The St. Helens City Council voted unanimously Friday to authorize a 60-day extension to the exclusive negotiating agreement with Romano Properties LLC for proposed development of the waterfront, moving the deadline to July 28, 2026.
City staff said Romano has been actively investing time and expense in the site and needs additional time to finalize a development proposal for a complicated, river-adjacent property. "They're looking into more things than I think they originally figured," the city administrator said, and staff recommended granting the additional time.
A motion to accept the 60-day extension was made and seconded; council president Chilton, Councilor Sundine, Councilor Hubard and Mayor Massie each voted yes.
The extension allows Romano more time to advance its proposal while the city and developer continue negotiations.
Next step: staff will execute the extension and continue to work with Romano on site constraints and design details.