Project name: Columbia County – John Gumm Building Adaptive Reuse

Location: St. Helens

Completion: September 2024

Size: 28,400 square feet

Cost: $10,589,883

Owner/Developer: Columbia County

Architect: Emerick Architects

Engineers: Shutte Consulting Engineers, Lower Columbia Engineering, System Design Consultants

General Contractor: Bremik Construction

Submitting Company: Bremik Construction

Other Associates/Key Consultants: Ameresco, Mike DeRoia (building inspector), Meritus Consulting, Columbia Economic Team, Columbia-Pacific Economic Development District, Columbia County Small Business Development Center, Columbia County Historical Society and Museum

Subcontractors: A-Line Concrete Cutting, All In One Mobility, Authority Dock & Door, B & B Tile Masonry, Brandsen Hardwood Floors, Brightservice Cleaning, Building Material Specialties, Cedar Landscape, Chosen Wood Window Maintenance, COSCO Fire Protection, Culver Glass, Custom Source Woodworking, District Painting, Duke Construction and Excavation, Eagle Striping Services, Elite Steel Products, Floor Factors, Huntco Supply, Interior Technology, IRS Environmental of Portland, MB Structures, McDonald & Wetle, Northwest Masonry Restoration, OEG, Pioneer Sheetmetal, Portland Millwork, RC Building Specialties, Scaffold Erectors, Sign Wizards, Stewart Mechanical, T.F.T. Construction, Western Partitions, Zavala

After sitting vacant for more than two decades, the historic John Gumm Building has been transformed into a vibrant community hub through an ambitious 16-month restoration project.

Originally built in 1919 as St. Helens Elementary School, the nearly century-old structure required extensive work to address unique structural challenges. The building was discovered to be sitting directly on a bedrock shelf with no footing, a common condition for buildings of that era. However, it was constructed on two different shelf levels, creating a 2-foot elevation difference in the basement floor. One of the most unusual conditions was the retaining wall footing at the back of the building. When excavation hit a bedrock shelf, preventing the footing from reaching correct elevation, contractors had to epoxy 204 dowels into the bedrock to anchor the new footing – a rare and complex engineering solution that required significant planning and collaboration.

Fitting a new elevator into the existing structure also posed a major challenge. The historical layout did not accommodate ADA and headroom clearance requirements, necessitating precise adjustments while preserving structural stability.

The renovation team, led by Bremik Construction, focused on preserving key historical elements while implementing modern upgrades. Original wood casement windows were repaired, the front entry door and relights were reused, and the auditorium was restored to its original state by removing an added balcony and repositioning the stage.

Seismic retrofitting was a critical component, incorporating steel braces, shear walls and reinforced concrete foundations to ensure the building could withstand seismic activity without compromising its architectural character.

The project also faced challenges integrating modern systems into the historic framework. In one instance, the project team had to install a large HVAC unit in the basement through a concrete wall with only half-inch clearance on each side, then maneuver it over a 4-foot-deep pit and lower it into place using approved shoring and support systems.

The newly revitalized building now serves multiple community functions. The first floor features a 1,700-square-foot auditorium for public meetings, a catering kitchen, office space for economic organizations and a new 1,400-square-foot museum. The basement and upper floors house Columbia County departments.

By balancing preservation with modernization, the John Gumm Building has been successfully transformed into a functional, accessible space while preserving its historical essence for future generations, once again standing as a cornerstone of the St. Helens community.

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Project Name: Broadleaf Arbor

Location: St. Helens

Completion date: February 2024

Size: 253,674 square feet

Cost: $60,625,427

Owner/Developer: Community Development Partners in collaboration with Northwest Oregon Housing Authority

Architect: MWA Architects

Interior Designer: MWA Architects

Engineer: Interface Engineering, KPFF, Lower Columbia Engineering

General Contractor: LMC Construction

Submitting Company: LMC Construction

Other Key Associates: EngAGE NW, The Center for Public Interest Design, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Oregon Housing and Community Services

Subcontractors: ACME Scenic & Display, Academy Specialties, Advanced Fireproofing & Insulation, Advanced Surface Innovations, All Trades General Contractors, Anderson Sandblasting, Architectural Metal Works, Architectural Specialties, Axiom Division 7, B&B Tile & Masonry, B3 Investments, Caliber Plumbing & Mechanical, Cash’s Drapery, Choice Finish Carpentry, Civic Construction, Clearline Engineering, DeaMor Associates, Dennis 7 Dees Landscaping, Eagle Striping Services, Fredinburg Masonry, Frontier Metal Fabrications, Frontier Roofing & Construction, Great Northwest Gutters, Gresham Roofing and Construction, Haier US Appliance Solutions dba GE Appliances, Hicks Striping & Curbing, Hillman Consulting, Hilti, Interior Technology, JB Insulation, Joshua Legacy Painting & Restoration, KO Construction, LDC, LJP Construction, Lanz Cabinet Shop, Little Fish Lighting, Mailbox Solutions, Merit Contractor of Oregon, Meyer Sign Co. of Oregon, Mid Valley, Modular Paving Systems, Moffet Energy Modeling, Mueller Mobile Blasting, Olympian Precast, Pacific Northwest Glass & Mirror, Parcel Pending, Patriot Fire Protection, Pilot Development dba US Mailboxes, Polygon US, Precision Countertops, Professional Lath & Plaster, RC Building Specialties, Recreation Services, Red Building Services, Sawtooth Caulking, Shields Floor Installation, Standard TV & Appliance, Stephen Waldroup Construction, Sterling-Pacific, Sunbreak Energy Advisors, Sunstate Equipment, Superior Fence & Construction, TFT Construction, TK Elevator, Taylor Pump Stations, TerraCalc Land Surveying, Three Phase Electric, True North Geotechnical Services, Urban Resources, VPI Quality Windows, WH Cress, WMX Construction, Western Pacific Building Materials, Zavala

In a first for Oregon, an innovative housing development is bringing multiple generations together under one roof. Broadleaf Arbor, a collaboration between Community Development Partners and Northwest Oregon Housing Authority, offers 239 apartments designed specifically for intergenerational living.

Located at the intersection of Gable Road and Columbia River Highway, the 16-acre development addresses critical housing needs in Columbia County, where over half of households are classified as low-income and many spend more than the recommended percentage of income on housing.

This is Oregon’s first fully realized “Community for All Ages.” The project model integrates inclusive design principles, affordable family and senior housing, substantial community space and intergenerational programming.

“Broadleaf Arbor is a remarkable achievement in community development, embodying a vision of a ‘Community for All Ages,’” said Chris Duffin, LMC Construction president, in the Top Projects nomination form. “Broadleaf Arbor seamlessly integrates affordable housing with essential services and amenities, fostering an intergenerational community where residents of all ages can thrive.”

The campus features 11 buildings clustered around green spaces and wetlands, including a dedicated elevator building for senior residents. The development earned Earth Advantage Platinum certification for its senior building and Gold certification for its 10 other structures.

At the heart of the community sits the Commons Building, featuring a large communal kitchen, study spaces and conference rooms. The senior building includes specialized amenities like a library, teaching kitchen and courtyard designed to encourage interaction among residents of different ages.

EngAGE NW, the lead resident services provider, employs a full-time, on-site program director who coordinates arts, wellness, lifelong learning and community-building activities. Residents can participate in exercise classes, creative arts workshops, book clubs and technology courses at no additional cost.

The 100 percent electric development features numerous sustainability initiatives, including a central heat pump hot water system and a 117 kW solar array on the senior building’s roof. Eight electric vehicle charging stations were installed with financial support from the Oregon Department of Energy.

Outdoor spaces include walking paths along wetlands, community gardens, picnic areas and culturally relevant landscaping featuring native and edible plants.

The project exceeded minority contracting goals, achieving 21.78 percent MBE, SBE and WBE participation. Thirteen firms contributed to achieving the goals including Professional Lath & Plaster, Zavala, Merit Contractor, Standard TV & Appliance and RC Building Specialties.

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Plans to build a fracked-gas-to-methanol refinery in St. Helens were dealt a blow late last month when the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals upheld an appeal of a decision by the Columbia County Board of Commissioners to rezone 837 acres of agricultural land for industrial use.

The decision by LUBA remands the decision to Columbia County for the second time; LUBA in 2014 rejected an attempt by the county to rezone the Port Westward property to allow numerous potential uses. This time, just five proposed uses – processing, storage and transportation of forestry and wood products, dry and liquid bulk commodities, natural gas products and break bulk cargo – would’ve been allowed.

But LUBA still found those uses inconsistent with adjacent agriculturally-zoned land. Columbia Riverkeeper and 1000 Friends of Oregon had appealed to LUBA.

The county and the Port of St. Helens had sought to rezone the property – 17 separate parcels – as Rural Industrial Planned Development (RIPD) land. Currently, the property is zoned for exclusive farm use, though it is adjacent to 905 acres of industrial land. That property is served by a 1,250-foot-long dock along the Columbia River. Most of the land is occupied by Portland General Electric, which operates three gas-fired electrical generating plants there, as well as a 1.3-million barrel tank farm, a biomass refinery facility and electrical substation.

The Port of St. Helens in February 2018 reached a lease agreement with Northwest Innovation Works for construction of a fracked gas-to-methanol refinery at Port Westward.

The LUBA decision was based on an analysis that the broad range of proposed industrial uses at Port Westward are incompatible with adjacent agricultural uses, and that the county failed to adequately analyze the impacts of those proposed uses.

The decision means the Port of St. Helens will now be required to disclose the specific uses it intends to employ at Port Westward, as well as potential impacts on adjacent property and environmental resources.

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