City leaders, design team members and the public celebrated the groundbreaking of the first in a series of construction projects to revitalize St. Helens’ waterfront. The November 2nd event marked the start of construction for what’s known as the Streets and Utilities Extension project which will pave the way for future phases of public and private redevelopment of former industrial sites along the Columbia riverfront. Mayer/Reed worked with Otak on this initial phase which extends First and Strand streets. The street extensions feature welcoming, pedestrian-friendly amenities that will interface with a future mixed-use neighborhood and the Mayer/Reed-designed riverwalk which is set for construction in 2023.