18 yrs old within the westerly Sterling Desing, Inc Joel Stirling [Grand Apartments JV LLC 18 Heights building. This housing will be short term in nature, approved units) as it is a placement facility providing housing for 6- 18 months until placed in a permanent foster family home. Phase 2 construction of the 2nd structure either as the currently approved multifamily apartment building or for an additional residential facility.
Interior and exterior remodel of existing bldg. includes adjusted parking and landscaping. A 14610 SE Mill Plain BLVD Mill Plain Graves+Associates Glenna 5 TwinStar Mill Plain Remodel Commercial 2,539 modular teller building serving 2 drive lanes will be TwinStar Credit Union 98684 East Mahar temporarily brought on site and used during construction. Interior and exterior remodel of existing bldg. No Graves+Associates Glenna 6 TwinStar Van Mall Remodel 8405 NE Vancouver Mall DR Van Mall Commercial 5,034 TwinStar Credit Union site or parking work to be performed. Mahar Initial phase for a new academic and PE building on the campus consisting of the demolition of 4 WA State existing unoccupied campus buildings, relocation of Schreiber Starling WA State 7 611 GRAND BLVD 98661 Education School for the Deaf site utilities, backfill and grading of the site in Whitehead Architects School for the Deaf preparation for subsequent construction of the new building. An entire city block mixed use development. The proposed six story building includes 9,080 sqft of Hurley Development LLC Washington Street 412 Washinton ST 98660 retail/restaurant on the first floor, 170 apartment 8 Downtown Mixed Use 170 9,080 124 LSW Architects Ten Talents Investments 9 Apartments #48320000 homes, 124 internal parking spaces with one full LLC level of underground parking and 18 street parking stalls.
Page 2 of 5 Total Res Live/ Sq Ft Parking Applicant, Developer or MapProject Location Area Use Units Work Coml Spaces Notes Contact or Contractor Owner
LAND USE PROCESS Zone change from R-18 to R-30 on 3 underutilized parcels totaling 2.52 acres. The applicant intends to 9 62nd St Zone Change 6115 NE 72ND AVE 98661 Sunlight Electric INC Robert & Kristina Sladky develop a 76 unit apartment complex, if the zone change is approved.
Expansion of existing landscape business to include the entire parcel. The project proposes to site plan J's Custom Landscape Ph 3-5 approve phases 3-5. There will be parking for 10 6114 NE 131ST AVE 98682 Industrial 41 SGA Engineering Snapdragon Meadow LLC SP employees, equipment. materials, storage (covered and open), stormwater facilities, new office buildings and shop buildings developed on the site.
Affordable multifamily units with onsite parking, community space, office, bike storage, and 11 Mercy PeaceHealth Apt 415 NE 93RD AVE 98664 MFR 69 MWA Architects Mercy Housing Northwest maintenance areas to be constructed on 1.98 acres zoned R-35 Construction of a concrete tilt-up building together with associated site access drive, parking, utilities Birtcher and stormwater facilities to be used for NE 147th AV and NE 63rd 12 Peninsula Glass Site Plan Business Industrial 33,600 manufacturing of glass products (uncut sheets of PLS Engineering Pen Glass Properties LLC ST, Parcel #158875000 Center glass into automotive glass windows and similar products) with associated warehousing and office space.
Design Review for new exterior drive-thru canopy structure to replace existing canopy structure to be 13 Riverview Community Bank 900 WASHINGTON ST 98660 Downtown Renovation RSV Building Solutions Riverview Tower LLC removed. Existing bank equipment to be relocated to new drive-thru canopy structure.
A 20 unit townhome style apartment complex with I-205/Mill 14 Sunlight TH Site Plan 11301 NE 23RD ST 98684 Multi-Family 20 40 7 buildings in the R-18 zone. Each unit will have a 2- PLS Engineering Sunlight Rentals LLC Plain N car garage accessed from internal drive aisles.
Page 3 of 5 Total Res Live/ Sq Ft Parking Applicant, Developer or MapProject Location Area Use Units Work Coml Spaces Notes Contact or Contractor Owner BUILDING PLAN REVIEW Construct a 2,500 SF commercial building with drive 5005 VANCOUVER LLC, 15 5005 Vancouver LLC 11205 NE 51ST CIR 98682 Commercial JHC Commerical LLC through. Dennis Falk Broadstone Vancouver A 7 story, mixed use project with residential, parking Urbal Architecture 16 Block 17, 907 W 7th ST Waterfront Mixed Use 178 2,079 179 Columbia Waterfront LLC Waterfront and retail Chad Lorentz
A new warehouse and offices for electrical contracting business; Convert existing single-family 17 Crown Electric 6109 NE 121ST AVE 98682 Industrial 4,000 9 (Residential) to office use (Commercial) and a new Byron Woltersdorf Nathan and Cindy Henifin 4,000 sf Warehouse building with 4 future tenants. Includes 9 parking spaces (1 ADA). 3223 COLUMBIA HOUSE Grand Delta Construction 18 Delta Plaza Commercial Construct 2,520 SF new gas station canopy Asghar Sadri BLVD 98661 Central Services LLC New 1 story 8,970 SF wood frame building for HR Investment Property 19 New Horizons Dental Clinic 15704 NE Fourth Plain BV Commercial Medical 8,970 70 dental clinic with trash enclosure and on-site Kevin Cooley Architect LLC surface parking.
BUILDING INSPECTION Apartment complex with 4 buildings and parking. 20 Brooke Overlook Apartments11018 NE 18th ST Van Mall MFR 46 92 Kevin Cooley Architect Brooke Overlook LLC Site was formerly the Moose Lodge. Replacement of existing high school with new 3 story building, future modular classrooms, baseball Mt View High School 1500 SE BLAIRMONT DR and softball fields, track and field venue, sports 21 Educational 275,181 662 LSW Architects Evergreen School District Replacement Building 98683 storage building, soccer field, tennis courts, parking lots, solid waste enclosure, and related improvements. Construct a new 4-story elementary school adjacent 1111 FORT VANCOUVER 22 VITA Elementary School Educational 63,000 328 to the existing Fort Vancouver Regional Library LSW Architects Vancouver School District WAY 98661 administrative offices.
Riverview Bank Drive-thru New exterior drive thru canopy structure to replace 23 900 Washington ST Downtown Commercial RSV Building Solutions Riverview Tower LLC Canopy Replacement existing canopy structure being removed
Page 4 of 5 Total Res Live/ Sq Ft Parking Applicant, Developer or MapProject Location Area Use Units Work Coml Spaces Notes Contact or Contractor Owner CONSTRUCTION COMPLETED ON ALL PROJECT PERMITS 24 78th Retail Shell Building 3300 NE 78th AV Van Mall Commercial Retail 5,200 Retail shell building, 1 story, no fire sprinklers Kevin Cooley Architect NW Basalt LLC
17719 SE MILL PLAIN BLVD Single story shell building with 487 sf mezzanine for 25 CTC 639 SHELL BLDG East Side Commercial 4,081 PacTrust Columbia Tech Center LLC 98684 future restaurant/retail/mercantile tenant
4400 NW FRUIT VALLEY RD Firestone Pacific Foods 226,764SF Cold Storage Fisher Construction Group 26 Firestone ACM Addition Fruit Valley Industrial 226,764 SAF Property LLC 98660 Building LLC New one story building to be a private child daycare Kids Unlimited Properties 27 Tree Hill Learning Center 16225 NE 23RD ST 98684 Education 6,450 Koble Creative center and preschool Two
28 Trinka II Office Building 4660 NE 77th AVE Van Mall Commercial Office 7,156 Office building type VB construction, sprinkled. PBS Engineering Trinka LLC Construct two new single story commercial Tropics Steel Frame buildings of 4,785 sf and 6,976 sf respectively upon 29 11011 NE Fourth Plain BLVD Industrial 6,976 RTS Northwest INC Tetragon LLC (Tertragon II) 0.89 acres in general commercial zone. [CMI not yet applied for the 4,785 sf building.]
PRE-APP EXPIRED - 1 Year No Activity None
Page 5 of 5 STAFF REPORT
TO: City Center Redevelopment Authority
FROM: Keith Jones, Senior Planner City of Vancouver Community and Economic Development Department
DATE: October 15, 2020
SUBJECT: Aegis Mixed-Use Development – Phase 1 Amendment
REQUEST: Staff requests input on the proposed design amendments
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The project was approved in 2018 for two buildings including, Building A, 5 stories (61,776 square feet) with 5,402 square feet of ground floor commercial and 50 dwelling units; and Building B, 6 stories (101,075 square feet) with 6,803 square feet of ground floor commercial and 90 dwelling units.
The applicant proposes two amendments:
1) Convert ground floor commercial space on Building B, north building, to 7 residential dwelling units 2) Remove canopy cover from proposed plaza
PROJECT LOCATION: 1015 C Street, 1119 C Street. Tax assessor numbers 39224000, 986035622 and 986035621
PROJECT APPLICANT: Aaron Wigod Marathon Acquisition and Development, Inc. 30050 SW Town Center Loop, Suite 200 Wilsonville, OR 97070
REVIEW PROCESS: Staff requests CCRA comments and recommendations related to the project design changes.
Following CCRA review, changes will be presented to City Council for MFTE amendment.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Approval
STAFF REPORT PRJ‐159202/LUP‐79818
TO: City Center Redevelopment Authority
FROM: Mark Person, AICP, Senior Planner, Land Use Team
MEETING DATE: October 15, 2020
SUBJECT: Block 3 Waterfront
REQUEST: City Center Redevelopment Authority design review of the proposal
DESCRIPTION: Multi‐use project with 2,300 square feet of ground floor retail, 227 units of multi‐family housing and structured parking
LOCATION: Block 3 of the Vancouver Waterfront, East of Esther, north of Columbia, Property ID: 986041167
APPLICANT: Summit Development Group Seth Henderson 1705 Willamette Falls Drive West Linn, OR 97068
OWNER: Timber OP LLC C/O Summit Development Group Two Centerpointe Drive, #500 Lake Oswego, OR 97035
REVIEW: The Waterfront Design Guidelines dated June 29, 2016 require City Center Redevelopment Authority Approval prior to issuance of city approvals and permits (Site Plan review and approval, design review and approval, issuance of building permits, etc.).
CRITERIA: VMC 20.265.40 sets out the Design Review Criteria as follows: A. Design review criteria. The Planning Official, or the City Council if on appeal, shall base all reviews of the design of any proposed construction, remodeling or development according to the following criteria:
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1. The requirements, guidelines, and applicable provisions of this Title that are applicable to the zoning district where the property is located and including all additional zoning regulations which may apply to the use or to its area by provision for overlay district, or made applicable by any conditional use or variance approval;
2. The Downtown Design Guidelines Manual kept on file and available for public inspection at the Community Development Department or VMC 20.640 Vancouver Central Park Plan District, as applicable;
3. The relationship found to exist between existing structures and open space, and between existing structures and other structures in the vicinity, and the expected effect of the proposed construction upon such relationships;
4. The impact of the proposed construction on adjacent uses, including impact of new or revised parking and pedestrian uses; and
5. The protection of neighboring uses from identifiable adverse effects of the design of the proposed construction.
Vancouver Waterfront Design Guidelines (Jun. 29, 2016) The following general design requirements are contained in Waterfront Design Guidelines: Section Six Building Architecture 6.1 Design a Well‐Proportioned and Memorable Buildings 6.2 Building Entries and Corners 6.3 View Corridors I View Preservation 6.5 Respond to the Neighborhood 6.6 Enhance the Skyline 6.7 Integrate Roofs and Use of Roof Tops 6.8 Design Energy Efficient Building Envelope that is Appropriate to the Building Type and Orientation of Each Individual Façade 6.9 Consider Sunlight, Shadow, Glare, Reflection Wind and Rain 6.10 Lighting (Reduce Light Pollution) 6.11 Provide Active – Not Blank Facades 6.12 Encourage Diversity in Scale and Material at Sidewalk Level 6.13 Encourage Design that Enhances “Place”
Section 7 Streets and Pedestrian Areas 7.1 Respond to Physical Environment (Including Integrate the River) 7.2 Reinforce and Enhance the Pedestrian System and Safety 7.3 Provide Inviting and Usable Open Space 7.4 Overhead Weather Protection 7.5 Mechanical Equipment Service 7.6 Integrate Transit and Bicycle Connections 7.7 Bicycle Parking
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7.8 Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) 7.9 Lighting 7.10 Select Appropriate Sustainable Design Elements that can be viewed by the Public 7.11 Integrate Structured Parking and Screening 7.12 Curb Cuts/Transparency/Design 7.13 Parking 7.14 Solid Waste and Recycling 7.15 Establish a Transition Between Buildings and Open Space
Section 8 Signage 8.1 Building Signage 8.2 Parking Signage 8.3 Way‐Finding Signage 8.4 Hazardous Materials Discharge
Section 9 Parks and Open Space (Internal Neighborhood Parks, Grant Street Plaza and Pedestrian Mews)
9.1 Grant Street Plaza (Portions of Blocks 9 12; Not Applicable to this project). 9.2 Internal Neighborhood Park (Block 15; Not Applicable) 9.3 Mews – Pedestrian Ways / Urban Green Streets 9.4 Material Palette 9.5 Plant Materials 9.6 Site Furnishings and Public Art
ANALYSIS: Applicant is in the process of submitting for site plan and design review. Based on the information shared to date, concept appears to meet applicable code standards and the waterfront design guidelines. A full review of the proposal will be completed during land use review.
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the overall concept design
Attachments: Site Plan/Architectural Renderings
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CITY CENTER REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY STAFF REPORT
TO: CCRA Board of Directors
DATE: October 9, 2020
FROM: John Collum, Economic Development Principal Planner
SUBJECT: Waterfront Gateway – Draft Request for Qualifications
Present Situation: Staff has completed a draft Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to select a development team for the Waterfront Gateway site. As part of the Board’s October 15, 2020 meeting, staff will provide an overview of the RFQ document, lead board members in discussing the Evaluation Criteria/Scoring and Evaluation Schedule/Process sections and determining a preferred schedule for issuance, receive board member comments on the draft document, and seek approval of various items. Staff will also provide an update of what outreach is planned to support the release of the RFQ.
Attached to this report is the draft RFQ document provided in two segments. A description of the segments and contents follows.
Attachment A Segment 1: Formatted To provide board members with the look and appearance of the document when it is released to the public, the document’s first several sections have been formatted with visuals. Additional visuals may be added prior to public release.
RFQ sections included are: A. Cover B. Table of Contents C. Executive Summary D. Part 1: Background: Information about the City of Vancouver, City Center/Downtown and the CCRA.
Attachment B Segment 2: Not Formatted The balance of the RFQ is provided with draft text and other tables that will be included in the finished document. Visuals will be included in this portion of the document, similar to the formatted segment.
RFQ sections included are: E. Part 2: The Site: Information about the Waterfront Gateway properties and their surroundings (including the Convention Center/Hilton project, City Hall, Opportunity Zone, nearby landmarks, and Interstate Bridge replacement), some downtown history, and market context.
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F. Part 3: Vision a. The Vision: Including: i. Community Vision excerpt that has been under development over the past year, with Guiding Principles, Public Facilities, Goals and Placemaking, Use and Development Considerations, Case Studies, Concept Site Plan, and Opportunities and Partners b. Applicable Planning Documents c. Development Considerations: applicable zoning, standards and design guidelines and more specific details about the Waterfront Gateway site including environmental conditions and appraised value d. Available Resources and Incentives G. Part 4: Submittals a. Submittal Requirements and Procedure b. Evaluation Criteria and Scoring, including a matrix detailing the information required to be submitted in response packages along with point allocations for scoring during evaluation c. Evaluation Schedule and Process, including a draft schedule for issuing the RFQ, deadline for submittals, review timeframes, selection approval by CCRA board, and commencing the Exclusive Negotiation Agreement (ENA) period d. ENA Period e. Disclaimers, other general information and legalees f. The Vancouver team, with a list of CCRA board members and supporting city departments and offices H. Appendices, which will include electronic links for various referenced documents and information highlighted throughout the RFQ
Evaluation Criteria and Scoring The RFQ indicates that the CCRA seeks to select the team with:
a. The most compelling and creative conceptual development ideas for meeting the community vision for the new district; b. The most realistic appraisal of feasibility for carrying out the conceptual ideas, including the team’s capacity for funding projects that it may ultimately develop; and c. The most experienced team well versed in strategically working with a local government property owner and partner to design and effectively pair private investment with public facilities and amenities to execute a shared creative development vision.
A matrix is provided to guide interested parties in what information should be submitted and how it should be organized so that review committee members are best equipped to evaluate submittal packages. Included in the matrix are “weights” in the form of points that reviewers would use to score submittals, based upon the three criteria areas noted above. A total of 100 points are available, with the following recommended weights assigned:
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Criteria Possible Points Conceptual Development Plan and Ideas 35 Financial Feasibility and Capacity 25 Team Experience 35 References 5 TOTAL 100
Evaluation Schedule and Process As part of an update that staff provided at the June 18, 2020 meeting, the Board agreed to move issuance of the RFQ from Summer to Fall 2020 as it continued to monitor how the market performs while the pandemic continues. The draft RFQ provides a schedule based upon issuing the RFQ in early November 2020, providing approximately 2.5 months for interested parties to compile and submit their responses (by January 15, 2021), and reviewing responses and having the Board approve a development team selection by the end of March 2021 (or Q1 2021).
Staff previewed the RFQ document and proposed schedule with the Board’s Development Subcommittee on October 1, 2020. Subcommittee members noted that market uncertainty from the pandemic continues and stressed the importance of putting the site out for consideration at the right time to ensure that the CCRA can expect a good level of responses. It was suggested that consideration be given to moving the RFQ release and submittal of responses to Q1 2021 and review and selection to Q2 2021.
Proposal: As part of its discussion, staff would like board members to respond to the following questions:
a. What is the preferred schedule for RFQ release and development team selection? b. Are the evaluation criteria in line with expectations? c. Are the recommended point weights a reasonable reflection of the importance of the various evaluation criteria in selecting a development team for the site? d. Are there any other comments/areas of concern within the draft RFQ? e. Is the Board agreeable to moving forward with additional testing needed to update the site’s Phase II Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) reports at an estimated cost of $20,000 and with completion expected by mid-December 2020? (Additional information is included in the “Environmental Conditions” section of the draft RFQ Part 3.)
Action Requested: 1. Approve issuance of the Waterfront Gateway RFQ per agreement of a preferred schedule, evaluation criteria and scoring, and any other changes to the draft document. 2. Authorize staff to move forward with updating the site’s Phase II ESA reports under the estimated cost and timeframe for completion provided.
Attachments: Noted above
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ………………………………………………………………………………… X
PART ONE: BACKGROUND ……………………………………………………………………………. X ABOUT THE CITY, CITY CENTER/DOWNTOWN AND THE CCRA …………………………. X
PART TWO: THE SITE …………………………………………………………………………………… X THE SITE AND ITS SURROUNDINGS ………………………………………………………….. X DOWNTOWN HISTORY ………………………………………………………………………….. X MARKET CONTEXT ………………………………………………………………………………. X
PART THREE: VISION …………………………………………………………………………………… X THE VISION ………………………………………………………………………………...……… X APPLICABLE PLANNING DOCUMENTS …………………………………………………..…… X DEVELOPMENT CONSIDERATIONS …………………………………………………………… X RESOURCES AND INCENTIVES ……………………………………….…….………………….. X
PART FOUR: SUBMITTALS ……………………………………………………………………………… X SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURE ……………………………………….…… X EVALUATION CRITERIA AND SCORING …………………….…………………………………. X EVALUATION SCHEDULE AND PROCESS …………………………………………………..… X END PERIOD …………………………………………………………………………………..…… X DISCLAIMERS/ GENERAL INFORMATION/ LEGALEES ………………………………………. X THE VANCOUVER TEAM …………………………………………………………………………. X
APPENDICES ………………………………………………………………………………………………. X
The Vancouver City Center Redevelopment Authority (CCRA) is seeking a development team for a 6.4-acre city-owned site in Downtown Vancouver, strategically located between two important centers of redevelopment activity—the Columbia River waterfront and historic downtown core. The site represents one of the largest remaining undeveloped contiguous properties in the downtown area. It is bounded by 6th (north), Columbia (east) and Grant (west) streets and the railroad berm (south) and is adjacent to Vancouver City Hall and the Vancouver Convention Center/Hilton Hotel.
We are seeking development teams capable of designing, permitting, managing and constructing office, commercial, retail, housing and parking in a mixed-use environment. This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is an important step towards the goal of creating a branded destination district that connects the waterfront and historic core and links to other nearby districts and landmarks such as Fort Vancouver National Site. Development of the site will be an important element to continue the ongoing revitalization of the downtown area.
Following selection, the CCRA and City of Vancouver (“City”) intend to collaborate with the development team on developing a master plan for the site. The CCRA will then negotiate the necessary agreements with the development team to purchase or lease parcels for development in accordance with the master plan.
The CCRA appreciates the interest of those in the real estate development and design industries and looks forward to selecting a development partner with whom it can collaborate to realize the vision for the site.
The working title for the site and project is Waterfront Gateway, but the CCRA expects that a new title or name will be determined during the master planning process. For purposes of this RFQ, the site and project will be referred to interchangeably as either “Site” or “Waterfront Gateway.”
Questions arising from this RFQ may be directed to John W. Collum, Economic Development Principal Planner, at (360) 487-7956 or [email protected].
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City of Vancouver Vancouver encompasses approximately 52 square miles and has a population of nearly 190,000. Vancouver is a growing, entrepreneurial city—the second largest in the Portland, Oregon metro region of over 2.5 million people. Located on the I-5 corridor and extended along the north shores of the Columbia River, the City lies directly across the river from Portland and is the southern gateway to the State of Washington. Approximately an hour east of the Pacific Ocean and just west of the Cascade Mountain Range, Vancouver enjoys gorgeous views of Mt. Hood and Mount St. Helens, historic sites, waterfront access, an active downtown, and friendly and walkable neighborhoods.
Vancouver’s advantageous location makes it a prime location for business and development. It is exceptionally well-positioned to access major West Coast, Midwest and international markets through its highway (I-5, I-205, connections to I-84) and rail (BNSF) networks, proximity to two deep water ports (Vancouver USA and Portland), and short drive to Portland International Airport (PDX). In addition to no corporate or personal income tax in Washington State, there are also no tax on dividends, interest or capital gains in the state. Vancouver and Clark County have some of the lowest utility rates in the U.S.
The diversified economy of Vancouver and Clark County, built on health care, manufacturing, food processing, trade and high tech, outpaced metro Portland, Washington state and the U.S. over the past decade in adding new jobs and businesses. Major non-government employers in and around Vancouver include Peach Health, Legacy, The Vancouver Clinic, Kaiser Permanente NW, Bonneville
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Power, SEH America, Banfield Pet Hospital (headquarters), Frito-Lay, Columbia Machine, Great Western Malting, Kyocera International, and Nautilus (headquarters).
Downtown’s largest non-government employer, ZoomInfo powered by DiscoverOrg, is a market intelligence company that’s one of the fastest-growing software companies in the Pacific Northwest and raised almost $1B in the region’s first software IPO in a generation. Port of Vancouver USA is one of Subaru’s three U.S. ports of entry with over one million cars imported through the port, and hosts numerous tenants such as Sunlight Supply, the largest hydroponic products distributor in the U.S.
Vancouver is a diverse community, with 24% of students in its largest school district-Vancouver Public Schools (VPS)-speaking a language other than English and 98 languages spoken by its students in 21 elementary schools, six middle schools, five high schools, an arts schools, a STEM school and other specialty programs. Higher education opportunities are abundant, with Washington State University-Vancouver—a nationally-ranked Tier 1 research institution, Clark College— Washington’s largest single-campus community college, and over 20 other colleges and universities in Greater Portland metro area.
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Vancouver’s beautiful setting, business friendly attitude, and welcoming diversity has been recog- nized for its livability and sometimes quirky attributes. Some of the awards and recognition the city and area have received include:
WE ARE HIP WASHINGTON STATE ROCKS!
“Most Hipster City in America” #1 Ranked state economy out of 150 most populous cities in the nation based on concentration of Business Insider and microbreweries, vegan WalletHub, 2018 restaurants, tattoo studios and thrift stores #2 America’s top states for business MoveHub.com, 2017 CNBC, 2018
WE ARE BEST IN THE WEST Highest share/concentration of STEM (science, technology, Top 5 Best Main Street in the West engineering and mathematics) and Northwest’s Best Value Town professionals Sunset Magazine, 2017 WalletHub, 2018
#3 Most innovative states WE LOVE COFFEE (research and development) #2 U.S. city with most coffee shops per resident (plus, most affordable Highest projected demand for of the top 10 coffee cities) STEM jobs by 2020 Apartmentguide, 2019 Highest share of science and WE LOVE FOOD engineering graduates aged 25+ WalletHub.com, 2018 Top 40 Best Foodie Cities in
America out of 182 cities reviewed to determine the best and most WE DO GREAT THINGS! affordable foodie scenes City’s Housing Strategy received the Wallethub, 2019 Governor’s Smart Communities “Smart Choices” Award in 2019 YOU’LL LOVE TO CAMP Top 10 Cities for Grant Street Pier received the Camping in the U.S. American Public Works Association Apartmentguide, 2020 Award for Public Works Excellence in 2019
YOU’LL LOVE Vancouver Waterfront Park was named OUR FRESH FOOD Project of the Year by the American #1 Farmers Market in WA state Council of Engineering Companies of American Farmland Trust, 2020 5
The City of Vancouver is responsible for vital municipal infrastructure and urban services. It builds and repairs roads, maintains water and sewer service, provides fire and police protection as well as park and recreation programs, administers land use policy, and takes an active role in Vancouver’s commercial and industrial development.
Vancouver has a Council/Manager form of government with a City Council comprised of the Mayor and six councilmembers who set policy and direction. The City Manager oversees the day-to-day operations of the City.
Vancouver’s City Center/Downtown Vancouver’s City Center/Downtown—consisting of various districts including Uptown Village, the historic core, Esther Short, and the waterfront—is considered a regional cultural, employment, retail and dining destination. It has become a hotbed of investment, with office, housing, hotels, retail and amenities.
In the last six years, development activity has included: • Eight new apartment buildings • 75,000 sf of office space • More than 50 new eating and drinking places • Hundreds of new high-tech, creative class and design jobs added • 37 new tech start-up firms
Main Street in Downtown’s Historic Core
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In the next three years, City Center is expected to gain: • 95,000 SF of retail-commercial space • 425 hotel rooms • 1,600 housing units • 295,000 SF of office space
The majority of City Center, including all of the Site’s parcels, are located within two federally- designated Opportunity Zones, known as Downtown South/Waterfront and Downtown-East.
Waterfront Two master-planned areas along Vancouver’s Columbia River waterfront west of the Interstate Bridge (I-5) have brought new development opportunities to City Center. These areas are connected to the Site via three main streets (east to west): Columbia, Esther and Grant.
Leading the way is The Waterfront Vancouver’s mixed-use neighborhood, a significant regional development in the Portland/Vancouver metro area by Columbia Waterfront LLC and led by Gramor Development. Its 32-acre master plan features 20 city blocks that, at build-out, will include 1.25 million SF of Class A creative office, 250,000 SF of restaurant/retail, 3,300 housing units, a boutique hotel, and major park amenities. Over $250 million in private development is either under construction or completed as part of Phase 1, including two signature buildings with restaurants flanking Grant Street Pier, an office building, apartments, parking, numerous wine tasting rooms, retail and service establishments, and an interior park. The new neighborhood is fast becoming a regional wine-tasting hub, with seven wineries setting up, or planning, wine tasting rooms. Residential
Grant Street Pier at Waterfront Park and Waterfront Vancouver
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condos and the Hotel Indigo are slated to open in 2021. Over $60 million has been invested in new public infrastructure for the project, including Waterfront Park, a 7.3-acre, half-mile long park that incorporates public open spaces with the Columbia River edge for the first time in over a century. The park’s central focus is the Grant Street Pier, an iconic cable-stayed pier designed by nationally recognized public artist Larry Kirkland, and also includes an interactive water feature highlighting the history of the Columbia River.
Another master planned area just to the east is the Port of Vancouver USA’s Terminal 1 project, consisting of 10 acres. Terminal 1 is a four-block planned development plus a public marketplace within a new building atop a re-built pier along the river’s edge. One block is planned for an AC Marriott Hotel being developed by Vesta Hospitality, while two other blocks are under design for an integrated office, residential, and retail development by LPC West. The Port is also making improvements to the Renaissance Trail, a multi-use path along the riverfront, while upgrading other outdoor public spaces to integrate the various developments into a cohesive neighborhood along the water’s edge.
A.C. Marriott Hotel at Terminal 1
CCRA The City Center Redevelopment Authority or “CCRA” is an independent legal entity under Washington State law and City Ordinance (VMC 2.71) to undertake, assist with and otherwise facilitate the redevelopment of property within the Vancouver City Center Vision Plan (“VCCV Plan”) area.
Redevelopment of the VCCV Plan area by the CCRA serves essential public purposes by relieving blight, undertaking development of an underutilized area in the heart of the city in a manner
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consistent with city planning, facilitating private investment and economic development which will build the City’s tax base and create jobs, and providing for the development of public amenities, public parking facilities, recreational and entertainment facilities, connections to the riverfront and coordination of waterfront redevelopment efforts. An important component of the CCRA’s work is facilitating and maximizing private sector participation in redevelopment projects.
CCRA is led by a board of directors appointed by Vancouver City Council and comprised of individuals who have exceptional expertise in urban land development, along with real estate transactions and financing. Profiles on the board’s current officers and members can be found here: www.cityofvancouver.us/ccra.
Since its establishment in 2006, CCRA has advised the City on many important projects, including the waterfront master plan projects described above and The Columbian building (now Vancouver City Hall), and reviews and provides recommendation on development agreements, large project design review, and applications to the City’s Multi-Family Tax Exemption Program. Through its predecessor the Downtown Redevelopment Authority (DRA), it played a leading role in advising several projects within the Esther Short Redevelopment Plan area, including the renovation of Esther Short Park and redevelopment of the former Lucky Lager brewery properties and blocks. In particular, the DRA oversaw planning, financial projections, construction, and subsequent management of the Vancouver Convention Center/Hotel Project (early 2000s).
In November 2019, the City Council authorized CCRA to lead the planning and development of the Waterfront Gateway properties through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Through the MOU, the CCRA is provided another major focus area for redevelopment in City Center that will require the board’s expertise and experience to guide the City through the complexities of developing an important public asset within an urban environment experiencing a high level of redevelopment.
In its authorized role, the CCRA is conducting a developer selection process starting with issuance of this RFQ, and will collaborate with the selected development team on designing a master plan for the site, lead negotiations for the disposition or lease of parcels identified for private development based upon achieving the best return for the City in consideration of the development proposed in the master plan, and coordinate construction of publicly-owned facilities as necessary with private construction.
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ATTACHMENT B
SEGMENT 2 – WATERFRONT GATEWAY RFQ
PART 2: THE SITE
I. THE SITE AND ITS SURROUNDINGS
(insert aerial of site location within the greater downtown area)
The City owns or controls approximately 6.4 acres of property (the “Site”) located within the VCCV Plan area and adjacent to Vancouver City Hall, Vancouver Convention Center, and Hilton Vancouver Washington hotel (collectively, the “Adjacent Facilities”). The Site is bounded by 6th Street to the north, Columbia Street to the east, and Grant Street and a railroad berm to the west and south (See Figure __).
Figure
____ The Site is currently used as vacant open space and surface parking for the Adjacent Facilities. There is one existing building on the site, the Webber Building, which is leased to office tenants. The Site represents one of the largest remaining undeveloped contiguous properties in Downtown and is strategically located between two centers of current development activity within the downtown core and waterfront areas.
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Within the Site, there are a total of 17 parcels of land that have been grouped on the map above as three blocks: X, Y and Z. A list of the parcels, current use and size is included in Figure __. In addition to these properties, it is anticipated that adjacent parcels containing the Adjacent Facilities and Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Plaza park, and public streets located within and adjacent to the site area including Phil Arnold Way and Esther Street may be considered in project planning.
Adjacent Facilities
Convention Center/Hilton Hotel Webber Building
Vancouver Convention Center/Hotel Project
The Vancouver Convention Center (“Convention Center”) is a 30,000 square-foot facility that was completed in 2005. The Convention Center is integrated into the same building that houses the 226- room Hilton Vancouver Washington hotel, and the facilities are jointly managed by the Hilton Hotels Corporation. The Convention Center is outfitted with two ballrooms, nine meeting rooms, high speed internet access, 24-hour business center, and banquet facilities located on the first two floors of the building. During 2017 and 2018, the Convention Center hosted an average of 133,500 attendees and 1,550 groups each year. The Convention Center has served as Southwest Washington’s premier indoor meeting facility since its opening and is considered a major downtown visitor attraction.
The Convention Center is located on property that is owned by the Vancouver Public Facilities District (PFD), created by the Vancouver City Council as part of the organizational structure leading to development of the facility. The building, including the full-service hotel and convention facilities, is owned by the DRA.
Potential future expansion of the Convention Center is discussed in “The Vision” section below.
On Figure __, the combined Convention Center and hotel building are shown as locations #2 and #3. The parcels shown as Block Z were purchased by the City in the early 2000s. Included on these parcels is the Webber Building, a 20,000 SF building originally constructed in 1917 with two additions made over the years. The building was built for blacksmithing operations and used for metal and machine works, but during the early 1980s was expanded and renovated for office uses, with that use continuing through today. Since its purchase, the City has leased the building to a master lease holder that leases the various office suites to a variety of tenants. Surface parking for the building is located on the parcel immediately to the west. 2
The southernmost parcels in Block Z are used for a fenced surface parking through a license agreement with the DRA and Hilton Hotel to provide overflow parking for hotel guests and Convention Center events.
Vancouver City Hall
Vancouver City Hall As plans for the Convention Center’s construction were moving forward, the City entered into a development agreement with Downtown Vitality Partners LLC (DVP) in 2003 for redevelopment of property south of 6th Street and west of the Convention Center. The development would support relocation of the offices and operations of The Columbian newspaper. DVP completed construction of The Columbian Office Building (approximately 118,000 SF) in 2007 to house the newspaper’s headquarters and administrative offices at the southeast corner of 6th and Esther, along with a surface parking lot immediately to the west.
The agreement also led to several street vacations in the area to accommodate development of the site, along with transportation improvements to promote pedestrian and vehicular access from Esther Short Park to the waterfront through the site. Improvements completed over the past 15 years include the 6th and Esther roundabout; the Daniels Street Pedestrian Walkway between the Convention Center and The Columbian building; the lowering of Esther Street south of 6th Street with an underpass through the railroad berm to connect to Columbia Way at the waterfront; and Phil Arnold Way. Frontage improvements (new sidewalks, streetlights, street trees, etc.) were completed along Waterfront Gateway parcels along Esther, 6th and Grant streets, as well as Phil Arnold Way.
In 2010, the City purchased DVP’s property holdings shown as Blocks X and Y on Figure __, including The Columbian building to utilize it for a new city hall (location #1). The surface parking to the west is utilized for City Hall employees and other building tenants. The lot was expanded further westward by the City in 2019. A limited amount of visitor parking is provided in a small surface lot south of City Hall, along with access to the building’s loading areas.
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Figure __ LIST OF WATERFRONT GATEWAY PROPERTIES
Item Assessor’s Current Use & Details Map Size # Parcel Number Location SF (APN) 1 49300000 City Hall parking (existing) Block X 16,988 2 49305000 City Hall parking (existing) Block X 12,698 3 49315000 City Hall parking (existing) Block X 5,663 4 49290000 City Hall parking (existing) Block X 14,158 5 49240000 City Hall parking (existing) Block X 5,076 6 49230000 City Hall parking (existing) Block X 4,116 7 49250000 City Hall parking (existing) Block X 48,362 8 49360000 City Hall parking (expansion area) Block X 33,566 9 49861000 City Hall parking (expansion area) Block X 6,317 10 48852000 Vacant Block Y 10,454 11 48860000 City Hall driveway and parking; vacant Block Y 42,639 12 48890000 City Hall driveway and parking; vacant Block Y 7,000 13 48900000 City Hall driveway; vacant Block Y 6,850 14 48740000 Webber Building parking; under lease Block Z 14,190 to office tenant through December 31, 2022 15 48750000 Webber Building; under lease to office Block Z 10,150 tenant through December 31, 2022** 16 48760000 Former 4th Street public parking (south Block Z 20,038 side) and Webber Building parking (north side); Parking Lot 24 (under license agreement to Downtown Redevelopment Authority/Hilton until September 2022**) 17 48790000* Former 4th Street public parking (south Block Z 22,216 side) and Webber Building parking (north side); Parking Lot 24 (under license agreement to Downtown Redevelopment Authority/Hilton until September 2022**) Total Acres 6.44 Total SF 280,481
*Owner of record is Vancouver Public Facilities District, but parcel is subject to a lease with the City of Vancouver. **Lease extensions beyond these dates subject to future development timelines for Waterfront Gateway properties.
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Opportunity Zone
The Site is located within a federally designated Opportunity Zone, known as Downtown- South/Waterfront. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 created Opportunity Zones, a community investment tool designed to drive long-term capital into communities throughout the nation. Under the program, investors can defer paying taxes on capital gains that are invested in qualified Opportunity Funds, which will be invested in communities designated as Opportunity Zones.
The Downtown-South/Waterfront Opportunity Zone one of four zones located in the City of Vancouver. Learn more about the zones in the Vancouver Opportunity Zone Prospectus at https://www.cityofvancouver.us/sites/default/files/fileattachments/community_and_economic_develo pment/page/37170/vanwaozoneprospectus_final_rev_july_2019.pdf.
The CCRA encourages interested developers to explore the Opportunity Zone incentive as a funding and investment option in developing Waterfront Gateway.
Surrounding Uses and Landmarks
Many important public spaces, places of interest, recent developments and other significant uses are within several blocks of the Site.
Esther Short Park hosts a wide variety of The Vancouver Farmers Market brings
community events throughout the year thousands of visitors downtown every weekend between March and October
Vancouver Main Library Hurley Office Building 5
An instant landmark along the Columbia River, the 7.3-acre Vancouver Waterfront Park opened in
2018 and incorporates numerous features including a playground, the iconic cable-stayed Grant Street Pier, and the Columbia River Water Feature
Railroad Berm The Columbian Properties
The Columbian properties
The Aria: Six-stories with 127 market rate Block 10: Mixed-use with 110 apartments
apartments and ground level landscaped (market rate and affordable), 80,000 SF of muse. Under construction just north of the office space, and 12,000 SF of retail. Under Site. construction two blocks north of the Site.
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Vancouvercenter and new Fourth Tower
Interstate Bridge Replacement
In 2019, both Oregon and Washington approved funding to restart work on replacing the Interstate Bridge on I-5 across the Columbia River. The states directed ODOT and WSDOT to open a bi-state program office to lead this work. Each state legislature formed a committee with eight representatives to provide direction and oversight to shape Interstate Bridge Replacement Program work. Replacing the Interstate Bridge is a high priority for the governors and legislatures of both Oregon and Washington as well as regional jurisdictions and is critical to the long-term economic competitiveness and mobility of the region.
Recent efforts have focused on reengaging partners and bringing on critical staffing resources to support program work. This includes a program administrator to lead the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program office and a consultant team. The next phase of program development work will begin in Fall 2020 and will include technical analysis as well as community engagement with a wide range of stakeholders to identify a bridge solution that reflects community values and can build broad regional support.
The City has and will continue to participate in this process, as an agency with a direct role in the project. No timeline has been established for project development or construction.
II. DOWNTOWN HISTORY
Vancouver has a rich history, from the Lewis and Clark expedition in the 1800s, to its role in the Kaiser shipyards during World War II, and to its place as the fourth largest city in Washington State in the 21st century. Much of its history was created in the downtown area, especially with the city’s founding at adjacent Fort Vancouver by Hudson’s Bay Company in 1824; the building of the most significant historic building in the region in the Providence Academy school and orphanage in 1873; significant manufacturing and port operations along downtown’s Columbia River waterfront, on-going brewing and distilling industry—from large scale beer production with Star Brewery and Luck Lager to today’s craft and artisan style brewpubs; and serving as the center of municipal and county governments.
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Downtown’s heritage is highlighted and can be enjoyed in many ways:
• Interpretative panels that have been placed across the downtown and Fort Vancouver area. • On display at the Clark County Historical Museum—located in a Carnegie library building in Uptown Village. A must-see exhibit is History A-Brewin’, the story of brewing distilling, temperance, and prohibition in Clark County and Southwest Washington. • Former city councilmember Pat Jollota’s book Downtown Vancouver, providing a complete pictorial history of the area from the early explorers of the late 1700s to the turn of the 21st century. • Clark County Historic Preservation Program, which coordinates preservation activities for Clark County, the City of Vancouver and other cities and maintains the local Clark County Heritage Register. • The Vancouver and the Columbia River-Our History interactive map, with photos and videos that display places you can visit and links to learn more details. • The Historic Trust, a 501c3 organization that inspires civic pride and economic vitality through education, preservation and celebration of our community’s history.
Development teams are encouraged to explore Downtown’s heritage through these resources and be inspired by opportunities to utilize the area’s history in creating a new district at Waterfront Gateway.
III. MARKET CONTEXT
Prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. in March 2020, the real estate market in Vancouver was rapidly changing and evolving. Although it remains difficult to predict the short- and long-term effects that the pandemic may have on the market, and with about seven months since the pandemic started, development projects in the City and downtown area have continued construction, planned projects have continued working through permitting, and a significant number of new projects have been announced.
The CCRA is confident that the urban renaissance that Downtown Vancouver was experiencing prior to the pandemic will continue in the years to follow. Competitive advantages like lower housing costs, coupled with the return of growing employment similar to pre-pandemic times, favor development in Vancouver and Clark County. The Site’s proximity to the Columbia River waterfront, active areas of redevelopment on all sides, and important civic facilities like City Hall and the Convention Center provide advantages that cannot be duplicated within the region.
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PART 3: VISION
I. THE VISION
Guiding Principles
The CCRA and the City have a mutual interest in planning and developing the Waterfront Gateway properties to create a branded destination district that connects other key downtown activity areas including the waterfront, historic core and Fort Vancouver National Site. The district is envisioned as one that:
• is active, urban, inviting and mixed-use with strong cross-site pedestrian connectivity; • may include any combination of residential, retail, office, visitor, cultural, signature attraction, and structured parking uses; • capitalizes on the site’s strategic location; • provides public benefits including public connectivity, facilities and amenities; • is accessible to all abilities, ages and income levels; and • creates an environment that will attract the Vancouver community and visitors from around the region.
Public Facilities
There are certain amenities that would need to be accommodated on the site, including parking for existing uses and a possible expansion of the Convention Center.
Parking Garage: Surface parking currently serving City Hall, the Convention Center and Hilton Hotel will need to be replaced with structured parking if the site is going to be redeveloped. The City is exploring the optimal size of a parking structure for this purpose, including serving the excess parking needs of several adjoining property owners that may partner with the City in its construction. Our modeling and site capacity analysis recommend that a garage ranging in size from 425 to 590 spaces is preferable to a larger garage which, due to massing and overall footprints, may limit urban design options and be more difficult for users to navigate (and therefore potentially suppress usage). The City will be evaluating the cost feasibility of the recommended sizes, along with design considerations to accommodate operational needs, preferred development structure, and funding sources availability and timing.
Potential Center Expansion: The City and DRA are interested in studying whether the local and national market for conferences and events will support expanding the Center. Recent development has brought thousands of new visitors to the downtown area, and although the COVID-19 pandemic has curtailed visitor activity, it is expected to return and grow again once the pandemic subsides. Recent and proposed developments are in addition to a wide array of facilities, parks, events and cultural amenities that make downtown Vancouver a prime destination in the Portland Oregon metro area (see Figure __, Downtown Vancouver Visitor Stats). The City and DRA anticipate conducting a feasibility analysis in 2021 or later that will determine whether expansion is warranted and, if so, offer expansion size options.
Although no specific plans and designs for these two public facilities have been made, the City will need to reserve development space for them within the Waterfront Gateway site area, to the south and west of the Convention Center. The parcels south of the Convention Center/Hilton building have the most
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restrictive maximum building heights within the Waterfront Gateway site. Included in this RFQ is Figure __, Concept Site Plan, which indicates proposed locations east of Esther Street that may accommodate these facilities.
While the City is still in the process of determining what sizes and footprints these facilities will entail, developers are encouraged to consider uses and programs that are synergistic with these elements. The CCRA and City want to explore the possibilities of strategically locating and designing the facilities with the development team to promote and complement private development on the site. At this time, the public entities (CCRA, DRA and the City) will likely take the lead on developing the public facilities, but are open to any ideas from interested parties as to how these projects could be included in public- private partnerships that may result from this RFQ.
Community Vision: Goals and Considerations
The CCRA has been designated by City Council to lead the planning and development of Waterfront Gateway, including the search for a development team. It has hosted a series of visioning workshops with its board members, the public, City staff and design consultants to offer initial ideas and a vision for Waterfront Gateway’s future. The input has been consolidated into the list of goals and design considerations included below to inform prospective developers in responding to this RFQ by articulating a community vision for the site, including what activities, land uses, destinations and places would make Waterfront Gateway an inviting and active district.
Indoor and Outdoor Activities during a September 2019 Visioning Workshop
The vision for Waterfront Gateway is one that recognizes the site’s opportunity to become the “heart” of the downtown area as its development will fill a void between the emerging waterfront rebirth and the historic commercial core of Vancouver. By filling this void with a walkable district, it will connect the residential, office and commercial uses that have developed to the north and south, while creating public realm activities that will define the character of the district.
Activating City Hall’s ground floor and increasing the building’s civic presence, along with better integration of the west side of the Vancouver Convention Center with City Hall, the new district’s future development, and the waterfront, will make the new district a focal gathering spot and confluence point that serves as the community’s heart. Esther Street is envisioned as the new district’s spine that spreads connections of the heart northward to Esther Short Park, the Main Street district, and Evergreen Boulevard/Fort Vancouver, and southward to the waterfront. Existing pedestrian pathways like the one along the former Daniels Street and new ones created to define spaces between new buildings and public amenities developed in the new district will serve as vital internal and external connections to the
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heart. As direct connections to the waterfront and its various amenities, Grant and Columbia streets are also envisioned to include adjacent development and uses that promote synergy between the new district and points north and south.
The goals and design considerations included below, along with background visuals and the Concept Site Plan (Figure __), are intended to assist the selected development team and the CCRA in jointly master planning the Waterfront Gateway site. The Conceptual Site Plan layout is provided to visualize the considerations for the purposes of this RFQ and should be utilized as a tool for the CCRA and selected development team to begin (and not limit) the site planning conversation.
This RFQ requests that respondents propose an initial development program with a mix of uses for the site that can build on Vancouver’s downtown emergence as an urban residential neighborhood and employment center. Competitive responses should consider the following goals and design considerations in the larger context of planning and developing Waterfront Gateway as the envisioned district.
Placemaking and Use Considerations
• Create a district that is uniquely Vancouver—a place distinct from Portland or other nearby cities—and becomes a destination unto itself and a key connection between the waterfront and historic core. • Reinforce Esther Street as a key pedestrian and bicycle connection to the waterfront through active ground floors and streetscape/landscaping enhancements; enhancement of the roundabout at 6th Street, art markers leading to the waterfront, and activating City Hall’s ground floor along Esther should be considered. • Extend and reinforce the mid-block pedestrian connection along 6th Street from Esther Short Park by connecting the existing pathway (former Daniels Street; between City Hall and the Center/Hilton Hotel) through the site to the Esther Street underpass that connects to the waterfront. Add programmable space along the extended pathway to make the pathway itself a destination. • Consider how a western entrance into the Center can activate the former Daniels Street pathway and a central amenity area south of City Hall and also serve as a visual connection to Waterfront Gateway parcels west of Esther Street and waterfront development to the south. • Integrate spaces for people to linger outdoors along streets and pedestrian pathways by incorporating landscape elements and outdoor seating with active uses in the ground levels of adjacent buildings and employing all-weather design to encourage year-round activity. • Explore the use of public rights-of-way (such as Phil Arnold Way) and fringe undeveloped portions of the Center and City Hall parcels as planning, development and amenity opportunities in creating the master plan. • Utilize wayfinding signage and other visual cues throughout and at key access points to encourage cross-site connectivity while helping to establish a unique identity and character for the new district. • Include an anchor destination on the site. The destination could be a publicly accessible visitor or cultural attraction, indoor and/or outdoor, and developed as a public, non-profit, private or 11
joint venture. The destination would build on other nearby attractions (the Center, waterfront district, Esther Short and Waterfront parks, and others) and take advantage of a growing visitor market in the greater downtown area. • Explore the practicality of retaining the Webber Building to maintain an element of historic character unique to the site area and appropriately integrating it into the district’s master plan. • Increase employment through construction of office space to support the growing downtown business community while offering more options for residents to work in downtown; major employers as well as start up businesses should be considered. • Consider the integration of housing options that are affordable to people with a variety of income levels, including income-based, workforce, middle-income and market rate housing. • Emphasize high quality design and materials for all buildings, public amenities and public pathways. • Utilize public art as a defining component of the new district. • Address parking needs while supporting a more urban development form and emphasizing shared parking opportunities. • Address how the site addresses blocks to the northwest and east if/when they are ready to redevelop, as well as development south of the railroad berm in the Vancouver Waterfront and Terminal 1 master plan areas. • Other ideas that resonated with the CCRA board and members of the public during the series of visioning workshops can be found in Appendix __, Waterfront Gateway Visioning Summary.
Development and Partnership Considerations
While the “Placemaking and Uses” goals and design considerations encourage the creation of a unique district with an emphasis on street level activity, the CCRA intends for the Waterfront Gateway site to include a high level of private development that can ensure the City maximizes its financial return for the properties while accomplishing these goals. Accordingly, the CCRA has set the following development and partnership goals that are important for interested developers to consider alongside the vision goals:
• Commit to the project’s goals with the understanding that future development must also be economically viable and feasible. • Balance public amenities and benefits with private development. • Maximize the site’s development density to the extent possible, considering other key aspects of this community vision and foreseeable market conditions. • Include sustainable, high-performance, resilient and healthy urban and building design considerations by integrating zero net energy, resilience, biophilic design, products such as mass-timber, low impact development, rain gardens, green roofs and other green building strategies to enhance public health and economic development while reducing environmental impacts. • Build on the success of earlier redevelopment projects like Esther Short Park, the Center, Waterfront Vancouver and other adjacent developments that are increasing the number of
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downtown residents, employees and hotel visitors while further catalyzing development of nearby vacant parcels or redevelopment of underutilized properties. • Draw from the selected development team’s experience and potential interest in partnering on publicly-owned and publicly-accessible amenities to ensure that a seamless, high-quality urban environment can be achieved. • Commit to create broadly shared economic opportunity and prosperity by developing workforce and business development strategies to be incorporated where possible into the project. • Coordinate public outreach in partnership with the CCRA and City throughout the course of the project. • Capitalize on the site’s location within a designated Opportunity Zone.
The CCRA recognizes that development of the Waterfront Gateway site cannot fulfill all these interests and seeks creative approaches to the site. Ideal development team candidates will bring considerable skill, knowledge and experience creating vibrant urban areas and will engage the CCRA and Vancouver community in creating a refined shared vision for the site.
Background Visuals and RFQ Concept Site Plan
Appendix __ includes numerous visuals selected to reinforce the ideas of the community vision for the new district. We have pulled case studies of successful districts in the U.S. and internationally, along with precedent images from cities and projects around the world that highlight many of the positive attributes of what our new district would include.
Also noted, we are providing a Concept Site Plan (Figure __) that indicates one possible layout of uses in the new district and associated concept sketches in Appendix __ that illustrate how the Concept Site Plan could appear from the ground level. The Concept Site Plan and sketches are provided as examples only. We understand that there are many ways to execute the vision for the new district.
Interested parties are encouraged to review the background visuals, Concept Site Plan and concept sketches, along with the community vision details as they develop and propose their initial development programs and conceptual development plans in response to this RFQ.
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Figure __, Concept Site Plan
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Opportunities and Partners
CREDC: The Columbia River Economic Development Council, or CREDC, strives to develop a strong and innovative business environment in Clark County through collaboration with its over 140 private and public investors and strategic partners. CREDC is a dedicated business concierge connecting individuals and companies with resources to accelerate business relocation, growth and innovation.
In partnership with the City and other public and private sector partners at the local, state and federal levels, CREDC coordinates Vancouver and Clark County’s direct economic development assistance for new and expanding businesses. Whether it’s finding the right space, addressing talent needs, accessing capital, compiling local market data, identifying state tax incentives, connecting with partners and industry mentors, or relocation, CREDC’s services are confidential and provided at no cost.
CREDC and the City have a strong track record of partnering on projects that bring significant investments to Vancouver to create new jobs, promote innovation, and grow a resilient and diversified local economy. CREDC is an Associate Development Organization (ADO) designated by the Washington State Department of Commerce as part of its statewide network of experts that are critical to the state’s goal of growing the economy and building communities statewide. CREDC and the City are active members of Greater Portland Inc., the Portland metro area’s economic development partnership, collaboratively driving economic expansion and job growth in the region.
In 2018, CREDC and partners across the region began implementing the Clark County Comprehensive Economic Development Plan, which includes three primary goals that are aligned with the future development of Waterfront Gateway: Expand the Existing Business Base, Support People, and Create Place. The plan’s focus to recruit, retain and expand businesses in target industry clusters of computer and electronics, clean tech, software and life sciences is balanced with supporting local communities to define and actively grow distinct places unique to their visions and values.
Learn more at credc.org
RYD: RYD, or Rethink Your Ride, is a Downtown Vancouver-based alternative transit option for employees who work downtown but opt to park in less expensive parking lots on the fringe. It will soon expand into a service that others can use to efficiently connect from place to place in the downtown RYD zone. All RYD vehicles are 100% electric, weatherproof, and easy to hop in and out of with five seats each. A RYD app for greater ease of using the program is also planned.
RYD serves an important role as a downtown circulator. Waterfront Gateway could serve as a main stop for the service, with an adjacent storefront or kiosk presence that highlights both the branded presence of RYD and the Waterfront Gateway district.
Learn more at ryd.green
Visit Vancouver USA: Visit Vancouver USA is the official destination marketing organization for Vancouver, Washington and the surrounding areas. The organization also markets the region as a venue for sports events through the Vancouver USA Sports brand. Visit Vancouver USA's mission is to increase
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visitor spending in Vancouver and Clark County through competitively marketing the area as a destination for meetings, conventions, sporting events, group tours and leisure travelers.
Visit Vancouver USA’s marketing efforts could be enhanced through a downtown visitor center in the Waterfront Gateway area, which currently does not have a visitor or information center in the downtown core/waterfront area. Waterfront Gateway could serve as an ideal location for such a center, especially through the use of its branded destination status.
Learn more at visitvancouverusa.com
Vancouver’s Downtown Association: Vancouver’s Downtown Association (VDA) is a member of the Washington Street Main Street Program. For over 30 years, the non-profit organization has served as a leading voice for Downtown’s business community, working to keep downtown vibrant through creativity and collaboration. Its work is fueled by passionate volunteers who are committed to ensuring that the City Center achieves its full potential.
Knowing that traditional downtowns are more relevant than ever, it works with property owners, residents, businesses and developers to create a walkable, clean and safe City Center that is a job- producing, memory-making, convention-welcoming, vibrant place where people want to live, work and visit. VDA promotes the positive changes that new development can bring to an evolving downtown. It looks forward to the opportunities a new district at Waterfront Gateway will create.
Learn more at vdausa.org
II. APPLICABLE PLANNING DOCUMENTS
City planning efforts that provide useful background include the following documents. Click on the document title to be linked to the specific document.
a. Vancouver City Center Vision Plan (“VCCV Plan”): Many of the components of a successful city center are already in place in Vancouver, such as Esther Short Park and the ring of new buildings around it. The vision that is articulated in the VCCV Plan is to cultivate a diversity of new uses that will complement those that exist and, at the same time, serve the resident, working and visiting populations in and adjoining the City Center.
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The VCCV Plan is subject to a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) determination (“Planned Action VCCV”) approved in 2007. The VCCV Plan establishes a capacity estimate for the VCCV area as a whole, as well as potential capacities and uses within the plan area’s various districts. Waterfront Gateway is located within the Esther Short district.
Per the VCCV Plan, as future development progresses it may be necessary for district boundary lines to be somewhat permeable allowing one district to absorb a portion of another district’s development goals in any use category. The VCCV Plan provides flexibility to respond to market trends and allows shifting from one use category to another as long as the impact characteristics are similar and the overall impacts do not exceed plan targets. Impacts considered relevant to a substitution of one use to another include vehicle peak trips, air (including dust during construction and exhaust levels when comparing tenants to employees), traffic noise, recreation/park resources, and public services such as schools, fire and police protection. The capacity limits per the VCCV Plan and Planned Action VCCV are considered sufficient to support the level of development anticipated within the Waterfront Gateway project boundary. b. Vancouver Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code: The Vancouver Comprehensive Plan (“Plan”) provides the overall long-term vision and policy direction for managing the built and natural environment in Vancouver and providing necessary public facilities. The zoning code (“Code”), Title 20 of the Vancouver Municipal Code, contains specific implementing development standards. The Plan and Code also contain maps designating the types of uses allowed on individual properties citywide.
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III. DEVELOPMENT CONSIDERATIONS
This section describes various applicable standards and guidelines in place for development in the downtown area, along with specific information about the Site for interested development teams to review and consider while compiling submittal packages for this RFQ.
a. Community Vision: Section I, The Vision, of this RFQ provides a comprehensive overview of the community vision for the site along with a conceptual site plan. The Vision was developed over the past year with the guidance of the CCRA, city staff, consultants, and the Vancouver community.
b. Zoning and Permitted Uses: The site is designated “Commercial” in the Vancouver Comprehensive Plan and zoned City Center Mixed Use or “CX.”
The CX zoning district is designed to provide for a concentrated mix of retail, office, civic and housing uses in Downtown Vancouver. The broad range of allowed uses is intended to promote Vancouver as the commercial, cultural, financial and municipal center of Clark County. Typical uses include, but are not limited to: • retail sales • hotels/motels • restaurants • professional offices • educational, cultural and civic institutions • public buildings • commercial parking • multi-dwelling units.
Ground floor residential is allowed with the exception of properties fronting portions of Main Street. A complete list of permitted, limited, conditional and prohibited uses can be found here: https://vancouver.municipal.codes/VMC/20.430.030.
c. Development Standards: There are no development standards in the CX district for minimum lot size, depth, width, or setbacks from property lines or between buildings on site. In general, development is expected to take advantage of the high density, urban nature of the City Center area and maximize development square footage within the realm of the real estate market.
Design Guidelines: Development proposed on the Site must meet the standards included in the Downtown Design Guidelines Manual (see Appendix __).
Although not applicable to the Waterfront Gateway project area, interested parties are recommended to consult the Vancouver Waterfront Design Guidelines (see Appendix __) that became effective in 2016. These guidelines offer important design considerations intended to ensure that the Vancouver Waterfront development integrates into and sets the tone of future
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development for the central business district. Sections 6 through 9 offer guidance for creating a pedestrian-friendly, human-scaled environment with distinctive architecture, sensitive integration with Vancouver’s history, and progressive planning strategies that will make the waterfront an attractive and treasured gathering place in the mode that the Community Vision anticipates for the new Waterfront Gateway district.
Building Heights: Due to its proximity to the City’s Pearson Field Airport to the east, Waterfront Gateway properties are subject to maximum building height limits, ranging from 75 to 200 feet depending upon heights as included in the Vancouver Municipal Code and displayed in the 3-D drawing below. For properties west of Esther Street, the limit is 95 feet. The code allows outright for up to a 50% increase in the low building height number (inclusive of any roof-top appurtenance), provided such increase in height complies with FAA regulation Part 77, as certified by the FAA, through issuance of a determination of no hazard to air navigation, and will not affect the safe and efficient use of navigable airspace. FAA no hazard approval and approval from the Pearson Park Airport manager for proposed structures and construction cranes are needed prior to issuance of building permits.
Figure __
Development teams are advised to consult VMC 20.630.050 and Figure 20.630-4, Maximum Building Heights for the downtown area.
Transit Overlay District: The site is located within Tier One of the Transit Overlay District. The standards are intended to encourage the use of alternative transportation modes and pedestrian- and transit-friendly development. The overlay reduces parking minimums for existing and new developments. The provisions of this section are voluntary and incentive based and may be applied to parcels located within the boundaries of the Transit Overlay District at
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the applicant’s request. The Tier One environment will be oriented towards higher densities and more transit-friendly urban design that could be associated with high capacity transit or increased transit service.
For the Waterfront Gateway properties, projects that are not exclusively residential projects can reduce the overall parking requirement by 25 percent. Additionally, the street parking located immediately adjacent to a project can count toward the required parking.
Downtown District: The site is located within the Downtown Plan District and is subject to the district’s design standards. The standards are intended to promote the urban nature of the City Center area by requiring new development incorporate pedestrian-friendly features, massing, form and finishes. The standards include: • Building Lines: Intended to maintain and enhance the urban quality, economic vitality and pedestrian environment of the Downtown core, including preventing the loss of the sense of enclosure, enhancing the continuity of display windows, and providing weather protection. Standards cover areas such as building placement along street right-of-way lines and encroachment into public rights-of-way. • Rain Protection: Intended to provide weather- protection for pedestrians, to enhance the economic vitality of the downtown core area and provide a needed amenity for employees, visitors and shoppers and link parking facilities, places of work, shopping and visitor areas. • Blank Walls: Intended to afford interest to pedestrians and to enhance the urban quality and shopping environment and to encourage pedestrian traffic within Downtown Vancouver. Blank walls at pedestrian level shall be discouraged. • Parking Control: Intended to prevent disruption of pedestrian circulation; to provide for smooth traffic flow; to prevent excessive use of downtown land for parking; to ensure the most efficient provision of parking facilities; to preserve the continuity of retail use and building frontage in the downtown shopping area; and to protect the public health and safety. The site is located within the Limited Surface Parking Area, which include the following standards: o Structural parking shall be allowed. o Surface parking lots including off-site accessory parking lots may be allowed upon approval of a phased development plan, which indicate future buildings and timelines for completion of each phase and the elimination of the surface parking.
Development of the Waterfront Gateway properties anticipates that all on-site parking will be structural at build-out. • A complete list of the Downtown District standards can be found here: https://www.cityofvancouver.us/sites/default/files/fileattachments/vmc/titles_chapter s/20.630.pdf
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Parking and Loading: VMC Chapter 20.945 includes design standards for bicycle parking and parking structures. Parking in the CX Zone requires the following minimum requirements (See Transit Overlay District section above for potential reductions in the minimum requirements):
Residential 1 space/dwelling unit Transient Lodging 1 space/living unit All Other Uses 1 space/1,000 SF of floor area d. Transportation and Access: Access to and through the site is excellent and provided by Downtown’s grid of local streets that are connected to major arterials and other important transportation corridors like Interstate 5. The site is directly served by 6th Street, a two-lane facility which serves as the northern boundary and connects the I-5 on- and off-ramps one to three blocks to the east. Columbia Street, another two-lane facility, is the site’s eastern boundary and connects to the north to Evergreen and Mill Plain boulevards with access to the east side of I-5 and additional on- and off-ramps. The northwest tip of the site is adjacent to the Grant Street and 6th Street intersection.
Esther Street bisects the middle of the site with significant frontage along many of the site’s parcels. Grant, Esther and Columbia streets all provide vehicular and pedestrian access directly to the waterfront to the south via tunnels underneath the railroad berm, with each separated by approximately two city blocks. Phil Arnold Way between Esther and Columbia provides an east- west connection along the site’s southern boundary and separating it from the railroad berm. Driveway access into the site is currently provided by remnants of W 4th (off of Columbia) to Block Z and W 5th (off of Esther) to Blocks X and Y, while streets currently provide driveway access into the site. Access from Block X is also provided via a one-way out driveway along 6th Street. The driveways also serve the purpose breaking the site into one-block segments, thus avoiding a superblock effect.
All of these streets (except for Columbia) have newer frontage improvements (sidewalks, streetlights, street trees, on-street parking, etc.) that provide good pedestrian access to and through the site. This is also supplemented by the Daniels Street Pedestrian Way located between City Hall and the Convention Center and connects the site directly to City Hall Plaza and the center of Esther Short Park.
On-street public parking is provided along some of the site’s street frontages and is regulated through either parking meters or monthly parking permits.
Development proposals are encouraged to take advantage of the access opportunities already in place. Future development will need to provide more cross-site connectivity within and through the site via enhanced pedestrian pathways, active ground-floor uses, street furniture, lighting, public art, landscaping and other amenities.
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Transit/ Bus Service: Vancouver is served by C-TRAN, Clark County’s public transportation agency. Waterfront Gateway is approximately three blocks from Turtle Place, Downtown’s main transit center along 7th Street between Washington and Main streets. The center is served by C- TRAN’s The Vine bus rapid transit (BRT) line with direct connections to Clark College and Vancouver Mall. A second BRT line from Turtle Place is planned to run primarily along Mill Plain Boulevard to East Vancouver.
Downtown is also served by C-TRAN’s express bus service to other major Vancouver transit stations and downtown Portland, along with numerous local bus routes connecting throughout the city and Clark County. C-Tran plans to extend Route 71 from the 6th and Columbia area southward to the waterfront in early 2021 (Columbia southbound, heading west on Columbia Way, then north on Grant, and then east on 6th).
Train Service: The Vancouver Amtrak Station is located within a 5-minute drive or 15-minute walk from the Site. The station provides direct service to Portland, Seattle, and Spokane, and connections to other locations along the west coast and eastward to Chicago.
Bicycle: On-street bicycle facilities are located close to the site, including sharrows (shared roadway markings) throughout the Waterfront Vancouver area and on Columbia Way and bike lanes on 8th Street. Protected bike lanes (including vertical separation between people biking and people driving) are planned for Columbia Street north of 6th Street and a multiuse path planned for the west side of Columbia (reconfiguring the sidewalk) between Columbia Way and 8th Street. These improvements will front the east boundary of the Convention Center/Hilton building and the Waterfront Gateway properties south of it.
The site is also close to bicycle and pedestrian access at the I-5 bridge, located on the east (northbound access) and west (southbound access) sides of the bridge at Columbia Way. This connection provides multimodal access between Vancouver and Portland.
Regional Trails: The surrounding area is served by the Columbia River Renaissance Trail along the waterfront east of I-5, with planned connections to the trail network at Terminal 1 and Waterfront Vancouver. This waterfront trail network is ultimately envisioned to extend from Vancouver west and north to Ridgefield and east to Washougal as part of the Lewis and Clark Regional Trail. e. Soil Conditions: f. Geological Hazards/Seismic Hazard: g. Floodplain: The site is outside of the flood area. Properties to the south of the railroad berm and southeast of the site at the Phil Arnold Way/ 3rd Street intersection are within the 500 Year Flood Area.
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h. Topography: i. Infrastructure: Sanitary sewer, storm and water services are available to the Site from the adjacent streets. i. Water ii. Sanitary Sewer iii. Storm iv. Others (gas, electric, telephone and cable points of connection) j. Title Reports/ Surveys: k. Environmental Conditions: The City has had several Phase I and II environmental site assessment (ESA) reports prepared for the site, broken down by location and groups of parcels.
Two parcels on Block X (see Figure __), 49315000 and 49861000, are not covered in the reports. All of the site’s other parcels are included in both Phase I and II reports. All reports are included in Appendix __ and contain detailed conclusions and recommendations.
In summary, Block X and Y parcels are included in a 2017 Phase II report for “West of City Hall and South of City Hall”) except for parcels 49315000 and 4986100). The report identified benzene in one of six vapor samples; butadiene in all six soil vapor samples exceeded MTCA Method B sub-slab soil gas screening levels; and lead in one shallow soil sample exceeded MTCA Method A soil screening levels. Since this report was published, the City has demolished a warehouse on Block X (parcel 49360000) as part of its 2019 expansion of the parking lot west of City Hall.
Block Z parcels are included in a 2017 Phase II report for “400 Columbia Street and 318 West 4th Street.” The report reveals no evidence of hazardous releases.
The City is conducting additional testing for the parcels not included in the Phase II report for Block X and to further explore the identified materials found in samples there. An updated Phase II report for “West of City Hall and South of City Hall” is expected by mid-December 2020. l. Archaeology: m. Appraised Value: The Site was appraised in April 2020. The appraisal split the Site into two segments, with those west of Esther Street comprising the “Northwest Portion” and those east of Esther Street comprising the “Southeast Portion.” The value conclusions determined were: • Market Value As Is - Northwest Portion = $9,600,000 • Market Value As Is - Southeast Portion = $9,000,000
The appraisal acknowledges the market uncertainty from COVID-19, its impact on global financial markets, and that is an evolving situation with the effects on the financial and real 23
estate markets unknown at the time of the appraisal. The valuation is based on the information available at the date of valuation and included previous transactions that occurred in advance of the start of the pandemic.
IV. RESOURCES AND INCENTIVES Transaction terms for site acquisition and/or long-term ground lease and related development provisions are expected to be negotiated with the selected development team during an exclusive negotiation period (see Section XIII below).
CCRA is interested in selecting a development team to achieve outcomes which promote development of the Community Vision within a high-quality building design environment and a reasonable timeframe. This will require a successful public-private partnership that will likely necessitate multiple and varied funding sources in order to realize the desired development program. Interested parties are encouraged to explore all funding avenues for development of the site.
Some resources and incentives that are currently available for the site to promote its development include expedited entitlement permitting; securing of long term entitlement predictability through a development agreement; receipt of a Multifamily Tax Exemption; U.S. Economic Development Administration grants; and the Opportunity Zone tax incentive. See Appendix __ for a summary of available resources and incentives.
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PART 4: SUBMITTALS
I. SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURE a. Submittal Requirements: Submittals should be concise and only include information requested. i. Respondents to provide: 1. 1 signed, original copy of Submittal 2. 1 electronic copy of Submittal - USB thumb drive (MS Word, MS Excel compatible or pdf files) ii. Page size: 8.5” x 11” iii. Minimum font size: 12 point iv. Maximum number of pages: 25 1. Recommended page count per requested information is provided in Figure __ below. 2. Not included in page count: General Information Form (Failure to submit this Form may render the proposal non-responsive and therefore void), section dividers, front and back cover, and appendices. b. Submittal Procedure: Submittals are to be provided in a sealed envelope and labeled: “Request for Qualifications: DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR A NEW DISTRICT IN DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER” i. Responses due no later than: 4:00 P.M. (Pacific Time), Day of Week, Month Day, 2021 ii. Delivery Address: Mailing Address:
(Hand delivery & non-USPS) (USPS – NOTE: PO Box ONLY - USPS does NOT deliver to City Hall)
Procurement Services Manager Procurement Services Manager City of Vancouver City of Vancouver Customer Service Desk, 1st Floor Lobby PO Box 1995 415 W. 6th Street Vancouver, WA 98668 Vancouver, WA 98660
iii. All Submittals must be delivered AND received by Procurement Services by the time/date listed. iv. Respondents shall allow enough time for delivery to occur. Official City time/date stamp shall be the sole means used to determine time/date of receipt/acceptance of Submittals. v. Submittals submitted by EMAIL or FAX will not be accepted. vi. Deliveries requiring a signature may not be delivered in a timely manner as our receiving point is not staffed at all times and may not be available to sign at the time of delivery. vii. USPS does NOT provide delivery services to City Hall. viii. City PO Box mail is usually collected once each business day. Mail received after that time will not be collected until the next business day, and therefore possibly not received by the City by the due date and time. ix. Proposals received after the listed date and time will not be accepted. The CCRA and City are not responsible for delays in delivery. 25
x. Questions must be directed to John Collum, Economic Development Principal Planner, at (360) 487-7956 or [email protected] who will work with the city project team to respond. Last date to submit questions is Month Day, Year. All answers will be shared with all potential respondents via an FAQ or RFQ addendum. xi. Refrain from contacting the Mayor, City Council, Planning Commission, DRA board members, CCRA board members, or other city staff regarding the content of this solicitation.
II. EVALUATION CRITERIA AND SCORING
These instructions were prepared to aid in submittal package development. They also provide for a structured format so reviewers can systematically evaluate several proposals. Each copy of your submittal package must include all the sections in the order indicated. Attachments within appendices should be clearly referenced and identified to facilitate the review process.
The requirements and criteria stated below guide respondents to provide their team qualifications and experience and preliminary ideas about development for the site. The CCRA seeks to select the team with:
a. The most compelling and creative conceptual development ideas for meeting the community vision for the new district; b. The most realistic appraisal of feasibility for carrying out the conceptual ideas, including the team’s capacity for funding projects that it may ultimately develop; and c. The most experienced team well versed in strategically working with a local government property owner and partner to design and effectively pair private investment with public facilities and amenities to execute a shared creative development vision.
Each submittal shall include and be organized in the following order:
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Figure __: Submittal Information/Evaluation Criteria
Package Submittal Information Suggested Total Section Page Evaluation Limits Points Cover Letter • Define team members, with designated lead entity. 1 page 0 • Highlight key components of the team’s vision for the site and how they fit within the community vision. • Indicate authorized contact and signatory. Development • Provide an organizational chart for your team that briefly 1 page (included in Team identifies: Comparable - Team members and assigned roles (at a minimum, a team Experience should include a development entity and design firm that have of significant experience in master planning and developing Development prime urban redevelopment sites) Team) - The individual who would be authorized to negotiate on behalf of the team - The individual who would be responsible for coordinating all team activities during master planning and negotiation period - Minority, women and emerging small businesses, disadvantaged business enterprises, and veterans that may be represented on your team - Experience with LEED certified or other sustainable development - Experience with public-private partnerships. Conceptual • Describe what attracts your team to the site. 10 pages 35 Development • Describe your proposed preliminary development program for Plan and meeting the community vision for the new district. Ideas - For private development, include a description and estimated square feet of each use, units (if applicable), number of parking spaces (how they are assigned and/or shared), and ground floor uses and treatments. • Provide a conceptual development plan based upon the preliminary development program. - Include a simple site diagram and a massing study identifying the location of buildings, access to the site, use of space between buildings, cross connectivity throughout the site, integration between private development and public facilities and amenities - Do not include architectural renderings or other detailed visualizations at this time. • Describe why your team believes this development program is the best solution for the Waterfront Gateway site and furthers the guiding principles and goals and considerations of the community vision. Make sure to highlight: - How connections between buildings and uses both within and outside of the district would be handled - Integration with existing and future public facilities and what types of potential public amenities are envisioned - For potential public amenities, what approach is envisioned to fund, construct and manage them and what are the proposed
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roles of the City, CCRA and the selected development team in this approach. • Describe how you plan to handle parking within your preliminary development program (number of spaces, how utilized, proposed location.) • Identify probable development phasing of your development program, as well as an initial development timeline. • Describe initial thoughts on whether the project site may include future development entities not included on the team identified in your submittal. • Identify key development challenges and opportunities, including but not limited to any goals and considerations of the community vision that you believe may not be attainable in designing and developing the new district and any extraordinary predevelopment and due diligence tasks and costs. Financial • Provide your preliminary financial analysis regarding sources 2 pages 25 Feasibility of and uses for achieving your proposed development program. Conceptual This may include a preliminary development budget as well as Development initial thoughts of the development’s ownership structure. As Plan and available, provide any non-binding letters of support from Ideas for the financial partners in an appendix (but note them in this Site/ section). Financial • Describe your team’s preliminary assessment of how the Capacity of current or future markets will support your conceptual Team development plan. • Describe the team’s financial capacity to complete the proposed development plan. • Provide a statement indicating your willingness to provide evidence and supporting documentation of the development team’s financial condition, demonstrating the creditworthiness and financial capacity of the principals, key partners and/or corporation(s) to secure financing to complete the proposed development, if selected to move forward to the interview phase. No financial documents should be included in your submittal. See Section __ below for more details. • Describe expectations about the role of the CCRA or other key external parties in this area. Comparable • Provide evidence of the team’s qualifications to design and 10 pages 35 Experience of implement the proposed conceptual development plan based Development upon past experience with similar projects. Team • While numerous similar projects may be noted, please provide focused descriptions on three (3) projects, with special attention to the following elements: - Include: ➢ Photographs ➢ Descriptions ➢ Total development costs ➢ Total building area by use ➢ Development team members and partners ➢ Financing structure, including financial resources used ➢ Project timeline
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- Master planning (including community engagement) and refining a development program in collaboration with a public entity - Successfully accessing the funding sources (identify the types of sources used) - Development at a similar scale (multi-acre sites) and in similar urban contexts - Provision of public amenities within or adjacent to the project - Development in conjunction with public facilities such as garages, convention centers, or others. • Indicate which projects the development entity and design firm on the team have collaborated previously. • Describe your team’s experience with the successful implementation of projects that involve publicly owned properties or may be considered public-private partnerships. • Describe any team experience with projects and programs that supported the growth of local small businesses and firms owned by minorities, women and emerging small businesses, disadvantaged business enterprises, and veterans; utilized community benefits, workforce or related agreements; provided apprenticeship opportunities in construction trades; and included investment from philanthropic partners. • Resumes for key personnel should be provided in an appendix. References • Provide contact information for three references, preferably 1 page 5 from both public sector and private sector partners who worked with your team on similar projects. Appendices • Appendices should include supporting material to supplement No limit 0 responses to the items above. There are no requirements for contents of appendices, except that they be kept as concise as possible. The contents are not scored separately. • Materials that may be included are: - Images of similar completed or under construction projects - Testimonials from partners or stakeholders. TOTAL (max) 25 pages 100 points plus possible appendices
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III. EVALUATION SCHEDULE AND PROCESS
a. Schedule: Following is the expected schedule for review of submittal packages and selection of the successful development team, subject to change. Details regarding the selection process and schedule follow.
DATE MILESTONE November 2, 2020 RFQ issued November 2020 (TBD) Non-mandatory pre-submittal meeting (VIRUTAL; POTENTIALLY TELEVISED) December 10, 2020 Last date to submit questions December 18, 2020 Final FAQ/ Addendum Released January 15, 2021 at Submittals due 4:00 PM PT January 19-26, 2021 Submittals distributed to and evaluated by review committee February 1-5, 2021 Presentation/Interview (format TBD)/ Potential Virtual Tour of Example Projects February 18, 2021 Review committee recommendation of best-qualified development team to CCRA Board of Directors March 18, 2021 CCRA selection based upon recommendation of review committee and authorization of Exclusive Negotiation Agreement (ENA) by CCRA Board of Directors April 1, 2020 Commence ENA period
b. Process: i. A non-mandatory pre-submittal meeting will be held in mid-November 2020 to allow interested parties to ask questions about the RFQ. An addendum with meeting specifics and format will be issued. ii. Upon receipt of submittal packages, a review committee will evaluate and score all responsive submittals to determine which development teams initially appear most qualified. The review committee will be primarily comprised of CCRA and City staff and may also include external advisors. iii. Interviews will be scheduled with each of the top-tier development teams to present their concept development plan and ideas and allow the review committee to gather more information relevant to the evaluation of qualifications. Interview sessions will be evaluated in a manner similar to the submittal. Topics covered in the interview session shall include the topics listed under the Evaluation Criteria section plus any additional, relevant topics which may arise during both the formal presentation and the question and answer portions of the interview. If interviews are conducted and if your team is selected for an interview, you will be contacted by the CCRA/City for next steps. iv. Either prior to or following interviews, the review committee may request that the top-tier development teams provide information that provides evidence and supporting documentation of the development team’s financial condition, demonstrating the creditworthiness and financial capacity of the principals, key partners and/or corporation(s)
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to secure financing to complete the proposed development. This may include recent developer financial statements, financial statements from successfully completed projects, letters of interest or intent from lending institutions or investment partners, or other pertinent information. A visit (in person or virtual) with the development team by a CCRA financial review representative will be arranged to review the information. v. If possible, applicable and can be safely arranged with current Safe Start Washington (COVID-19) guidelines, development teams to be interviewed will prepare a tour of local projects completed or under construction. vi. Development teams not selected for the top-tier interviews will be notified in writing of that determination. vii. The CCRA reserves the right to request additional information and submittals from the top- tier teams. viii. Following the presentations and tours, the review committee will perform a final evaluation of the top-tier development teams and rank them to determine which team is most qualified to be selected as the development team. Scores from the original proposal evaluation may be considered in the most qualified selection of the review committee. ix. The review committee will present its recommendation to the CCRA board, which reserves the right to request presentations from the top-tier teams. The CCRA board is responsible for the final approval of the selected development team. x. The review committee will review and the CCRA will determine the most qualified respondent based on the Evaluation Criteria listed using predetermined weights and the responsiveness of the submittal. xi. The decision to engage in negotiations or discussions with the most qualified development team is made at the sole discretion of the CCRA board based upon its reasonable judgment and reserves the right to negotiate with the second-ranked proposer if the period of the ENA expires without leading to successful negotiation of agreement with the first-ranked team. xii. The CCRA reserves the right to not select any respondent to the RFQ and take no action at this time or issue a new RFQ or Request for Proposals open to all potential or a limited number of development teams.
IV. ENA PERIOD a. The successful development team for the Site brings considerable skill, knowledge and experience creating vibrant urban areas to the conversation and will engage the CCRA in a predevelopment period to create a master plan that will refine the community vision for the site. b. The CCRA expects this RFQ will result in the selected development team entering into an Exclusive Negotiation Agreement (ENA) for a defined period to be effective during the master planning/ predevelopment activities period. During or prior to the ENA period, the City and CCRA will provide funding to: i. Complete additional environmental testing on properties west of Esther Street that were not previously included in a Phase II ESA report or subject to site changes since the 2017 report. 31
ii. Procure the services of a consulting designer/planner to assist the CCRA and support the collaborative master planning process with the selected development team.
Details of timing for these activities will be addressed in the ENA.
c. In addition to the funded activities above, the CCRA and City will provide technical assistance to the selected development team. d. During the ENA period, the master planning process will occur while other predevelopment activities will be undertaken according to an agreed-upon work plan. Activities would likely include, but not limited to: i. Creating a master plan that blends the vision and goals of the community and developer, along with an implementation strategy and prospective schedule; ii. Engaging stakeholders and the community in the master planning process; iii. Completing any necessary site analyses; iv. Completing a Master Development Package to include the master plan, proposed negotiated disposition or lease agreements, proposed development agreements, funding plan with budgets, public facility development/management/operation plan, and a development schedule; v. Reviewing and recommending approval of the Master Development Package by the CCRA board; and vi. Approving the Master Development Package by the Vancouver City Council.
V. DISCLAIMERS/ GENERAL INFORMATION/ LEGALEES
The CCRA reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel this RFQ at any time for any reason. To the extent that the CCRA elects to enter into a relationship with an entity regarding a submittal to this RFQ, such entity shall be required to comply with applicable CCRA and City of Vancouver policies and codes.
Information provided to the CCRA in response to this RFQ will become the property of the CCRA and City and will be subject to public inspection in accordance with the Washington Public Records Act, chapter 42.56 RCQ. If an entity responding to this RFQ believes that a specific portion of its response constitutes a “trade secret” or “proprietary information” under Washington law and is, therefore, exempt from disclosure, the entity must clearly identify that specific information as a “trade secret” or “proprietary information.” Identification information as such does not necessarily mean that the information will be exempt from disclosure. The CCRA and City will make that determination based on the nature of the information and the requirements of the Washington Public Records Act and inform the responding entity of its determination. The responding entity may seek an order protecting such information as provided for in the Washington Public Records Act.
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The CCRA is self-represented for this project and will not be contracting with a third party broker.
VI. THE VANCOUVER TEAM
This high profile development site will be guided by the CCRA and receive assistance from an array of city staff and services. The following represent some of the key participants:
CCRA BOARD MEMBERS AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR • Richard Keller, President • Marc Fazio, Treasurer, Bill Naito Company • Jack Onder, Onder Development • Deborah Ewing, Fuller Group • David Copenhaver, Cascadia Development Partners • Brad Hutton, retired (formerly with Hilton Hotels) • Richard “Dick” Krippaehne, PacTrust • Chad Eiken, CCRA Executive Director & City Community and Economic Development Director
KEY SUPPORTING CITY DEPARTMENTS AND OFFICES • City Manager’s Office • City Attorney’s Office • DRA and Executive Director • Departments and Divisions: o Community and Economic Development ▪ Economic Development (including Planning, Parking, Community Development Programs, Economic Development/serving as Project Lead) ▪ Development Review (including Permits, Building & Code, Land Use) o Public Works o Financial and Management Services
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APPENDICES (all web links)
Planning Documents Area Information Opportunity Zones: link to Prospectus Property Information Title Reports Environmental Site Assessments ALTA Surveys Utility Information Downtown Design Guidelines Vancouver Waterfront Design Guidelines Others
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