Local developer Fred Van Horn is proposing to convert a former warehouse in Astoria’s RiverWalk area for medical offices.
At its Feb. 16 meeting the Astoria City Council heard the first reading of an amendment to the city’s development code to allow the addition of medical offices as a conditional use in the Hospitality-Recreation (HR) Zone. The city council is expected to hear the second reading and take action on the proposed amendment at its meeting March 1.
Van Horn is currently upgrading the outside of the building at 2240 23rd St. and Commercial, which formerly was used by Bornstein Seafoods for storage. The building is approximately 7,500 sq. ft. and includes a large parking lot on a total of 1.14 acres.
Van Horn told the Coast River Business Journal he believes the building’s best use would be for medical services, rather than as a warehouse.
"I want to convert it into a first-class medical facility over time," he said, adding that his vision is to turn the building into a facility similar to another building he owns on 14th Street, which has health-related services.
Van Horn said the change in the building’s use should not result in any significant increase in traffic. "It’s a ‘good neighbor’ use that will result in low-impact to the neighborhood," he said.
At its meeting Jan. 26, the Astoria Planning Commission, by a 5-2 vote, recommended the city council approve the conditional use application.