Vancouver Waterfront Project - thoughts? (Seattle, Camas: transplants, 2015, insurance)

[cyberous]

I apologize if this has been discussed, I could not find any info in my search.

I'm new to the area and I'm interested in what the locals think about this project. To me it looks amazing, and will bring the downtown/waterfrpmt area to life.

The Waterfront | Vancouver Washington USA

Logically, more building in an area that has high vacancies does not make sense. But I have seen this happen before and be very successful. Stockton Ca, had a run down river front area that no one but the unsavory would visit (way worse than our down town), until a developer went in a built a huge project like this. From that point on the down town became the new hot spot, with hotels, dining, entertainment, etc.

What do you think?

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by cyberous

....

What do you think?

U Been in Vancouver long

(Vancouver has tried and tried and TRIED (so has Camas downtown)

Both are miserable places to invest multi millions of $ in commercial properties.

Someday it will be better, but 30+ yrs of beating my head with planners and attending / volunteering for building review / economic development / downtown revitalization has burnt me out. My son is very active and supporting community development and QoL enhancements for Downtown Vancouver and Camas,... hopefully in his lifetime he will see results. Can't say we didn't put millions of dollars at risk and thousands of personal hours trying. (for a 'poor family' / single hourly income).

I would prefer to see more 'community oriented' and vibrant Farmer's / Artisan Market in the forefront, but that doesn't garner the $$$$$$$$$ of the sterile white monstrosities illustrated on your linked website. (trust me... THAT (website fluff) ain't gonna happen in your lifetime!) Nor should it.

Vancouver has to drive / benefit from it's own identity and culture. Emulating anything else, will be a temporary 'flash'($$$$). then they are gone... failed businesses / gov subsidies wasted (as usual) / and broken personal lives and finances (happens everyday to the 'risk takers' who fund this stuff at their peril).

But... very nice things are happening in Vancouver, be grateful for those who persistently work to pull this stuff off.! It is not MAGIC!

[bler144]

It's a good question. I agree with Stealth on most points. This proposal has lingered for what, nigh on a decade? So while it slowly creeps forward, for me it's still in the realm of "I'll believe it when I see it."

That said, other cities have definitely had waterfront redevelopment reinvigorate the core, and I don't think the fact that downtown has current vacancies is a reason to think a new development "can't" work. Downtown has vacancies in large part because it doesn't offer that much relative to other options. Create a major draw, and perhaps that changes.

But Stealth is right I think that the attractions he suggests are both more incremental and lower risk, rather than going for the financial home run. And this project is perhaps more like going for 5 home runs in one swing.

I think the challenge for Vancouver to make the current plan work is multi-fold:
1) the waterfront is still an active industry/rail site, and not commuter rail, but shipping rail (coal, etc).
2) the plan is almost certainly for higher dollar housing
3) how does the addition of several thousand new units mesh with local and regional transport?

#2 essentially requires some resolution of #1 and #3 I think, or it's going to be hard to bring people with money to live there at the scale the project requires.

[cyberous]

Thank you both for the feedback. I am very new to the area as stated and your insight makes sense. While I'm very excited about the project it will be interesting to see how it all plays out, especially with the transportation situation. 2017 will be here before we know it, and I hardly think the buildings are going to be stark white lol (I believe that's just the model)

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by bler144

...This proposal has lingered for what, nigh on a decade? So while it slowly creeps forward, for me it's still in the realm of "I'll believe it when I see it."...

been lingering for over 100 yrs, and certainly during my 30+ yrs in Vancouver.

Camas will leap frog and become the 'trendy' excellent 'high-end' waterfront. Vancouver doesn't have a prayer of beating Camas.

Stigma of some sorts, and MUCH too close to Downtown Portland (<7 minutes on a clear day). so... who would stay in Vancouver for high end jobs, entertainment, culture, and shopping? (very few).

Vancouver (and any city) would be WISE to 'become themselves' and grow their own strengths knowing they will never be a Portland or Seattle. Just be GOOD at being Vancouver (there is plenty of room / benefit from that.)

[backdrifter]

Originally Posted by cyberous

I apologize if this has been discussed, I could not find any info in my search.

I'm new to the area and I'm interested in what the locals think about this project. To me it looks amazing, and will bring the downtown/waterfrpmt area to life.

The Waterfront | Vancouver Washington USA

Logically, more building in an area that has high vacancies does not make sense. But I have seen this happen before and be very successful. Stockton Ca, had a run down river front area that no one but the unsavory would visit (way worse than our down town), until a developer went in a built a huge project like this. From that point on the down town became the new hot spot, with hotels, dining, entertainment, etc.

What do you think?

I am cautiously optimistic, but like bler, I will believe it when I see it. I hope it all works out as having that kind of draw to downtown would increase my property value. Plus it would be nice if downtown were a litter nicer and more vibrant and became more of a destination. I would love to see Vancouver become more of its own city. But then again, I am not so sure I want to see the Portlandification of Vancouver either. But I can see the potential as there are some awesome, vintage, pre-war, urban neighborhoods in the downtown area and including downtown proper (Hough, Arnada, Carter Park, Lincoln, Hudson's Bay, Rosemere/Rose Village) that, if the homes were fixed up and a few yoga shops and good foodie restaurants moved in, would neither look nor feel out of place in close-in Portland as they are of the same era. So in that sense, I can see it having the potential for some gentrification in the long-term as Portland continues to become pricier and more attractive to transplants and Portlanders like myself jump ship for Vancouver.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by backdrifter

I am cautiously optimistic, ... I hope it all works out ... would increase my property value. ...

Oh GREAT... more taxes for 'intrinsic valuation' (funny money, not 'realized' till you are forced to sell due to HIGH tax rates.)

It is not so funny that my Clark County Property taxes have gone from $800 / yr to $14,400 / yr for no reason (Property condition has declined / aged, services are MUCH worse, especially fire service (moved 30 minutes farther AWAY form me, so now I get to pay more insurance Too!/ )).

I may be missing something, but I see no way a waterfront project is going to affect general property valuations. (unless you currently live on that side of the tracks)...

I can SEE where Vancouver would be highly inclined to raise levy to add more gravy. (collections)

[cyberous]

From an outsider’s point of view, who would build a sprawling waterfront with the 900 lb gorilla (mill) looming over a city?
When I was looking for my property I heard of all the wonderful things about Camas but when I arrived to take a look I said "no way, that mill can be seen from all of down town"

I don’t have kids but I do know school’s are important to the Camas community but I just don’t see Camas down town area expanding while the mill is still there. I am in no way saying that the mill needs to go anywhere, I presume it’s been there much longer than the fantastic schools

[hml1976]

Originally Posted by cyberous

From an outsider’s point of view, who would build a sprawling waterfront with the 900 lb gorilla (mill) looming over a city?
When I was looking for my property I heard of all the wonderful things about Camas but when I arrived to take a look I said "no way, that mill can be seen from all of down town"

I don’t have kids but I do know school’s are important to the Camas community but I just don’t see Camas down town area expanding while the mill is still there. I am in no way saying that the mill needs to go anywhere, I presume it’s been there much longer than the fantastic schools

The mill will close eventually and downtown Camas is booming. And actually the mill is the reason for the great schools, it funded them first.
http://www.columbian.com/news/2015/a...nges-in-camas/

Business keeps booming in downtown Camas | The Columbian

[JonathanLB]

Why would anyone want to be all the way in Camas though?? Vancouver is at least close to a real city. Camas is close to a city that's close to a real city. Sorry, no thanks! Not everyone wants to live in Bumf&$@, Nowhere.