Photo Credit: Lioneye Aerials
It’s not just the sleepy region across the river from Portland, Oregon anymore. Clark County, in Southwest Washington, is alive, growing and ready to make its mark.
New development projects are underway in Vancouver, just across the river from Portland, Oregon, with the revitalization of the waterfront as the main attraction for remaking the way residents and visitors see the city. Together, Vancouver’s friendly business environment, mild climate and beautiful natural surrounding have nurtured the rapid growth of visitors in the last five years and brought the city’s population to 183,500, making it Washington’s fourth largest city.
“Vancouver is in a position of growth, due to the outpouring of Oregon residents crossing the river as well as those from other states seeking tax relief, no rental caps and cheaper housing,” says Ron Kramer, branch manager for Fairway Independent Mortgage. “This growth is being managed and built out by a number of very talented investors, developers and business people within this community-focused city.”
Unveiled in September 2018 by the Port of Vancouver, the Terminal 1 Waterfront Project promises to be an unparalleled opportunity for new high end commercial and residential development along downtown Vancouver’s Columbia River waterfront. The former marine and industrial site sits on the Columbia River next to the Interstate 5 bridge that connects Portland to Vancouver. This location has been the community’s link to the river for over a century and is now poised to be a regional gathering space that promotes entrepreneurship, commerce, recreation, and arts and culture.
The project’s $1.5 billion master plan includes a variety of mixed-use development including 3,300 new residential units, more than 1.25 million square feet of creative office space, a luxury boutique hotel, restaurants and retail shopping. Construction is already underway, and the success of this project is already being felt with the creation of jobs as well as community pride.
The Columbia Palisades project is another highlight in redevelopment of the Columbia River waterfront. This visionary mixed-use development, ten miles west of downtown Vancouver, is on land that had been used as a quarry for more than 135 years. Columbia Palisades is an 84-acre site that will feature retail, restaurants, office space, luxury view single-family residences and townhomes, as well as 24 acres of open space. This lifestyle center will be unique with its sloping landscape, which has an elevation change of 180 feet from the riverside to the top of the site.
These waterfront developments in Vancouver are but two bright spots in Clark County’s growth. Seventeen miles north of Vancouver is the small town of Ridgefield, Washington, the fastest growing city in Clark County. With a bevy of new businesses and services that moved to town in 2018 along with a new outdoor recreation complex set to open in 2019, complete with a community center and six sports fields including the home of the West Coast League’s newest baseball franchise the Ridgefield Raptors, Ridgefield is a growing community that should not be overlooked. The nearly 8,000 residents of Ridgefield enjoy the charm of a vibrant downtown while also enjoying the nearby waterfront district, the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge and the meandering Lake River that’s ideal for kayaking, boating and fishing.
Amid the natural beauty of the area’s rivers and mountains, Southwest Washington is a wonderful place for building a prosperous business and life! For more information about residential or commercial real estate opportunities in Clark County or Southwest Washington, please contact Kendra Ratcliff, VP at 503-330-6677 or Kendra@LuxeCIR.com.
