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Willamette Falls Legacy Project update

Mon 23 Aug 21

Willamette Falls Legacy Project officials reached a consensus last week to restructure the partnership to include the five Tribes who have been engaged on the efforts to build a public riverwalk. 

“You have all been really great partners and I appreciate that, and the acknowledgement that we need to change and grow is important,” Metro Council President Lynn Peterson said to project partners. “Bringing all nine government agencies together will be truly a step forward, but it will take some time and a little bit more patience.”  

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Willamette Falls Legacy Project update

Tue 22 Jun 21

The next meeting of the four public partners of the Willamette Falls Legacy Project is scheduled for 9 a.m. on June 30.

The meeting will include discussion about multi-tribal engagement, Willamette Falls Trust’s recent request to join the Legacy Project Partner group, supported by four tribes, and next steps for the project.

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Willamette Falls Legacy Project update

Thu 9 Apr 20

Willamette Falls Legacy Project officials met April 8 to discuss the future of the riverwalk at Willamette Falls. The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde presented an alternative riverfront concept they’ve developed for the first phase of the riverwalk. The alternate design seeks to support the Willamette Falls Legacy Project’s four core values, the riverwalk conceptual design, and meets Grand Ronde’s site cleanup and development goals.

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Willamette Falls riverwalk update

Mon 6 Apr 20

This week, Grand Ronde will present a proposed design to Legacy Project officials that seeks to incorporate the Willamette Falls Legacy Project’s four core values, support the riverwalk conceptual design, and meet Grand Ronde’s goals to develop the property in the future.

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New year, new riverwalk?

Thu 9 Jan 20

The path to providing public access to Willamette Falls could take a new direction – literally and figuratively – as project partners collaborate with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, which recently purchased the shuttered mill site in downtown Oregon City.

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Grand Ronde purchases former Blue Heron mill site

Thu 15 Aug 19

In a press release issued today, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde announced they’ve purchased the former Blue Heron paper mill site and future home of the Willamette Falls riverwalk.

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Willamette Falls Legacy Project update

Wed 31 Jul 19

Willamette Falls Legacy Project Partners today gave the green light to staff to continue refining the scope of the first phase of a public riverwalk to fit within the funding that’s available. The project team asked for direction after receiving cost estimates showing that jump-starting the riverwalk will be more expensive than an initial projection from architects.

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Grand Ronde planning to purchase Blue Heron site

Fri 14 Jun 19

We are excited about carrying out the community’s vision for a public riverwalk along Willamette Falls – a commitment that remains in place, even if the landowner changes. Construction is slated to begin in spring 2020.

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Historic and cultural resources at Willamette Falls

Fri 17 May 19

The Willamette Falls Legacy Project, set to break ground on the public riverwalk at Willamette Falls next year, has hired AECOM and Willamette CRA to develop a plan that will be used during riverwalk construction when historic and cultural resources are discovered at the Legacy Project site.

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Onward!

Tue 9 Apr 19

Late last year, the Willamette Falls Legacy Project team issued a request for proposals to transform a conceptual design for the first phase of the Willamette Falls riverwalk into detailed permitting and construction drawings, as well as manage construction. Metro, on behalf of the Willamette Falls Legacy Project, is pleased to announce Otak has been

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What is going on with that project, anyway?

Fri 8 Feb 19

Sometime next year we hope to be breaking ground on the first phase of Oregon City’s future riverwalk; one that will weave through the former Blue Heron paper mill at the edge of the Willamette River and provide a prominent view of Willamette Falls. Read on to find out what’s been going on behind-the-scenes.

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Metro seeking team to prepare for Willamette Falls riverwalk construction

Fri 14 Sep 18

UPDATE: RFP 3590, Design and Planning Services, Willamette Falls Project has been posted on ORPIN.
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A search is about to begin for the team to advance the riverwalk at Willamette Falls in downtown Oregon City – envisioned as the catalyst for a signature Oregon destination along the banks of the Willamette River. Metro, one of four public partners of the Willamette Falls Legacy Project, will be issuing a request for proposals this fall to transform a conceptual design for the first phase of the Willamette Falls riverwalk into detailed permitting and construction drawings.

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Willamette Falls storytelling project: the stories

Wed 18 Jul 18

In early 2018–over two weekends–eight people with connections to Willamette Falls were transformed into storytellers when Sue Mach and other members of the Clackamas Community College English faculty facilitated a digital storytelling workshop. These are their stories.

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Spring 2018 public tours were a success!

Fri 8 Jun 18

On Friday, June 1 and Saturday, June 2, Willamette Falls Legacy Project staff and volunteers welcomed more than two hundred members of the public on tours of the former Blue Heron paper mill site. Participants who were quick enough to claim a ticket, meandered through the site starting at the typically locked gate on historic Main Street.

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Willamette Falls Legacy Project update

Wed 23 May 18

The public riverwalk at Willamette Falls is drawing one step closer to reality. After a delay causing the riverwalk project to fall behind schedule, Willamette Falls Legacy Project staff received Falls Legacy LLC’s signatures on multiple permit applications in March. This month, Clackamas County and Oregon City also received payments from Falls Legacy LLC for back taxes and utilities.

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Public tours are back!

Tue 15 May 18

UPDATE: Tours filled up fast! Add yourself to a wait list on the registration page to get notified if spots open up or we add more dates.

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“Stories have to be told or they die…”

Fri 6 Apr 18

Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can’t remember who we are or why we’re here.
-Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees

Do you have a Willamette Falls story to tell? This winter and spring, Clackamas Community College, Rediscover the Falls and the Willamette Falls Legacy Project invite you join one of two three-day digital storytelling workshops dedicated to stories about the Falls.

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A new Executive Director leads Rediscover the Falls

Thu 5 Apr 18

Andrew Mason has been selected as the first full-time executive director for Rediscover the Falls (RTF), the nonprofit organization created in 2015 to raise resources and advocate for the revitalization of the former Blue Heron paper mill site in Oregon City and the riverwalk experience.

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Willamette Falls Legacy Project update

Fri 23 Mar 18

Progress was made earlier this week on bringing a public riverwalk at Willamette Falls one step closer to reality. Willamette Falls Legacy Project staff received Falls Legacy LLC’s signatures on multiple permit applications that would allow the riverwalk project to move into the permitting phase. Elected officials from Oregon City, Clackamas County, Metro and the State of Oregon are cautiously optimistic that we will be able to submit permit applications after we receive the funds due to the project from Falls Legacy LLC.

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The Cultural Landscape at Willamette Falls

Thu 25 Jan 18

Cultural Landscapes are used to create a lens that allows the stories of a place to live on after many of its historic elements have been lost to time.

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Stay up to date

Mon 4 Dec 17

Join our email list to stay up to date on the Willamette Falls Legacy Project.

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Partners Group Quarterly Meeting and Executive Session, Dec. 6.

Wed 29 Nov 17

The next Willamette Falls Legacy Project Partners Group quarterly meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 6, from 1:15 – 3:00 p.m. at the Metro Regional Center Council Chambers. 600 NE Grand Ave. Portland, OR 97232 This meeting is open to the public. Agenda available here.   A Willamette Falls Legacy Project Partners Group executive session

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Oregon Field Guide: Willamette Falls

Wed 22 Nov 17

Over the summer, the Willamette Falls Legacy Project had an opportunity to share the riverwalk project with OPB’s Oregon Field Guide.

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Willamette River cleanup

Wed 18 Oct 17

The Willamette Falls Legacy Project team and volunteers participated in Willamette Riverkeepers’ Great Willamette Clean Up earlier this month. Volunteers paddled from Jon Storm Park in Oregon City to Willamette Falls, picking up trash from riverbanks along the way. We hope to participate again in 2018!  

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Partners Group Executive Session, Wednesday October 25

Wed 18 Oct 17

A Willamette Falls Legacy Project Partners Group Executive Session is scheduled for Wednesday, October 25, from 1 – 3:00 p.m. at the Market Center Building, 1600 SW Fourth Ave., Suite 109, Portland, OR 97201 – Room 316. The executive session is held pursuant to ORS 192.660(2)(e): To conduct deliberations with persons designated by the governing body

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Willamette Falls Legacy Project update

Thu 28 Sep 17

The Willamette Falls Legacy Project is committed to transparency and responsibly delivering on Oregonians’ investments and vision to create a public riverwalk at Willamette Falls. Together as partners, Oregon City, Clackamas County, Metro and the State of Oregon share the project’s four core values of: economic redevelopment, historic and cultural interpretation, public access and healthy habitat.

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Partners Group Meeting on September 20

Wed 13 Sep 17

The next Willamette Falls Legacy Project Partners Group meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 20, from 9:30 – 10:00 a.m. at the Tumwater Ballroom. 211 Tumwater Dr. Oregon City, OR 97045 This meeting is open to the public. Agenda available here.   A Willamette Falls Legacy Project Partners Group executive session is scheduled for Wednesday, September

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Oregon City planning a trail connection from riverwalk pedestrian bridge

Mon 24 Jul 17

The riverwalk design, just unveiled last month, includes a pedestrian bridge over Highway 99E and the railroad tracks to the McLoughlin Promenade. The McLoughlin-Canemah Trail Plan project aims to connect the riverwalk and McLoughlin Promenade to Old Canemah Park and Canemah Children’s Park with a shared use trail.  The City won a grant from Metro’s

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Photos and Videos from Riverwalk Event June 3rd

Thu 20 Jul 17

Well over 600 people attended the riverwalk design unveiling and celebration at OMSI on Saturday, June 3rd. Below are some photo and video highlights! See our post on riverwalk design if you missed it or want to dig deeper into the documents. Watch the full riverwalk design presentation from Snhoetta’s Michelle Delk.       We are

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Our website has a new look!

Fri 26 May 17

Repeat visitors to our website will notice that our website has a refreshed look, new navigation options, redesigned news page and updated URL!

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Partners Group Meeting on May 17

Fri 12 May 17

The next Partners Group meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 17, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Metro Regional Center, Council Chamber.

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Grounded in Science: Project Site Conservation

Sun 23 Apr 17

Restoring habitat at the Willamette Falls Legacy Project site provides an exceptional opportunity to conserve sensitive habitats and species while connecting people with regional and local conservation priorities.

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Willamette Falls Geology: A Story of Two Floods

Thu 20 Apr 17

We sat down with Dr. Scott Burns, Professor of Geology at Portland State University, to learn more about what fascinating historic and geologic events came together to create the falls we see today.

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End of an era through a pioneer’s eyes

Thu 9 Mar 17

A profile of Janet Malloch, the first woman technician and shift supervisor, who worked at Blue Heron Paper Company from 1977 until its closing in 2011. During that time, she paved the way for women to work in mills, moving up the ranks from technician to board member.

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Partners Group Meeting on March 15th

Thu 9 Mar 17

The next Partners Group meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 15, from 9:00-10:30 a.m. at the Oregon City Library.

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WFLP site interpretive design

Mon 6 Mar 17

As one of our four core values, historic and cultural interpretation has been at the heart of project planning from the beginning and will be incorporated into each phase of riverwalk development.

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Continuous Commerce: Willamette Falls

Wed 1 Mar 17

Focusing on the project’s core value of Economic Redevelopment, we’ve reflected on the falls’ past, present and future as an economic and industry engine for Oregon City and the state.

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Revitalizing Urban Waterfronts

Tue 21 Feb 17

There are many examples of beautiful and compelling riverfront redevelopments that include collaborative public/private partnerships, unique features and innovative ways to incorporate the sites’ vibrant histories. Many of these projects have similarities to ours.

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Design options for the pipe chase

Wed 4 Jan 17

Results from the riverwalk community event – learn about design options for the pipe chase on the Willamette Falls Legacy Project site.

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Welcome, Brian Moore!

Fri 9 Dec 16

Brian Moore has joined the Willamette Falls Legacy Project as Project Manager.

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Exploring the site: the service yard

Tue 15 Nov 16

Get ready – riverwalk design concepts are coming! Leading up to that, we are highlighting some key site elements that you will see in the design concepts, including the Pipe Tunnel, the North Riverbank, the Clarifier, the Service Yard, and the Hawley Powerhouse Foundation.

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Partners Group Meeting on November 16

Mon 14 Nov 16

The next Willamette Falls Legacy Project Partners Group meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, November 16, from 12:30-2:00 p.m. at the Oregon City Library. Meetings are open to the public.

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Exploring the site: the Hawley Powerhouse Foundation

Tue 8 Nov 16

Our design team is investigating ways to reuse, enhance, or re-purpose structures and elements from the old mill and PGE dam; along with opportunities that come from removal. Today, we focus on the Hawley Powerhouse Foundation, a structure that once held turbines to generate power from the falls.

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Exploring the site: the Clarifier

Tue 25 Oct 16

Get ready – riverwalk design concepts are coming this November! Leading up to that, we are highlighting some key site elements that you will see in the design concepts. This week, we focus on the Clarifier, a large concrete tank that was used to treat effluent from the paper-making process.

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Exploring the site: the North Riverbank

Wed 19 Oct 16

Get ready – riverwalk design concepts are coming this November! Leading up to that, we are highlighting some key site elements that you will see in the design concepts, including the Pipe Tunnel, the North Riverbank, the Clarifier, the Service Yard, and the Hawley Powerhouse Foundation.

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Exploring the site: the Pipe Tunnel

Mon 10 Oct 16

Our design team is investigating ways to reuse, enhance, or re-purpose structures and elements from the old mill and PGE dam. One of them is the Pipe Tunnel, a hollow concrete tunnel structure on the edge of the site, right along the banks of the Willamette.

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Stakeholder Spotlight: Downtown Oregon City Association

Tue 4 Oct 16

Stakeholder spotlight: Downtown Oregon City Association, a nonprofit working to revitalize downtown Oregon City. DOCA is responsible for some of Oregon City’s most popular and high-profile community events, including the annual First City Celebration in July.

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Partners Group decision on whitewater park proposal

Tue 20 Sep 16

At its public meeting in Oregon City on September 19, the Willamette Falls Legacy Project partners group decided unanimously to move forward on its public riverwalk project as planned, without further consideration of a proposal to integrate a whitewater park into the project.

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Riverwalk Opportunities Report Now Available

Wed 14 Sep 16

The riverwalk design team conducted an existing conditions investigation of the old Blue Heron mill site and PGE dam and documented their work in a report that describes the various areas and structures on the site. The report provides initial thoughts on the opportunities that each piece presents for the riverwalk experience.

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Partners Group meeting September 19

Wed 14 Sep 16

The next Partners Group meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 19th at 10:00AM at the Clackamas County Auditorium at 150 Beavercreek Road in Oregon City.

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Project staff offer recommendation on whitewater park proposal

Fri 26 Aug 16

After months of careful deliberation, including numerous meetings and discussions with project partners, riverwalk stakeholders, whitewater park supporters and community members, project staff has made its recommendation on the proposal to the Willamette Falls Legacy Partners Group, which is responsible for making major project decisions.

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Partners Group Meeting Recap

Thu 14 Jul 16

Thanks to all who attended the Partners Group meeting on July 11th. Following the July 11 meeting of the Willamette Falls Legacy Project Partners Group, project partners are accepting written public testimony on a proposal that a whitewater park be included in riverwalk design.

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Partners Group meeting July 11th

Wed 6 Jul 16

The Willamette Falls Legacy Project Partners Group consists of two elected officials and one administrator from each of the four partner agencies, Oregon City, Clackamas County, Metro, and the State of Oregon. The group meets four times a year to provide leadership and direction for the project. The next Partners Group meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 11th.

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UO Architecture students hold final design exhibition for post-industrial Willamette Falls

Wed 5 Aug 15

In early June, a dozen University of Oregon architecture students lent their minds to take on the colossal task of re-envisioning the now defunct Blue Heron Paper Mill site in Oregon City. Each student selected a theme, bringing his or her own creativity and imagination to this historic undertaking.

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Oregon Captial

The Oregon Legislature supports a $7.5 million investment in the Willamette Falls Legacy Project

Tue 21 Jul 15

We are proud to announce that the Oregon Legislature has supported a $7.5 million investment in the Willamette Falls Legacy Project.The Legislature invested lottery-backed bond money in the Willamette Falls Riverwalk, which would bring visitors from downtown Oregon City to the edge of one of North America’s largest waterfalls. “I want to thank the many

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Tribes mark the beginning of Riverwalk design

Wed 10 Jun 15

Photo: Representatives of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs join the Oregon Governor for the announcement of the Willamette Falls schematic design team. From left to right, Evaline Patt, Tribal Council Vice-Chair, Governor Kate Brown and Eugene Greene Jr., Tribal Council Chairman. Native Americans have been fishing, gathering and trading at Willamette Falls for

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Design team announced for schematic design of the Riverwalk

Thu 4 Jun 15

On May 29, Governor Kate Brown announced the selection of the schematic design team for the Willamette Falls Riverwalk. The team of Mayer/Reed, Snøhetta and DIALOG will work collaboratively to create a design for the Riverwalk that helps transform the vision for Willamette Falls into reality, reconnecting people to the falls, and creating a destination

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