Qualman says he is confident that another bank will be interested in the ground floor retail space. "There are plenty of banks looking for locations and most want to be in Downtown," says Qualman. "And this building is located on a main north-south street that handles a lot of traffic coming through town, headed for the freeway."

The firm's strategy is to create a business center kind of atmosphere by attracting a bank and then other service-oriented tenants such as a title company, lawyers, a real estate firm, accountants, an insurance firm and an advertising agency. Qualman says one advantage his leasing team has is that there are few other comparable options.

"There is hardly any other class A space remaining Downtown and this is an ideal location for businesses because it's convenient to Clark County, the airport and Downtown Portland," he says. "There are also a lot of companies that feel strongly they should be looking north of the river for either a new home or to expand, so we feel as though the timing might be outstanding.

"We've already seen an up tick in activity and we are hopeful we have a plan in place to make this thing come together."

Vancouvercenter is a mixed-use development encompassing two square blocks adjacent to Esther Short Park. Slated for 194 apartments and 68 condominiums in addition to the office and retail space, the project is the largest urban development in Vancouver's history.