Texas Firms Join Competition for Hotel-Conference Center Gig

VANCOUVER, WA-The Vancouver Public Facilities District board will meet Oct. 11 to begin the selection of one of four developers’ proposals to design and build a hotel and conference center in Downtown Vancouver. The developer would pay for the hotel, while the city would pay for the conference center.

Two Texas-based firms–Garfield Traub Development of Dallas and Landmark Organization of Austin-joined Renaissance Resources Group of Chandler, Ariz. and the Port of Vancouver in responding to the city’s request for proposals prior to this week’s deadline. Renaissance, which also had proposed a sports arena, lost exclusive negotiating rights for the project earlier this year after being unable to drum up financing.

The proposals, submitted prior to Wednesday’s deadline, all will need further clarification, according to city officials. All proposals would develop a three-star/three-diamond hotel. Three of the proposals are based on the convention center being built on land south of Esther Short Park, near Sixth and Columbia streets. The Port’s proposal is to build a larger hotel on the site of the Red Lion Hotel at the Quay, which is controlled by West Coast Hotels.