St. Helens Industrial Business Park Parcelization Framework and Funding Plan Adopted

The St. Helens Industrial Business Park is a 225-acre industrial property that was acquired by the City of St. Helens in 2015 when the Boise White Paper Mill closed. The site is the largest remaining parcel of industrial employment lands within St. Helens city limits. The property is accessed at the intersection of Old Portland Road, South 18th Street, and Kaster Road. The location includes an existing Oregon waterway lease with the Oregon Department of State Lands and an operational rail spur run by Portland & Western Railroad which terminates on the site.

At their January 20 meeting, the St. Helens City Council adopted a St. Helens Industrial Business Park Parcelization Framework and Funding Plan. This framework and funding plan will help guide the City’s efforts to:

• Spur industrial redevelopment on the property
• Restore local family-wage jobs to St. Helens
• Increase City utility revenues (reducing the burden on residents)
• Restore underutilized properties to the tax rolls

The City received a $50,000 grant from the Department of Land Conservation and Development to create a framework and funding plan for the Business Park (later reduced to approximately $41,000 due to COVID-19 related budget shortfalls at the state). The City hired 3J Consulting and ECONorthwest to:

• Summarize existing physical conditions, plan documents, and land use decisions related to the site
• Define targeted industrial users by updating existing market analyses
• Create a framework for parcelization
• Identify net parcel sizes and locations, utility improvements, and street extensions to guide the City through short and long-term redevelopment
• Create a phased financing plan for street and utility improvements
• Identify existing revenue sources to assist the City in acquiring and leveraging additional infrastructure funding

You can view the complete plan documents on the project webpage. 

Published January 26, 2021