Most construction projects come with their fair share of challenges – and the city of Vancouver's Waterfront Access Project is no exception.
Scheduled to break ground next year, the project encountered its first obstacle, quite literally, in the form of a length of railroad track separating downtown Vancouver's core from a now-vacant riverfront parcel. The site of a former Boise Cascade paper converting facility, the 32-acre plot is the future home of an estimated $1.2 billion in private mixed-use waterfront development – a project that cannot begin until the city finishes its own $44.6 million access improvement effort.
That's where the railroad track comes in, with much of the Waterfront Access Project's focus on creating
a cooperative redesign that will turn a roadblock into an entry point for major investments in development and jobs.
The initial jobs will be created in early 2010 as the construction of two new underpasses begins. These underpasses will duck under a railroad berm at Esther Street and Grant Street, and their generous 100-foot openings will allow for an open, airy entry into the waterfront development site.
It's a design element that Barry Cain, president of Gramor Development, feels is crucial to the success of the future waterfront development project and its incorporation into
the Esther Short Park neighborhood nearby.
"Our main concern was how the waterfront property could be developed best so that it would be contiguous with the rest of the city and to ensure that the rail improvements would not distract from that," Cain said.
Designed to represent Vancouver's industrial history through art installations and vertical elements, the underpasses will also provide vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle access. The use of linear elements in the design will work to draw people and sightlines through the space and out toward the waterfront for a gentle transition, according to city's conceptual plan.
Hassan Abdalla, the city's transportation engineering manager, said the city plans to build continuity between the park and waterfront into the streets, sidewalks, crosswalks and trails, making it natural to go from one side of the berm to the other. He also said the underpasses will vary slightly, with the Grant Street route best suited to truck and passenger vehicle traffic and the Esther Street connection accommodating heavier pedestrian uses.
"The idea is to create a different treatment for each underpass within the same theme," Abdalla said. "For instance, the Esther Street area will look more elaborate because it will see more pedestrian access due to its proximity to the park and the farmer's market."
Cain helped to lobby for these elements in a number of meetings with the waterfront development's stakeholders and said these 25 to 30-member sessions played an important role in bringing the projects together – quite a feat when taking into account the five public agencies and private companies involved.
"The only way a project of this magnitude and significance can be achieved is through partnerships, and not just within the private development side of the equation, but also with our public agencies that have a stake in its success and can see a return from the investment," said Vancouver economic development manager Eric Holmes.
The stakeholder meetings were also essential in designing the schematics for the project, especially in establishing a way to provide the Washington State Dept. of Transportation and Burlington Northern Santa Fe with continual rail access during the scheduled construction, according to Abdalla.
"When you deal with rail traffic you don't have ways to detour trains around like you do with traffic on connecting streets, rather you have to build a whole new rail system to accommodate the rail operations," Abdalla said.
This new rail system – called a "shoofly" – allows for demolition and construction to proceed on the main railroad line, which is necessary to erect the bridge supports and grade the underpasses.
Once complete, the main line will be reconstructed on top of the new underpasses, with a large portion of the shoofly becoming permanently utilized in the Port's rail alignment project.
Holmes said the Waterfront Access Project will also establish a quiet zone for trains by eliminating two at-grade crossings, requiring a reroute of 8th Street northward to Jefferson Street and cutting off 8th Street access to the industrial crescent to the west of the tracks.
Some retail businesses in the crescent are skeptical about the imminent developments. Tom Slama, owner of Dabney's Alignment & Brake on 8th Street, said he looked at the waterfront access project as one in a long line of changes that have slowly pushed his business into a corner – namely, the Mill Plain Extension.
"This used to be one busy street right out in front of us, because this road used to be the direct route toward industry," Slama said. "Now, I'm going to be kind of cut off because it looks like the traffic is going to be coming in from behind my shop."
Jeff Arntson, operations manager for Albina Fuels on Main Street, said the changes aren't optimal for his location either, but sees it as an unavoidable tradeoff resulting from redevelopment surrounding an area that's already difficult to access.
"[We're] providing safe, grade-separated, 24/7 access to those industries," Holmes said. "We're improving access to the crescent area and existing businesses there."
