St. Helens Welcomes Marine Industry to City Riverfront

Wilsonville Concrete Products, Inc. barge on the river

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 15, 2020

ST. HELENS, OR – Thanks to community input and guidance from the St. Helens City Council’s Strategic Workplan, the City of St. Helens is in the process of redeveloping its City-owned riverfront property. The intent is to attract employers to the region, boost the recovering local economy, restore the connection between downtown St. Helens and the Columbia River, provide public access to the waterfront, and preserve the natural and cultural heritage of St. Helens.

The City is pleased to welcome Wilsonville Concrete Products (WCP, Inc.) as a new private partner whose vision aligns with the City’s goals for the riverfront. WCP will lease moorage space at the St. Helens Industrial Business Park docks.

WCP is a fifth-generation family-owned and operated business. Their family began tow boat operations in the 1880s on the Columbia River system. Their current capabilities include marine transportation, barge unloading, dredging, and marine construction.

“Having WCP as a neighbor at the Industrial Park will be a game changer for our City and everyone on the lower Columbia.  Our city was built on our working river and now we have a chance to actively reconnect with this part of our history,” said St. Helens Mayor Rick Scholl.

In line with the City’s Strategic Workplan, the activation of the St. Helens industrial riverfront will promote regional economic development. WCP is locating in St. Helens as the City goes through a master planning process for the riverfront. The plan will guide industrial and infrastructure development on one of the largest underutilized properties in the region that is zoned for heavy industrial use.

“It has been great to work with the City of St. Helens through this process,” said WCP Vice President Michael Bernert. “We are excited to have part of our fleet stationed at the Industrial Park and look forward to growing our business at the St. Helens location.”

Activating the riverfront at the St. Helens Industrial Business Park fits into the St. Helens City Council’s 2020 Strategic Workplan. Under goal area four, the City is working to promote economic development through fostering increased development of local long-term, family-wage jobs.

The St. Helens Industrial Business Park is located on an approximately 225-acre underutilized brownfield. The City purchased the property in 2015 and is working diligently to redevelop the site.

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For further information regarding the St. Helens Industrial Business Park, please contact Rachael Barry, City of St. Helens Government Affairs and Project Support Specialist, at rbarry@ci.st-helens.or.us or 503-366-8214.