Ninebark is a trailblazing community in a number of ways. It has, among other things, vastly elevated the top of the multifamily market in Washougal, Washington (in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area), created the first significant multifamily community along the Columbia River east of Vancouver, Washington, and set new standards for sustainability and inclusion thanks to the strong commitment of developer Killian Pacific.

Ninebark embraces its location and ethos through such features as a grand Riverside Retreat amenity space, generous fitness center, extensive gear shed, pollinator gardens, two beehives, use of locally produced certified sustainable lumber, a community-wide composting program, 72 electric vehicle charging stations, rooftop solar panels that generate 100% of the energy needs of the Riverside Retreat, a one-acre public park, multiple sustainable certifications, mitigation of its carbon footprint with a contribution to help preserve nearby old-growth forestland, 10% of units affordable to households earning up to 80% of area median income, 27% of construction costs awarded to Minority-and-Women-Owned Business Enterprises, and 52% of all journey and apprenticeship hours performed by individuals who identify as women and/or a minority.

Red Propeller worked with Killian Pacific early on to research the area, focus on a target audience, and produce a vision and recommendations for all aspects of the community. When it came time to start leasing at Ninebark, it was clear that thoughtfully selling the story of the community would be particularly important to achieving leasing and proforma goals, given its elevated position in the Washougal submarket, distinctive setting, and all the features and attributes discussed above. So Killian Pacific brought Red Propeller in to conduct a comprehensive training session with the leasing team. This involved a full immersion into the story and experience of the community, training in how best to sell the community’s distinctiveness and offerings to prospective residents, and coaching on how to truly engage with a prospect’s mindset and deeper interests and desires.

These efforts are succeeding, as evidenced by the fact that Ninebark was achieving a premium of 29.6% by $/SF and 1.6% by average unit rent over the previous top-performing property in Washougal and 38.9% by $/SF and 14.7% by average unit rent over the average for all competitors in Washougal as of December 2023, including the affordable units at Ninebark.