After nearly two decades in the making, Vancouver's waterfront makeover is finally starting to materialize — allowing the public access to parks, restaurants, retailers and housing — with more to come.

Why it matters: Located west of the I-5 bridge, it's one of the largest developments to come out of the Portland metro area in recent memory.

• Local officials are betting the billion-dollar investment is a boon for the economy, and hope it defines Vancouver's identity as it continues to grow.

By the numbers: By 2030, the waterfront will be home to over 3,300 housing units, 1.5 million square feet of office and retail space, and a Pikes Place-esque market, according to Chad Eiken, Vancouver's director of city development.

The latest: Already open are five apartment buildings (including the luxury Rediviva and River West), six restaurants (like WildFin American Grill and Twigs Bistro), a five-mile paved pathway and a seven-acre park.

• ZoomInfo, one of several large tenants leasing space at Terminal 1, could be moving in as soon as September, Patrick Gilligan, a VP at Lincoln Property, told Axios.

Flashback: Vancouver's waterfront was used as a port for shipbuilding during World War II.

• It was also used for shipping prunes across the globe back when Oregon and Washington dominated the market.
• Beginning in 1928, the western section of the waterfront was an active paper mill until Boise Cascade sold the property to a group of investors in 2007.

Context: Bureaucracy and paperwork are the main reasons it's taken so long to see tangible change in the last 15 years, Eiken told Axios.

• The 30-plus acre property had to be rezoned from heavy industrial to urban. Then, developer Gramor had to submit a master plan for building the site over 20 years. It was approved in 2010.
• Another roadblock was the 2008 recession, which made project financing "impossible," Eiken said.

What they're saying: Construction has stalled on several planned blocks due to high interest rates, but city officials are optimistic they'll still complete development on time.

Go deeper

Classic Vancouver is still around if you know where to look.

The big picture: Shiny condos, office buildings and hotels on the Vancouver waterfront are just a few blocks away, but they're not visible from the pawn shop, diners and coffee bars tucked away in downtown's walkable grid.

A few places of note:

Joe Brown's Cafe

Zoom in: Manager and cook Sean Reardon calls the cafe — which has only had two owners since its 1932 opening — a "super-friendly hole in the wall."

Best bites: The menu is classic Western diner — hash browns, eggs and bacon plus burgers.

People return because the portions are large and served with sides of nostalgia.

• "Your mom's eaten here, your grandma's eaten here and we still produce the same food that you remember back then," says Reardon.

Brewed Cafe & Pub

This space looks tiny but has seating for 37 in its loft. It serves both the morning sandwich crowd and the happy hour crowd until closing at 9pm.

That variety is one reason owner Kevin Baker is not worried about competition.

• The other is a loyal customer base that saw Brewed through the COVID-19 pandemic.
• "Customers would get a $2 coffee and throw 50 to 100 bucks down as a tip, just to make sure that we stayed open," says Baker, one of seven family members who work at the 12-year-old cafe.

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🤖 Hewlett Packard is applying for permits to build two new buildings off SE First Street for AI research. (The Columbian)

🚘 Gear heads will gather Saturday at a reception for the "Car Culture" show — featuring an exhibit of 53 artworks inspired by classic cars.

• It goes from 5:30-7:30pm at the Corridor Gallery in the Esther Short Building. (Clark County Today)

📳 The Vancouver School of Arts and Academics will require that middle and high schoolers next year place their phones in hanging pouches during class. (The Columbian)

💸 Whether to toll the I-5 bridge, even as a new one is being built beside it, will be considered at a subcommittee meeting today. (Interstate Bridge Replacement Program)

Vancouver is on an upswing, but the city's food scene has been a highlight for some time.

So next time you find a two-plus hour wait at Screen Door or Eem, head across the Columbia to these spots instead.

Little Conejo

Details: There are over 100 mezcals to choose from at this joint known for piling the cotija high on each plate of tacos and tortas.

Best bite: The tacos dorados, which feature fried tortillas filled with potatoes and cheese then topped with shredded cabbage, onion, cilantro and housemade hot sauce.

La Sorrentina

Details: Owner Daisuke Matsumoto used to sling his Neapolitan pizza slices out of a food truck in Hazel Dell, now it's a miracle if you can get a table (or phone in an order) before they're sold out.

Best bite: Calzone apologists (looking at you Ben Wyatt) will love the namesake pizza stuffed with ricotta, ham and pepperoni, topped with tomato sauce.

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