Developers Dave Heald and Eric Dahlgren see a need for commercial-retail uses in Ridgefield, and only expect that need to grow.
The men, who are majority partners of HARD Investments, bought four acres at Union Ridge in Ridgefield from Pioneer Estates LLC for more than $1 million.
Kelly Shea of Coldwell Banker Commercial Jenkins-Bernhardt Assoc. represented both parties in the land sale, and will act as the development’s leasing agent.
Plans for the $7 million Union Ridge Towne Center include four buildings with a total of 40,000 square feet of commercial-retail space with two to three restaurant pads. The first of three construction phases – 14,000 square feet – is set to begin at the end of May.
“From recent inquiries, we feel there is significant enough demand that if we build the first building, the tenants are there to fill it,” said Heald, a 20-year Ridgefield resident. “If you build it they will come … I don’t tend to say that in every market, but I think there is reduced risk in this market.”
Dahlgren lives in St. Helens, Ore.
Since the land sale closed, Heald said there has been significant interest from retail users, such as beauty and tanning salons, barbers, drive-through coffee venders, gas stations and car washes.
There also has been interest from several restaurants, both national and local, a bank, credit union, national hardware store and health club.
“I’d like to see a nice family restaurant – personally, I’d love to see a brew pub,” Heald said. “As Ridgefield and La Center grow, we think there are a lot of services that will be needed.”
Heald previously developed the Kimberly Center office complex and a retail strip center in Hazel Dell, the former Salmon Creek Inn, apartment complexes in Battle Ground and Orchards and several hotel projects in Oregon and Washington.
The project architect is Portland-based Tiland-Schmidt Architects and the general contractor has not yet been chosen.
Megan Patrick-Vaughn can be reached at mpatrick@vbjusa.com.
