POV-WaterfrontView2_Final-web

A rendering of the port’s waterfront project, looking southeast. Visible in the foreground are a mixed-use building, pedestrian/bike plaza and hotel. The Terminal One building and marketplace are visible in the background.

By Todd Coleman, Port of Vancouver CEO (As published in The Columbian’s Economic Forecast Breakfast section, Jan. 24, 2016)

On Nov. 13, the Red Lion Hotel Vancouver at the Quay closed its doors, bringing an end to an era at Vancouver’s downtown waterfront. Red Lion has been a Port of Vancouver USA tenant and partner since the 1960s, and we were saddened to see the property close. A port employee was the last person in the hotel that November day, flipping a switch to turn off the lights for the Red Lion sign.

Three days later, on Nov. 16, we turned the lights back on in a new way as we welcomed AbSci LLC to the former hotel property. AbSci, a rapidly growing biotechnology company, will be the port’s first new tenant as we revitalize Terminal One — our birthplace on the Columbia River.

Terminal One has been a part of port history since the 1920s, when the port and city of Vancouver partnered to build a warehouse and dock where the Red Lion building sits today. This was the port’s first facility, and it was reincarnated many times over the years, including use as a prune warehouse, canning cooperative and plywood storage area. The Quay LLC leased Terminal One in 1959 and constructed a restaurant in part of the old warehouse, kicking off the site’s period as a hospitality hub.

More than five decades have passed since Terminal One was transformed from agriculture and shipping to tourism and hospitality. Today, we’re welcoming a new era with the establishment of an innovative and exciting industry at this historic site.

The biopharmaceutical industry, which includes biotech, employs 810,000 people directly and supports nearly 3.4 million jobs across the U.S. While the industry is fairly new to Vancouver, it has synergies throughout our region. Seattle is home to more than 50 biotech-sector businesses, as well as several world-renowned research institutions. Oregon Health & Science University in Portland is one of the nation’s top 25 biomedical research institutions, and its Knight Cancer Institute is an international leader in cancer research and treatment.

Bringing this coveted industry to Vancouver could only have happened through partnership, and we worked closely with the Columbia River Economic Development Council, the office of Gov. Jay Inslee, state Sen. Annette Cleveland, the city of Vancouver and Greater Portland Inc. By working together with a shared purpose, we’re able to bring the future of business to the heart of our community on the Columbia River.

We’re very pleased AbSci is joining us and excited for the potential it brings. But there’s a lot more to be done at Terminal One. Guided by our elected commission, we will shape and build our waterfront development over the next few years. Amenities will include a lot of public access; we’re allocating around 45 percent of our property for community facilities, including market and event spaces, a day-use dock, visitors’ center, artwork, walking trails and public parking.

Our development is part of a larger effort at the waterfront, and we’ve been working for many years with the city of Vancouver and its developer, Columbia Waterfront LLC, as they’ve moved forward with construction on a 32-acre development adjacent to ours.

As the saying goes, a rising tide lifts all ships, and as we initiate these exciting changes at Terminal One, we’re looking at how we can complement the work of our partners for the benefit of our entire community.

The coming years hold a lot of promise, and the Port of Vancouver is proud to be a part of shaping the future while honoring our community’s extraordinary past.