A Historic groundbreaking In Vancouver’s Waterfront Gateway

Nearly 100 people joined City leaders and project partners for a ceremonial groundbreaking of a new affordable housing community. The project, located at 615 W. 6th Street and developed by Colas Development Group (CDG) and Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA), will transform the 0.92-acre site into a six-story 95-unit building. The City invested $1.27 million from its Affordable Housing Fund, sold the land for $1 to ensure affordability, leveraged the state’s construction sales tax exemption, and reduced impact fees to make this community possible.

“The partners assembled on this project represent a shared vision for equity, sustainability, and cultural inclusion,” said Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle. “These values will continue to shape the future of our Waterfront Gateway and ensure it remains a place where all Vancouver residents can thrive.”

 “For many years, our community has been asking us to bring NAYA’s wraparound services to SW Washington,” said Oscar Arana (Chichimeca), CEO of the NAYA Family Center. “We’re thrilled to partner with the Cowlitz Tribe, CDG, the City of Vancouver, and many funders to make this community request a reality. It’s been a long-time vision to replicate NAYA’s holistic services model here in Clark County, and this incredible housing project is a historic step towards achieving this goal.”

 “This project is our first vertically integrated development, and our first project to break ground in Washington State. More than 41% of our trade partners on this project are certified firms, representing real people, real families, and real opportunities in the communities we serve,” said Andrew Colas, President & CEO, Colas Development Group. “We’re incredibly thankful for the partners who believed in that vision with us: NAYA, The Cowlitz Indian Tribe, Colas Construction, Scott Edwards Architecture, Vancouver Housing Authority, Lincoln, and the City of Vancouver, US Bancorp Impact Finance, Citi Community Capital, Washington State Housing Finance Commission, and Washington State Department of Commerce. 

 The event marks the first construction milestone in the City’s work to develop Waterfront Gateway and continues the City’s commitment to creating affordable housing in Vancouver through the Affordable Housing Fund.

This is the first of several developments planned for the 6.4-acre Waterfront Gateway District. The redevelopment will connect Vancouver’s Columbia River waterfront with its historic downtown. Waterfront Gateway advances the City’s Strategic Plan by providing much-needed housing to the area, including affordable housing; creating retail opportunities for local small businesses; and designing new public spaces for city events and gatherings.