Ed Overbay

There has been renewed public focus on the Heritage Square block downtown since the Astoria City Council undertook a deep look into developing the site for affordable housing and a facility for Clatsop Behavioral Healthcare.

However, it ultimately proved to be too costly, controversial and even divisive to pursue those goals at that location.

I agree with Mayor Bruce Jones that there is an upside to considering the Heritage Square site for addressing affordable housing, homelessness and mental health care. The spirited debate that arose over proposals at Heritage Square has significantly raised public understanding about our critical need for affordable housing and our area’s need for adequate mental health care facilities.

Local housing costs continue to soar due to high demand and a minimal inventory of available, affordable housing. The problem will only worsen until we take a comprehensive and aggressive approach to find durable and equitable solutions. We need to put our collective heads together and hammer out some solutions here in Astoria and throughout Clatsop County, for these are undoubtedly countywide issues.

But there is another significant outcome of the recent public discussion over Heritage Square. That is just how enthusiastic public support for an open square at that site endures.

When Safeway relocated, the city acquired the block, correctly understanding how strategic and impactful different redevelopment outcomes could be at that critical location. The city engaged a qualified consulting firm to conduct extensive public outreach as to the optimal use of the block. The precise outcome of that process was to focus on it becoming an open public space, something glaringly missing in our downtown landscape.

The Garden of Surging Waves was located where it is specifically to dovetail with that concept, that the public square would sit right alongside it, in the center of our city for all to enjoy. That arrangement makes perfect sense for our downtown layout.

This is something our downtown has long been missing. An open, accommodating public square. I think it is high time we finally do something about it.

The idea of a public square at that site is right in line with the renewal efforts the downtown has been undergoing for the past 25 years and is in perfect agreement with Main Street strategies for revitalizing a downtown. These strategies have been proven over and again to be highly beneficial and strongly endorsed by urban planning professionals.

We are a town of rich history, great heritage, culture, food, arts, sports, local industry, fine crafts and incredible natural beauty, sitting handsomely here on this mighty river. Yet, we still do not have a downtown public square. An open public space made just for people. Not meant for cars, not trucks, but for people. A place for us to gather, visit and experience public events of all stripes.

Our Astoria Sunday Market will thrive in such an environment. Town gatherings, music, festivals, public dedications, a place for shoppers to meet up, or just a place to go and have a sandwich or a cup of coffee. A central people place, open to all, where locals, visitors and the entire downtown scene benefit.

When I think of all the appealing cities and towns I have visited, stateside and abroad, I am hard-pressed to recall a city I long to return to that does not have a public square in its downtown core. Cultures worldwide have long understood the great value in centralized, open, public spaces.

The Heritage Square location is the only place where just such a plaza can happen. There is no other site remotely suitable for such use. A square at that location is the healthiest, most equitable and best use of that location. An urban plaza there will raise all boats.

I see this square as the natural outcome of our community coming together for the greater common good and finally creating an open, shared public square of our own, right in the heart of our beautiful downtown, a space destined to become a landmark and point of pride.

We are a gritty, resourceful, can-do little river town full of creative people. Let’s roll up our sleeves and finally make this happen. Let’s get this done. Then, our children, grandchildren and their grandchildren will be proud of us.