Hyas Point waterfront development to welcome residents in November

Washougal’s Hyas Point waterfront development is entering a new phase, in which a longtime vision is transforming into a tangible community where people live, work and recreate. Portland-based RKm Development, the project developer, opened residential leasing in late September for the development’s 276 apartments. Move-ins at the Broadrock and Cascara buildings are expected to begin in November, with the Sitka and Klipsan buildings slated to open in 2027. The first phase of construction, which kicked off in the summer of 2025, also includes 56,000 square feet of planned retail space, with Timber & Vine, a wine bar featuring Pacific Northwest wines, light bites and live music, announced as the development’s first signed commercial tenant and slated to open in 2027. Commercial leasing is underway for additional retail, restaurant and business spaces. “To have residents and businesses there … is such a great moment to finally give the waterfront back to the community,” said Channa Kim, the director of special projects and development for Central Bethany, which serves as the management and development group for RKm Development. “I think that it’s kind of surreal to think that there’s going to be people living here for the first time. It used to be a lumber mill before, so it has really never been a place that was meant for residents. So now to have residents and businesses there, it’s just such a great moment to finally give the waterfront back to the community and let them really experience it.” Hyas Point offers studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, along with a three-bedroom penthouse, across four buildings. Apartment layouts range from studios of about 450 square feet to the 1,577-square-foot, three-bedroom penthouse. Advertised rents on Homes.com start at $1,800 per month for a studio-sized unit, with listed one-bedroom options ranging from about $2,170 to $2,650 and two-bedroom units starting at about $3,550. Kim acknowledged that rents may be among the area’s highest but said the waterfront setting and experience is distinctive and that the apartments are attracting interest from locals and nonlocals alike. “(The project has) multiple phases, so the first movers will be really the ones investing in the future of this place,” she said. “They’re going to be there, living in an immutable new place, but they’re going to be witness to all of the construction that’s still to come, but I think that’s part of the excitement. I think that they call it ‘the first mover’s advantage.’ By being there from the beginning, they’re able to really see what it’s like to live so close to the water, to be in these buildings and watch how everything comes together, and be a part of vocalizing the experience and what they want to see.” Cloe Carlson, owner of Timber & Vine, is a local resident, a sommelier and active member of the local business community. She envisions the wine bar as an experience and gathering place, with events, such as game nights and tastings, that spotlight Washington wines. “We were so excited to find a qualified, passionate local resident to really be the face of the retail (industry) here,” Kim said. “The concern for a lot of people generally, especially in the early community outreach days, was, ‘We don’t want this to become really expensive corporate chains. We don’t want it to be inaccessible or too cold.’ Finding that local business feeling right off the bat was so incredible for us. I think that it’s a great example of the types of businesses that we’re looking for.” More businesses have expressed interest in leasing commercial space, but some are delaying commitments because of economic conditions and build-out costs, Kim said. Hyas Point began taking shape as a formal redevelopment project in 2019, when the Port of Camas-Washougal announced a partnership with RKm Development to transform the port’s 26-acre waterfront property, which formerly housed the Hambleton Bros. Lumber Company sawmill and log yard, into a mixed-use development. Both parties envisioned Hyas Point being developed as a walkable riverfront community where residents and visitors can live, dine, shop, work and gather along the Columbia River. “It’s unique,” port Commissioner Larry Keister said. “It looks out at the wetlands. It looks out at Mount Hood. It (provides) access to the dike trail. It has to be developed differently than the industrial buildings that we’ve done in the past.” The port views Hyas Point as both a private development and a long-term public asset, with the potential to generate revenue that supports other community priorities, Keister said. Under the development agreement, RKm manages the buildings and controls residential and commercial leasing while the port retains ownership of the underlying land and receives long-term lease revenue. “And that money will be reinvested,” Keister said. “It could be reinvested in other projects. It’ll be reinvested, possibly, in land if there’s land that comes available. (Our part), other than supporting Channa and (RKm co-founder) Roy (Kim), is pretty much finished.” The second phase of the project will include the construction of a six-story senior living community, a full-service athletic club and a boutique-style hotel, though financing and timing remain uncertain, Kim said. RKm and port officials conducted several rounds of community engagement activities, which informed the design and tenant search and gave them a concrete objective to complement, rather than compete with, nearby cities and businesses. “We could not have selected a better business partner,” Keister said. “Everything that’s been done, it’s been (because) we’re working together. So many builders can come in and say, ‘Well, yeah, I can build anything you want,’ but then they build it and then sell their portion. RKm is invested for the long-term.” For Keister, who joined the commission in 2017 with the goal of preserving the waterfront for public access, watching the project take shape has been a rewarding experience. “It’s exciting,” Keister said. “We did a unique project that I believe will be a huge benefit to the community. I’m very proud that I’m leaving something that will benefit our community forever.”

Related Stories