The Port of Camas-Washougal’s Waterfront Advisory Committee hosted a public open house late last month to unveil several concepts of what the proposed Riverwalk waterfront development might look like. The committee gathered reams of comments from the more than 250 people who filed through the port office’s lobby, some highly encouraging, others highly critical.
The 13-member WAC has been meeting since October, and drew inspiration for the concepts unveiled from mixed-use developments at ports across the country, including those at the ports of Everett, Seattle, Tacoma and Bellingham. The committee was to have met April 11 to review the comments and information gathered at the open house, and will likely have another meeting before passing along its recommendations for the development to the port commission.
The port entered into a public-private partnership with developers Riverwalk on the Columbia LLC in November 2005 to explore the feasibility of a 65-acre waterfront development. If the development proceeds, the developers will be responsible for project construction costs – estimated at $300 million to $400 million – while the port will retain much of the land. It currently controls about half of the 65-acre waterfront, and is in negotiations to acquire the Parker House Restaurant and Hambleton Lumber Co. property – "the heart of the whole project," said port consultant Byron Hanke.
Hanke said he has a fair degree of optimism about the port’s ability to acquire the properties, but said the development could potentially be done in phases if the port is unable to get all 65 acres in the beginning.
—Megan Patrick
