Vancouver Clinic buys land in Washougal

The Vancouver Clinic, Inc., has purchased approximately five acres at state Route 14 and Southeast Second Avenue, in The Crossing development, in Washougal. The sale, involving landowner Killian Pacific, occurred in December. Terms of the sale are not being released. "We purchased the land so we had the flexibility to expand in the future, but we don't have any immediate plans to build on the site," Vancouver Clinic Chief Executive Officer Tom VanSweringen said Monday. He expects a clinic to be built at the site within five years. "We would like to provide health care services as close as possible," VanSweringen said. "We think having something that far east would be beneficial to Camas and Washougal residents. "The site is well located to serve residents with the access provided by the expanded SR-14," he added. "We think it's an ideal location for a medical clinic." The Vancouver Clinic has more than 1,000 staff and providers at buildings in Battle Ground, Salmon Creek, 87th Avenue and the Tech Center, in Vancouver. "We will try to make it consistent with the other four facilities, but we don't have any detailed design in mind at this point," VanSweringen said. "They have a consistent look and feel." He has lived in Camas for 11 years. Mitch Hammontree, owner of Quiznos, in The Crossing, will be pleased to see The Vancouver Clinic open nearby. "It's fabulous," he said. "We're going to have employees over there to feed as well as their customers after they get procedures done. The traffic flow will bring in extra customers. They can just walk across the parking lot to eat. "It will also open up some people's eyes," Hammontree added. "There are still some people who don't know we're here. I'm looking forward to it." Quiznos opened in May 2008. "We opened the store under the assumption that the other phases [of construction in The Crossing] would be done in a timely manner, and they weren't," Hammontree said. "We were looking forward to it being a whole development, not a strip mall." Meanwhile, Pete Collins, director of operations for Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette, said he has no update on plans to open a retail store at The Crossing. Goodwill announced plans in May 2008 to open an approximately 21,500-square foot store, donations drive-through and job services center on 2.04 acres. Mert Meeker, president of MBM Properties, Inc., said the land purchased by The Vancouver Clinic is located next to the future site of the Goodwill retail store. MBM is the exclusive leasing and sales broker for The Crossing. "We just have one parcel left for either a restaurant or more retail space," Meeker said. The available land is less than one acre. Meeker said he has received inquiries from restaurants and retailers about the site. For more information, contact Meeker at (503) 227-7271, Ext. 12.

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