Strategic Acquisition and Redevelopment

Client: City of St. Helens

Location: St. Helens, Oregon

The City of St Helens is actively pursuing purchase of individual properties to create a larger, unparalleled property in the heart of downtown. Two formerly active wood product facilities owned by Boise White Paper and Boise Cascade totaling 229 acres are being considered for purchase. The properties have great potential in terms of location and future access and development. That said, there are real opportunities and real constraints. Natural areas, inactive landfills, industrial contamination, floodplain issues, near shore and in-water complications as well as active tenants and other business components contribute to the overall canvas. The City is highly motivated to contain and limit the environmental liability to a risk level that is acceptable to a public entity.

MFA has and is continuing to provide strategic acquisition and redevelopment services to the City including prospective purchaser and land acquisition services at no cost in an effort to integrate the properties into the greater vision. MFA’s ability to pursue and obtain grants is of utmost importance to the City in these endeavors, as is the ability to implement the work funded by those grants. MFA’s services have been essential to painting a clear picture to the community and to engage the developers in a substantive way.

MFA is currently assisting the City by:

• Pursuing EPA grants
• Working with the Governor’s Regional Solutions Team for access to high level state resources
• Assisting with: redevelopment visioning, community outreach, grant acquisition; agency negotiations to address environmental conditions, due diligence for acquisition and long-term planning for the properties.