Grand Ronde says Oregon City mill fire won’t delay mixed-use tumwata village development

The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde have spent several years attempting to develop the old Blue Heron Paper Mill in Oregon City, which is located on lands sacred to the tribe, into a bustling mixed-use development.

A large fire engulfed the old mill early Thursday morning, closing all lanes on Highway 99E in Oregon City for much of the day. Fire crews managed to control the fire, but the extent of the damage is not yet known.

Grand Ronde Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle Kennedy said Thursday that crews were “working diligently” to investigate the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage.

“It’s very sad for us,” Kennedy said. “The area is very significant to us as our cultural and historic site.”

Kennedy said there have been fires at the site in the past and said it had been an ongoing concern.

“There were a lot of old beams holding up the structure,” she said. “The smoke was so thick, and so it was very difficult just to get right down in there to see exactly the extent of the fire.”

The tribes originally purchased the 23-acre property in 2019, with plans to convert the old paper mill into a new district called tumwata village. Once finished, it will have housing, office buildings, public gathering spaces and restored habitats for native wildlife.

The Grand Ronde tribes are still in the process of demolishing the old mill buildings, and Kennedy said the fire will not delay those efforts. She also said the public should avoid the area while crews are investigating.

The former mill sits within eyesight of Willamette Falls, a sacred site for the Grand Ronde tribes. The purchase was partly a method for the tribe to reclaim lands lost to broken treaties with the U.S. government.

The Willamette Falls area is a major fishing site and trade hub for multiple other tribes, which has led to disagreements over how the area should be managed in the future.

Related: Fire at old Oregon City paper mill closes Highway 99E