The Port of Vancouver and the City of Vancouver looked at buying the private airport in 2000 because nearby Pearson Airpark, which is owned by the City of Vancouver, will be limited to historic aircraft in 2022. At that time, the Port and the City said Evergreen was increasingly becoming surrounded by commercial development, and they feared Olson may sell to a commercial developer, which would leave pilots virtually nowhere left to go in the county if Evergreen were to shut down.

Neither the city nor the port was confident the airport could pay for its self, but they also liked its potential for use in an emergency because the land sits higher than most of the rest of the area. Now if they want the land, it looks like they'll have to talk to Opus.

Opus' most recent completed project in the Portland-Vancouver area is the Columbia Gorge Corporate Center. Located adjacent to the intersection of Interstate 84 and Northeast 181st Avenue, the 800,000-sf industrial-flex development is seeking its first tenants. In 2001, Opus developed the Southwest Center office building in Tigard, Ore. The 88,335-sf three-story tilt-up opened 90% leased and was sold that November for $16.43 million ($186 per sf).