Friday, December 14, 2007
BY CAMI JONER Columbian staff writer

The Home Depot will open a store in Battle Ground, and other large retailers are likely to follow.

The mega fix-it chain plans to break ground in June on a $20 million store on the south side of Northeast 219th Street at 102nd Avenue, about five miles east of Interstate 5.

A $56 million interchange project will connect 219th Street (state Highway 502) with I-5. Scheduled to open in 2009, the interchange will also open Battle Ground to new commercial opportunities, said Pam Lindloff, a senior sales associate with commercial real estate firm NAI Norris Beggs & Simpson in Vancouver.

"The amount of traffic on that street is certainly going to attract retailers," said Lindloff, who expects other big-box merchants to follow Home Depot's lead.

With more than 16,500 residents, Battle Ground consumers are the biggest attraction for retailers, Lindloff said.

"It's one of the fastest-growing cities in Clark County, so they're bound to be interested," she said.

The Home Depot's plans will be up for discussion at the next Battle Ground City Council meeting, said Robert Maul, the city's interim community development director. The city and The Home Depot are negotiating "to come to an agreement on design standards," Maul said.

The Home Depot's 50-acre site lies just inside Battle Ground's newly approved urban growth area. The expanded boundary becomes effective Jan. 1. Plans call for a south-facing store, said Arthur Richey, a development consultant for the company. The site plan also includes space for two fast-food restaurants and parking for more than 400 cars.

The Battle Ground store will be similar in size to The Home Depot in east Vancouver that employs 125 workers.

Cami Joner covers real estate.
She can be reached at 360-759-8018 or via e-mail at