Waterfront revival projects begin in St. Helens

ST. HELENS, Ore. — City leaders on Wednesday broke ground on its ambitious $15.7 million waterfront project they say will bring economic growth to an area that has direct access to the Columbia River and a historic downtown.

Development on St. Helens waterfront has been a priority with the city for decades, according to a city news release.

“It’s been a long process,” Mayor Rick Scholl said during the public ceremony to mark the beginning of the projects. “Government moves slow. I state that all the time, but here we go. We’re ready to start breaking ground.”

Funded partly through grants and local dollars, these projects focus on 275 acres on two sites that once served as the Boise Veneer Mill and Boise Paper Mill before they closed in the late 2000s. The city contracted with Moore Excavation Inc. as well as Otak Inc. as project engineer and Mayer/Reed Inc. as landscape architects.

A redesign of the intersection on South First and St. Helens streets will serve as an early priority to make it safer and more walkable, the news release said.

The city hopes to finish at least some of these development plans by the end of 2024, said Public Works Director Mouhamad Zaher.

After that, the plan is to extend Cowlitz Street onto the Riverfront property, the city said, by including a roundabout to connect “seamlessly” to other upcoming projects that also focus on increasing foot traffic to nearby parks and attractions.

The city also will redesign Strand Street and make it safer and has plans to construct a plaza to serve as a vendor space above Columbia View Park. Landscaping, creating new trails and upgrading sidewalks around the two project sites is also included in the city’s vision.

In 2015, the city purchased the properties after recognizing potential to use the scenic waterfront as a springboard for new businesses and developers, the city said in its news release.

“The whole city has been all-in on this project,” Scholl said. “It’s going to bring change to our community — positive change.”

Part of the goal is to construct a new stage for Columbia View Park’s amphitheater, though construction on that will begin later in 2023. Once these projects are finished, the city plans to move forward on redesigning and modernizing the local downtown area.

“It will attract developers and economic development,” Zaher said. “It’s a great motivator for new businesses or hotels to move into the area.”