The Red Lion is being deconstructed as the port prepares to build a public market and other developments
The iconic Red Lion sign is no more.
Crews, using a crane, took down the large Red Lion Hotel at the Quay sign on Thursday, part of the Port of Vancouver’s continuing development of Terminal 1.
The sign had seen better days, of course. It was damaged during a fire in February.
The hotel, which opened in 1960 as The Quay, shut down back in 2015. The hotel became the Red Lion in 1973.
The Red Lion is being deconstructed as the port prepares to build a public market and other developments. During this process, the port expects to recycle or reuse much of the original building.
“Most importantly, the old growth timber, the giant beams that are in the building, we want to take them out and put them back in the new building, the market place building,” said Jonathan Eder, executive project sponsor for Terminal 1.
Those beams are more than 100 years old, according to the port.
The Red Lion sign is approximately 20-feet tall by 100-feet wide. The plan was to take it down in three pieces. The lettering for the sign is also expected to be saved, cleaned up, and be displayed some time in the future.
Terminal 1 is the port’s original marine terminal, according to a press release from the Port of Vancouver. It is located on the Columbia River just west of the I-5 bridge.
Once the new development is complete, the site will include the AC Hotel by Marriott, office and retail space, public art, outdoor gathering spaces, walking trails and a public market for art and restaurants.
The Thunderbird Lodge across the Columbia River, which used to be in the Red Lion group of hotels, also burned down, in 2012.
And in April, 2022, Vancouver firefighters respond to fire at Joe’s Crab Shack. These were great places to meet friends or family, and stroll along the River. Very sad to see the demise of so many restaurants hard hit by the lockdowns. If the Interstate Bridge Replacement plan goes forward, will these properties be purchased by the state for an elevated freeway with a double decker bridge overhead? The only graphic I could find at the IBR library doesn’t depict the 90-100′ high I-5 Freeway and interchanges at the Vancouver waterfront in much detail at all. Hayden Island detail much better.
https://www.interstatebridge.org/media/suadgzf3/finalscenario_graphic_5-3-2022vf.jpg
A more detailed depiction of the Vancouver side of the proposed I-5 Bridge is shown on page 1 of this document that was submitted as public comment to the Bi-State Commitee on the I-5 bridge by an engineer proposing a tunnel instead of a bridge. Both the Red Lion Hotel, and Joe’s Crab Shack that burned down this year are shown as areas for future waterfront development. On page 4, a 90′ high proposed light rail station near the Ft. Vancouver Library is noted.