Rig-A-Hut opens in downtown Washougal

A Portland-based development company is ready to welcome tenants into a new $2.39 million mixed-use development in downtown Washougal. The two-story development, named "Rig-A-Hut," includes nine apartments and three retail spaces at Main and 20th streets. Guerrilla Development Co. owner Kevin Cavenaugh and Project Manager Westin Glass greeted area residents as they visited the new building during an open house on Sunday, Jan. 20. An additional open house will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 27. The project also involved Wes Hickey, the owner of Lone Wolf Development, LLC, of Washougal. Cavenaugh and Hickey have previously been involved in mixed-use projects in Northeast and Southeast Portland. Glass said the rental rates for the 575- to 906-square foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom Rig-A-Hut lofts range from $1,250 to $1,400 per month, and the three retail spaces facing Main Street on the ground floor will lease for $999 per month plus each unit's proportional share of property taxes, insurance, maintenance costs and utilities. The owner of a deli that will open in one of the retail spaces has signed two leases, in order to live and work in the same building. Ryon Morrison, owner of Taberna NW, has been living in rural Washougal since 2011. He just sold his house and will move into Rig-A-Hut in February. He hopes to have a soft opening of his old-Roman style shop for wine, cheese, cured meats and sandwiches in mid-March and have the new business be fully operational by April 1 with three or four part-time employees. "Though I love rural living, I'm not so naive to believe I can start a small business while I maintain 7.5 acres, even with a 15-minute commute into town," Morrison said. "There's a lot of benefit to moving -- being close to my deli, being close to my good friend's gym in downtown, being close to my favorite restaurant, OurBar. My son will be within walking distance to some great parks, and I can walk to work." Morrison said he is looking forward to downsizing and embracing a more minimal lifestyle. "I no longer enjoy living in such a large house, especially as a single man," Morrison said. "Large spaces lead to clutter, and clutter leads to reduced effectivity and unnecessary stress in life." Travis London, 37, a lifelong resident of Washougal, will add his "street art" to the east wall of the Rig-A-Hut building. His other local artwork includes "Historic Lager," a painting of two horses pulling a log, on an exterior wall of the Big Foot Inn at 105 Pendleton Way, and "Cub-napped" on one of the exterior walls of the historic Blair Building at 1807 Main St. Both are in downtown Washougal. London said the new artwork will include a depiction of Dougan Falls. "It will be in a little different style than my other work, to kind of match the contemporary construction, but (will still) highlight some of the historical roots of the community," he said. As for the building's unique name, "Rig-A-Hut" comes from Cavenaugh's daughter, a high school student. "That was how she sounded out the word 'right,' when she was learning to read, and the building has lots of right angles," Glass said.

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