Waterfront Gateway has applicants

April 3 – The City of Vancouver is looking for a developer to turn 6.4 acres of land near City Hall into a pedestrian-friendly urban area the same size as the Vancouver Waterfront.

There is no shortage of competitors vying for the development of the Waterfront Gateway, which spans an area south of City Hall, the Hilton Vancouver Washington and West Sixth Street between Columbia Street to the east and Grant Street to the west.

28 developers and 14 design firms have already expressed an interest in submitting designs and plans to build and finance the project, according to John Collum, the city’s chief economic development planner.

“There have been some developers who have actively kept pace with it over the past few years,” he said.

The city is looking for a development partner with qualifications, experience and financial background to lead the project. The city’s application window lasts three months. The City Center Redevelopment Authority’s board will review filings in July and August, though the schedule is flexible, Collum said.

“It is difficult to predict whether this schedule will be met or delayed,” he said. “I think a selection will be made in late summer or early fall.”

The developers’ plan is to see which blocks could become leases still owned by the city and which parts could be sold to the developers.

“We are open to all options,” said Collum, although he said the city will be determined to keep a piece of land for a future parking garage for city employees who work in the town hall. Collum also said the city is interested in a possible expansion of the Vancouver Convention Center near City Hall.

A centuries-old structure called the Webber Building on the eastern edge of the property still faces an uncertain future in terms of a possible expansion of the convention center.

The story goes on

A reference to the city’s request for quotation states that potential developers “should investigate the feasibility of maintaining the Webber building in order to maintain an element of historical character unique to the site area and properly incorporate it into the district master plan”.

“We’ll likely look at options to see if they can be included in the plans,” said Collum. “There was no decision to get rid of it.”

The country was valued at $ 18.6 million last year, Collum said, though the impact of the pandemic makes that number less apparent.

The city bought the property along with the City Hall building in 2010 and held onto the property until development projects on the Vancouver Waterfront and Terminal 1 of Vancouver Harbor were more established, he said.

“We really believe this is another wave of great things to come downtown,” he said.

The quote request is available online at beheardvancouver.org/waterfrontgateway.