Fourth Plain Commons Feasibility Analysis

Vancouver, WA | 2020

Cascadia Partners conducted a feasibility analysis for the future management of the ground floor of Fourth Plain Commons, a mixed-use business incubator and community space in central Vancouver, Washington that features:

• a commercial kitchen incubator to support emerging food based businesses;
• shared office space for community-based organizations;
• a community event space;
• an outdoor plaza for events and farmers markets.

The project was led by The City of Vancouver in partnership with Fourth Plain Forward, the nonprofit organization that will manage the ground floor uses. The Vancouver Housing Authority is leading management of 107 affordable housing units in the upper floors.

CP conducted extensive research and led interviews with local industry experts to identify pertinent revenue and cost centers for each type of use--offices, event space, and commissary kitchen--and demonstrated the financial feasibility of the space as a whole. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many restaurants to shutter their doors for good, trends indicate that small businesses and food cart owners that would operate out of the commissary kitchen at the Fourth Plain Commons are poised to fulfill market demand, making this an exciting and timely project.