Submitted by The Historic Trust
The Historic Trust invites the community to join in a public open house on April 17, 2018 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. to provide input and feedback on redevelopment of the Providence Academy site. The open house will be held in the Providence Academy ballroom with an opportunity to engage with the Trust on the history of the Providence Academy and the guiding principles established for the site. The public will also have an opportunity to review and comment on the proposed plan for redevelopment of the western portion of the site.
Since acquisition of the 7-acre Providence Academy site in 2015, the Historic Trust has worked to preserve the Academy Building and position the site for redevelopment. The Trust has made significant progress in renovating the Providence Academy Building and extensively engaging with the development community to prepare a program to redevelop the site into a mixed-use urban campus. The Trust selected Marathon Acquisition & Development based on a shared vision and aligned principles.
The Historic Trust Board created Guiding Principles to provide a framework to inspire economic vitality around the preservation of the Providence Academy building and redevelopment of the site. As one of the most historically significant buildings in the Pacific Northwest, the Trust is seeking to revitalize the site through activation and vibrant redevelopment. The Guiding Principles the Trust adopted are the following:
- Preserve the Providence Academy building and landscape within a viable mixed-use urban campus.
- New construction and additions should be compatible, while differentiated from the historic Providence Academy building.
- Fiscal Sustainability. Redevelopment and improvements on the Providence Academy site should be fiscally self-supporting.
- Safety and Code Compliance. Preservation and redevelopment shall seek to enhance the safety and code compliant elements of the buildings and site.
- Stakeholders and Public Benefit. Redevelopment and improvements will consider community, tenant, donor and stakeholder input, and provide for public benefits.
The Trust’s Mission, Vision and Guiding Principles continue to guide the Trust through site redevelopment steps that are compatible with the Trust Board’s long-term vision for the property.
“The Trust is committed to adhering to these principles and fulfilling its mission to inspire civic pride and economic vitality through education, preservation, and celebration of our region’s rich history,” said Trust Board Member, John Deeder. Deeder continued, “the Trust understands the importance of this site as a contribution to the past, present, and future fabric of downtown Vancouver, and we value the community’s input on the development proposal. We look forward to a dialogue with the community.”
The community engagement initiative launched by the Trust includes stakeholder engagement, an Academy Advisory Team, and a public open house. The Academy Advisory Team will develop recommendations for plan revisions based on stakeholder, public, Clark County Historic Preservation Commission (CCHPC) and City of Vancouver feedback.
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About The Historic Trust: The Historic Trust is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire civic pride and economic vitality through education, celebration, and preservation of our community’s history. Learn more at thehistorictrust.org.
About Marathon: The Marathon family of companies is comprised of three vertically integrated entities specializing in development, construction, and management of multi-family real estate. Marathon’s control of every facet of a development provides a unique ability to manage quality and cost. As a long-term holder Marathon is motivated to build high quality apartments that enrich communities. Marathon was formed in 1979 as an affiliate of Simpson Housing, a large multi-state apartment development company. Since inception Marathon has developed, constructed, and managed thousands of apartments and ancillary commercial space.
Featured photo courtesy: The Historic Trust
