Hopper Dennis Jellison seeks more room for growing firm
Engineering and planning firm Hopper Dennis Jellison hopes to add another 6,200 square feet to its headquarters on 15th Street in downtown Vancouver.
"We’re flat out of room in this building," said Tom Dennis, one of three principles with the 25-year-old firm. The existing facility, or "Building One," located at 300 W. 15th St., currently houses 37 employees in 5,400 square feet. The firm hopes to add a second floor to accommodate the staff and also to bring another 11 employees— currently working at a 3,000-square-foot leased space at 1300 Esther St.—under the same roof. The proposed expansion would open onto the existing second story of the 8,300-square-foot "Building Two," located at 314 W. 15th St., connecting the two buildings. The completed project would give HDJ’s staff 19,900 square feet of work space.
The proposed project is expected to cost nearly $1.5 million. Dennis said the need supersedes the cost of the project, and attributes it to the company’s 20 percent per year growth rate. The firm, which started out with two people in a 12-by-15-foot office in 1980, now operates offices in Vancouver, Tigard and Pasco, and employs 65 people, nine of which were added this year.
"We’re pretty set on doing this," Dennis said. "It’s just a numbers game at this point."
HDJ met with city planners Aug. 3 to initiate the pre-application process, and will move next to site plan review and then on to obtaining the building permit.
The entire process is expected to take six to eight months. City of Vancouver Associate Planner Brett Lucas said the pre-application process, which addresses parking concerns and sewage issues, should go well for the firm.
"It’s pretty routine as far as the proposal goes," Lucas said. "As for the design of the project, that will be addressed during the permitting stage."
HDJ hired Battle Ground architect Carl Johansen to design the expansion. If all goes well, the project will be completed by Aug. 2007.
