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University of Oregon graduate architecture student Jacob Simonson is fascinated by the challenge of bringing people back to the former Blue Heron Paper Co. site in Oregon City.

鈥淚t’s kind of an intriguing problem 鈥� more of a difficult problem 鈥� to address,鈥� he said while peering over a large-scale model of the abandoned paper mill site.

Simonson and other students are building the model as they research the history, conflicts and redevelopment potential for the 23-acre industrial site. The dozen students are part of a yearlong studio class taught by John Yeon Center executive director Randy Gragg and THA Architecture principal Becca Cavell at the UO Department of Architecture in Portland.

The class examines ways to reuse the vacant industrial buildings that were abandoned when the Blue Heron paper mill closed in 2011, reconnect the site to downtown Oregon City and take advantage of the site’s proximity to Willamette Falls. At the conclusion of the studio next summer, each student will present their designs for redeveloping individual buildings on the site.

The course, one of the last the students will take before they graduate, is geared toward designing adaptive reuse projects, Gragg said.

鈥淚t’s the last opportunity for the students to be their own client,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t continues the imagining of the site. This is sort of an act of imagination for what can happen with the building stock.鈥�

On Tuesday, the students marked the end of the studio’s first term with a presentation before the site’s new owner 鈥� Tacoma, Wash.-based developer George Heidgerken 鈥� and design professionals who created a master plan to encourage redevelopment.

The students shared what they’ve learned so far and sought professional feedback on their initial ideas for adaptive reuse projects. These include production facilities for bikes, food, canoes, outdoor shoes and other apparel. Students are also exploring design of fish and food markets, a mixed-use building, a brewery, an industrial design research institute, an outdoor camp and an interfaith institute.

One of the biggest appeals of the course was working with an actual site and reimagining existing buildings, Simonson said.

鈥淭his was just an intriguing site (with) a lot of potential,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 really enjoy and have done adaptive reuse projects.鈥�

For the first term, the focus was on gathering as much background as possible to eventually inform students’ designs, class member Alex Brooks said. For inspiration, the class twice toured the site with Oregon City officials and traveled to Minneapolis, Minn. to see the Mill City Museum, which is built on the ruins of an abandoned flour mill.

鈥淭his studio was a major information download,鈥� Brooks said. 鈥淚t was about absorbing the site (and) the opportunities and the challenges.鈥�

As a class, the students concluded that they would primarily seek to answer three questions over the course of the studio: What brought people to the site? Why did they leave? And finally, what will bring them back?

After hearing the students’ presentation, Walker Macy principal Mike Zilis praised their approach. The Portland-based landscape architecture and planning firm created for site redevelopment a master plan that recently was approved by the Oregon City Commission.

Zilis reminded the students to embrace what he believes is one of the site’s largest assets: a prime view of Willamette Falls. Any redevelopment should bring the falls back to prominence that was lost because of longtime industrial use on the site, he said.

鈥淭his place has been masked,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t’s been blown up and manipulated, and people can’t see it anymore. The way to build a market and bring people back (is) going to be about the draw of the site.鈥�

Heidgerken said his team is exploring many redevelopment possibilities, such as a brewery or restaurant. Like the UO architecture students, team members have been careful to absorb the history of the site and consider which existing buildings should be preserved, he said.

鈥淚t’s not a matter of $5 million here, $30 million here,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t’s a matter of the site telling you what to do and the history of the site 鈥� What we want with this site is not something you see once. We want something that’s attractive to the general public. You come here once and you come back.鈥�

At this point, plans to redevelop the Blue Heron site are open-ended. Heidgerken said he appreciates the architecture students’ visions.

鈥淲e don’t know (the plan) yet, but we will and meetings like this help,鈥� he said.

Graduate architecture student Adrienne Fainman said class members are looking forward to sharing their final ideas with the developer.

鈥淚n June, we’re going to be presenting 12 projects,鈥� she told Heidgerken. 鈥淲e’re going to be pouring our hearts into this. We’re going to be able to hand that over to you 鈥� 12 fantasy projects.鈥�