In the early 1940s, Woodland’s downtown was home to more than 30 merchants and five grocery stores in a five block stretch, according to Woodland historian Walt Hansen Sr.
Folks walked the street from shop to shop – downtown Woodland was Woodland.
But as is true in downtowns across the country, new development outside of downtown eventually sucked industry and customers from the city center.
Now, there are roughly more than a dozen businesses downtown, but a group of business owners and citizens are determined not to let it disappear.
The Downtown Woodland Revitalization Committee is a nonprofit group that has been meeting on and off for the past 30 years.
Tom Golik, who passed the downtown True Value hardware store to his son Mike, said the current incarnation is the fourth revitalization effort in the last 30 years, and it got started unintentionally.
“In the past, we got reports and studies, then nothing happened,” said Golik, who was involved with two of the other efforts. The failed attempts resulted in a lack of confidence by business owners, property owners and the rest of the community.
Then, more than seven years ago, two people on the same day came into True Value saying they not only didn’t know the store was there, they didn’t know downtown Woodland existed.
“I started asking people if they objected to putting ‘downtown’ or ‘old town’ on things, to make people aware of it,” Golik said. “They said that’s a good idea, and while you’re at it, do this, this and this.”
Several committee members said in years past, the committee was alone in its quest to stop the decay of downtown before it’s too late.
Inspiring action
The committee has sponsored its share of downtown events, but its mission is to restore a viable infrastructure to attract healthy business and create a place where people want to get out of their cars and walk again, Golik said.
Now the city of Woodland and Port of Woodland are on board – making the effort a whole lot easier.
“In the past, the big problem was that the city government was not involved,” Hansen said. “Now the city is a partner, not our worst enemy.”
Collectively, the city and port gave $15,000 to the committee for 2007. The funds cover consulting fees, and the committee must fundraise or seek sponsors for special projects.
Five years ago, a representative of the city attended a revitalization committee meeting and said there were funds available for a new streetscape but the city had no idea what to do, said member Joy Haasl.
The committee worked with the public to create a concept for the streetscape, and Vancouver-based engineering firm Hopper Dennis Jellison developed a streetscape plan that included reconstruction and rehabilitation of five blocks of Davidson Avenue.
The sidewalks, curbs, gutters, storm drain facilities and street lighting were upgraded, and utilities were moved underground. Hoffman Plaza was beautified and landscaping was added along the street.
The million-dollar renovation inspired action from business and property owners, Haasl said.
Since the streetscape project, the committee estimates $4 million has been invested in upgrading downtown through renovations, exterior painting and property purchases.
The effort won a Great American Main Street Award for outstanding design from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
“When the streetscape came in, people started investing in their buildings,” said Jeanette Scibelli, executive director of the Lower Columbia Contractors Assoc. and consultant to the Downtown Woodland Revitalization Committee. “We had pink and purple buildings, and so many old timers fought (the streetscape) concept. But once it was completed, they couldn’t remember what it looked like before.”
Creating a traffic problem
The committee is pushing for property owners to continue their façade improvements to attract the kinds of tenants that are going to draw customers downtown
“To make this downtown work, there’s got to be some reason to be downtown,” Hansen said.
Golik is hoping for destination restaurants whose reputations will draw people from the east side of town. Darlene Johnson, Woodland Chamber of Commerce treasurer and owner of Woodland Truck Line Inc., would like to see a marina on the Columbia and an art gallery or wine bar downtown. A library and swimming pool are also on her wish list.
“There’s virtually very little for kids to do, and nothing for adults,” she said.
A small theater, the Loves Street Playhouse, was recently remodeled and opened and has become a draw downtown.
Two historic buildings are in the midst of being remodeled and a developer who owns several properties downtown is kicking around ideas for commercial buildings.
But there is still a fair amount of space waiting for tenants.
“The reason those buildings are not filled is that with nothing drawing people to that side, it’s hard for businesses to turn a dollar,” Johnson said. “We need an anchor.”
A major milestone
The Chamber of Commerce, along with the committee, recently overcame what they considered to be a major roadblock in new development downtown.
City code required the addition of one parking space per every 400 square feet of new construction. Both organizations balked at the regulation, which they said was too restrictive and a deterrent to development.
After years of requesting a change, the city council agreed to put a moratorium on the code for two years on the 100, 200 and 300 blocks of Davidson Street and the 500 block of Park Street.
Planner Nancy Malone said the council felt the restrictive parking requirement was behind the lack of new business there, and agreed to try the moratorium for two years.
It went into effect in July, and so far there has been no new business or new construction, Malone said.
But the code change was welcome news to downtown property owner Sofia Pearson. Pearson lived in Woodland for 17 years, ran a beauty parlor there and now owns several lots and a building downtown.
Two years ago, Pearson had plans to build a restaurant and had a tenant, but the project didn’t pencil because so much land had to be used for parking – not leaving much footage to collect rent on.
Now that the restrictions have been lifted, Pearson is making plans for commercial buildings.
“I am really, really happy,” she said. “I’ve never been able to come out with what I’ve wanted to do because the restrictions were too strict.”
In the 1980s, the chamber enlisted the University of Washington to study how to improve conditions downtown. One of the first suggestions in the study was to lift the parking restrictions, Johnson said.
“People were so scared to have a parking problem,” she said. “The best thing in the world would be if downtown Woodland had a parking problem.”
WOODLAND STATE BANK
Library director Geraldine de Rooy of Battle Ground bought the 100-year-old former Woodland State Bank Building on the corner of Third Street and Davidson Avenue in February because she wanted to save it.
“I worked in Woodland for quite a number of years and was a member of the (Downtown Woodland) Revitalization Committee,” she said.
“I went through the struggles they went through, and there were quite a few buildings I really liked. When this one came on the market, I decided it would be my next adventure.”
The 2,400-square-foot building’s exterior is complete, including uncovering the original colored tile along the crown of the building. De Rooy gutted the building and restored its foundation.
The interior will be finished according to tenants’ needs.
She’s had interest from several potential tenants, including a wellness center, restaurants and a market.
“There are certain businesses that (feel) it’s important that they be in a building that has a little character,” de Rooy said. “Strip malls don’t have any. This one comes with a whole hell of a lot of ambiance.”
The space will lease for $1.25 per square foot monthly.
De Roy also owns the lot behind the building, and has plans to create a garden and live in the building.
“I look forward to seeing how the community develops and I’m very happy to be a part of that,” de Rooy said. “I’m very invested in Woodland and this is my gift to that community.”
CENTENNIAL BUILDING
Las Vegas casinoman and real estate developer Frank Ellis recently finished the renovation of the 7,560-square-foot Centennial Building, smack dab in the middle of downtown Woodland.
The exterior is finished, and the interior will be tailor-made for tenants.
Ellis has owned a summer house in Woodland for nearly 20 years.
“A few years ago, Tom Golik, who owns the hardware store, said I should go buy that building or something,” Ellis said. “At first I thought we were crazy, then I got to liking the building.”
Built in 1910, it was originally used as a mercantile, then a medical office.
Ellis has invested about $600,000 into the renovation. The building was completely gutted and stripped to the four walls, and 85 tons of material was hauled to the dump, said Woodland real estate broker Art Lessard, leasing agent for the building.
Ellis envisions tenants in the building that would add value to the city, such as a library, but said he is wide open to possibilities.
The space is leasing for $1 per square foot monthly if tenants want it finished. The first floor is zoned commercial and the second is residential or commercial.
Lessard said several restaurants, a designer, psychologist and art gallery have shown interest in the space, and a combination restaurant and caramel corn business is preparing a letter of intent.
Ellis said he hopes the downtown revitalization effort continues.
“It’s kind of a laid back community,” Ellis said. “I don’t know how far they’ll go, but we sure gave them some direction (with the renovation), didn’t we?”
WHAT IS DOWNTOWN?
For the Downtown Woodland Revitalization Committee’s purposes, “downtown” means what is zoned retail and commercial on Davidson Avenue from the intersection of Bozarth Avenue and Goerig Street to the intersection of Fifth Street.
Some wish the area of focus was bigger.
“People perceive that all you have to do is expand your horizons and you can make a project bigger,” said Tom Golik, president of the DWRC.
The committee is a part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street program, and as such, has been encouraged to keep its focus small to create a strong foundation before expanding.
“We can’t do a thorough job if we start too big,” he said. “It would be nice to say downtown could go all the way to the freeway, but we’re not there yet.”
