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St. Helens Awarded Travel Oregon Grant for Riverwalk Project Accessibility
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 29, 2023
St. Helens, Ore. - Travel Oregon announced on Thursday, November 16, 2023, that the City of St. Helens has been awarded $100,000 for its Riverwalk Project Phase I. The funding comes from Travel Oregon’s 2023 Competitive Grants Program to fund accessible and inclusive tourism projects across the state.
The Travel Oregon grant will supplement two additional Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) grants supporting the construction of the City’s Riverwalk Project Phase I. The first phase of the project will develop and improve 420 feet of accessible public access to the Columbia River inside and near Columbia View Park. It includes a cantilevered overlook with views of the Columbia River, Mount St. Helens, Mount Hood, and Sand Island. An accessible path along the river bank will include a lighted railing system, benches, and concrete seat walls for resting. An interpretive signage plan has been developed for cultural interpretation at key areas along the Riverwalk.
The Riverwalk Project is designed to connect the project to accessible walking paths in the surrounding neighborhoods and the Riverfront District. The Travel Oregon grant will be used to create ADA access near the north entrance to Columbia View Park. The project will create an accessible connection over the banks of the Columbia River between the public docks, the new Riverwalk in Columbia View Park, and the Columbia County Courthouse’s riverfront walking path in its lower parking lot.
“We are grateful to the Columbia Economic Team (CET) for their partnership and support in making this application a success,” said St. Helens City Administrator John Walsh. “CET serves as our local Destination Management Organization (DMO) through Travel Oregon. CET’s in-depth knowledge of our Riverwalk Project and ongoing efforts to welcome people of all abilities to our community made the difference in this application. This is one small example of the value of CET membership for our city.”
Four projects in Columbia County were awarded Travel Oregon grant funds. In St. Helens, the St. Helens Main Street Alliance also secured an award for an elevator to serve The Klondike Tavern.
Travel Oregon awarded a total of $3.6 million to 56 recipients statewide. See the full list of awardees here. Projects funded by the competitive grants program in 2023-2025 will be completed by April 14, 2025.
Funding for the current competitive grants program was limited to local government, port districts, federally recognized tribes and non-profit entities registered with the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office. Awardees must demonstrate direct work in support of improving the economic impacts of Oregon’s travel and tourism industry. As such, eligible projects must clearly show alignment to tourism infrastructure that is accessible/inclusive or accessible/inclusive tourism promotion.
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For further information regarding the City of St. Helens’ Travel Oregon grant award, please contact Communications Officer Crystal King at cking@sthelensoregon.gov.
