Groundbreaking Ceremony for St. Helens Waterfront Project

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 21, 2022

St. Helens, Ore. - Join the City of St. Helens for a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction for the City’s Streets and Utilities Extension Project. This is the first major infrastructure project to break ground in the City’s waterfront redevelopment efforts. The ceremony will take place on Wednesday, November 2, 2022, at 3 p.m. at the South 1^st and St. Helens Street intersection.

The St. Helens City Council, project consultants, and other City partners will be at the ceremony to celebrate the launch of the project. Dignitaries will make remarks, followed by photo opportunities and a chance for attendees to view project information and speak with City staff.

Streets and Utilities Extension Project

The Streets and Utilities Extension Project is a $15.7 million infrastructure investment project in the St. Helens Riverfront District. Moore Excavation, Inc. is the contractor selected by the City for Phase I of the project.

South 1^st and St. Helens Street intersection is one focus of construction efforts for the Streets and Utilities Extension Project. This intersection serves as a gateway to the city’s historic Riverfront District, welcoming residents and visitors to local businesses, government buildings, and the sites of major community events. The intersection’s new design will improve traffic flow, create safer pedestrian crossings, and install benches and other amenities.

In addition to the South 1st Street and St. Helens Street intersection, the Streets and Utilities Extension Project will also redesign other existing streets and intersections in the Riverfront District, extend Cowlitz and South 1^st Streets onto the Riverfront Property, create a plaza for pedestrians and vendors above Columbia View Park, create a new trail on the west side of the Riverfront Property, and extend underground utilities onto the property.

The Streets and Utilities Extension Project is anticipated to take two years to complete. Construction will take place in a phased approach over the two years to allow for street detours and to minimize construction impacts to area residents and local businesses. Learn more about the project on the City’s website at www.sthelensoregon.gov/waterfront/page/streets-and-utilities-extension-project.

St. Helens Waterfront Redevelopment Project

The Streets and Utilities Extension Project is one component of the City of St. Helens’ ambitious efforts to redevelop 275 acres of prime waterfront property along the Columbia River. Owned by industrial mills for decades, two of these properties sat vacant and fenced off from community access when the mills closed in the early 2000s and remained under private ownership.

The City of St. Helens recognized the importance of the properties, which are in an area that unites key elements of historic, cultural, civic, economic, and natural significance for the St. Helens community. The land ties together the City’s historic Riverfront District to the north, direct access to the Columbia River and Multnomah Channel to the east, residential districts to the west, and the region’s largest remaining piece of available industrial land to the south.

In 2015, the City of St. Helens purchased the two waterfront properties, the former Boise Veneer Mill site which is approximately 24 acres and the former Boise Paper Mill site which is approximately 204 acres. These properties, in conjunction with the City’s wastewater treatment plant property -- 50 acres of land which sits between the old Veneer and Paper Mill sites -- make up the City’s Waterfront Redevelopment Project.

For seven years, the City worked with consultants on planning efforts and gathered community feedback. A development framework was created that emphasizes reconnecting the community to the waterfront, providing cohesive connection, promoting and ensuring the economic health of St. Helens, and improving the environment and health of the Columbia River. 

The City divided the property into three key project areas, each with distinct characteristics for future development:

Riverfront Property – A 24-acre property that is the former location of the Boise plywood veneer plant. This area is located at the south end of the City’s historic Riverfront District. Its entrance is just south of the current terminus of South 1st Street, Strand Street, and Columbia View Park. The City of St. Helens is currently working on two major projects on the Riverfront Property: the Riverwalk Project and the Streets and Utilities Extension Project. The Riverwalk Project will expand Columbia View Park, design and construct a new stage for the park’s amphitheater, and design and begin partial construction of a community river walk which will extend along the banks of the Columbia River from Columbia View Park to Plymouth Street and Nob Hill Nature Park. Construction is expected to begin later in 2023. The Streets and Utilities Extension Project is focused on constructing street and utility extensions for South 1st Street and Strand Street through the property. This will include creating safe pedestrian connections, inviting intersection treatments, ample on-street parking, landscaped seating, interpretive and wayfinding signage, and more visible crosswalks. Construction is set to begin in November 2022. The City of St. Helens is interested in working with a private developer(s) to construct mixed-use development on the property.

Central Waterfront Property – This 50-acre area sits immediately south of the Riverfront Property and unites the Riverfront Property with the St. Helens Industrial Business Park. It is currently home to the City’s 39-acre wastewater treatment facility. The City is evaluating options for repurposing a portion or all of the site to create expanded community access to the St. Helens waterfront, provide additional public amenities, and increase opportunity for economic development. Repurposing the site will also improve water quality and infrastructure resiliency. The City of St. Helens was recently awarded nearly $1.4 million in federal and state funding to continue studying the site for potential redevelopment.

St. Helens Industrial Business Park – This site is a 204-acre industrial property that is the southernmost area of the St. Helens Waterfront Redevelopment Project. It is the former location of the Boise Cascade White Paper Mill. The site is one of the largest remaining parcels of industrial employment lands in our region. This portion of the Waterfront Redevelopment Project is focused on attracting industrial and commercial businesses to St. Helens. This will increase the number of living-wage jobs in the community, increase the tax base, and spur economic development. In 2020, the City completed a Parcelization Plan and Infrastructure Funding Plan to provide a phased framework for dividing the large property into smaller properties to support multiple industrial users. The City is currently working on public infrastructure design for phase one to bring necessary infrastructure and support new industrial growth.

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For further information regarding the Streets and Utilities Extension Project groundbreaking ceremony, please contact Communications Officer Crystal King at cking@sthelensoregon.gov.