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Vancouver at Crossroads By Jeffrey Mize, Columbian Staff Writer Vancouver is no longer just a sleepy city on the other side of the Columbia River from Portland. It wasn't until the 1990s that Vancouver finally grew up. Thanks to a major construction spurt and a huge annexation that brought in 58,000 people, the population more than tripled in a single decade, catapulting Vancouver to a prominent spot as the state's fourth-largest city. An ample supply of affordable housing, triggered by a robust economy, the opening of the Interstate 205 Bridge and tight land-use controls in Oregon, brought thousands to the community but did little to forge a distinct identity. Vancouver can trace its history to 1825, when the Hudson's Bay Co. established its headquarters here for trading operations west of the Rocky Mountains, just 20 years after the Lewis and Clark expedition camped near what today is Frenchman's Bar. The community continues to struggle with a fragmented identity because thousands of newcomers have little connection to the city and its roots. With most TV and radio stations originating in Portland, some newcomers are mildly confused, others merely apathetic. The joke is that half of Vancouver thinks John Kitzhaber is governor; the other half doesn't care. Vernon Stoner, on his last day as city manager in 2000, said Vancouver has yet to find itself: "We want to be, but we don't know what that means." Vancouver has gambled millions that downtown redevelopment will pay off years from now and help craft a new image that goes beyond middle-class families with 2.3 kids living on cul-de-sacs. A smattering of residents have moved to downtown. Evening concerts in downtown's refurbished Esther Short Park last summer went a long way toward persuading residents that Vancouver has more to offer than affordable homes, self-serve gasoline and a heck of a fireworks show every Fourth of July. Vancouver's economy has gone through a subtle but distinct change. Once dependent on wood products and traditional manufacturing, the city today is known for Hewlett-Packard Co., SEH America and other high-tech firms. The city has tried to recapture the magic of its past by renovating Officers Row during the 1980s. The city is about to embark on a more ambitious plan to redevelop Vancouver Barracks, turning the partially abandoned military post into an activity center with historical exhibits, classrooms, theaters, art studios, galleries, offices, overnight accommodations, restaurants, microbreweries and specialty shops. Vancouver statistics:
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