Partnership Explores Plan to Acquire Lots

The lots are located north of the alley that extends from Orleans Street to the railroad tracks, on the east side of the lots which the city leases to the Partnership for the Plaza.

Owners of the Pacific Brew Haus, a restaurant/pub that is scheduled to open Feb. 20 in the former Great Pacific Coffee Company quarters, have received a provisional occupancy permit with the condition that the parking lot at the end of the building will be paved within six months.

Jim McHugh, part owner of the three-story building, was granted the conditional approval at the Feb. 4 board of aldermen meeting.

McHugh spoke at the Feb. 14 Pacific Partnership meeting offering to exchange the lots for the paving.

“The action the Partnership took was to explore ways to move forward with this,” said Bill McLaren, Partnership president. “We’d like to own the lots.”

Owning property that is part of the Pacific Station Plaza opens the door for the Partnership to do other things.

“Being a property owner would help with getting grants,” McLaren said. “We’ve looked at obtaining additional railcars. Having our own property and a place to set them would help in that area also.”

The Partnership does not have the ability to pave the lots and would have to contract the work out. City Engineer Dan Rahn estimated the cost at $20,000.

“We’d be looking at the need to borrow the money for the job,” McLaren said. “Right now this is a study project, for us but we’re moving forward.”