COQUILLE — The city has had big plans for the former Georgia-Pacific mill site for some time. Now it is finally seeing part of those plans come to fruition. At the same time, city officials want to set the stage for more development.

City Manager Terence O’Connor announced Monday that Coos-Curry Electric Cooperative will move forward with building a 1,500 to 2,000 square-foot office and utility yard on the property this summer.

Coos-Curry will pay the city $603,828 for the land on the north side of South Mill Avenue and to extend the street. The city will reimburse the electric cooperative about $103,000 when land on the other side of the street develops or $100,000 if nothing develops there within five years.

The deal had been stalled for months over concerns about ground stability, but O’Connor said Coos-Curry will start preliminary groundwork this summer with the majority of the building happening next summer.

That is in addition to plans for construction of a new McKay’s market this summer. McKay’s and Coos-Curry will occupy six of the 20 acres.

Coquille’s Urban Renewal Agency wants to make amendments to its long-range plan for downtown revitalization, including how to develop the remaining 14 acres. It’s hired a planning consultant to do it.

The agency awarded a $31,000 contract to Leland Consulting Group of Portland to review, re-analyze and propose changes to the city’s urban renewal plan. The G-P site, being the city’s biggest undeveloped area, will be a major focus, as will changes to the economic climate since the Urban Renewal Agency board adopted its plan in 1998.

“The tax increment financing analysis of the plan and revenue projections will need to be revised to reflect current and anticipated market conditions and provide a more accurate picture of the area’s redevelopment potential,” the proposal said.

A member of the new consulting team, Charles Kupper, was the author of the first urban renewal plan.

While the agency board approved the contract unanimously, some on the board voiced disappointment over money spent on past revitalization plans that produced no results.

“I hope this time it’s going to be different,” board member Linda Short said.

Fellow board member Bruce Parker said he, too, can recall participating creating grand plans that fell flat, but he is confident this time the money will be well-spent.

The consultants and city staff members will meet this summer, O’Connor said. The plan is scheduled to be finished by August and unveiled in a public meeting.

Board Chairman Loran Wiese said a plan update is needed to attract others willing to invest in development.

“If private money doesn’t come forward, you are not going to have economic development,” he said.