CHANGING LANDSCAPES
I
4 Clackamas Print MAY 10,2017 theclackamasprint.com
B U M S
Left: A map of
the Beavercreek
Employment
Area shows the
college between
two development
sites.
Top Right: Trees
come down
outside DeJardin
on Monday.
Bottom Right:
Donald Wallis
removes the
trunk of a felled
tree.
BY COLLIN BEREND
He added, “ The goal of the BEA is to
create a vertica lly in tegrated system
th at delivers skilled w orkers to local
businesses and create fam ily wage jo b s,
as an end result. The BEA project w ill
help CCC educate students on demand.”
For over 50 years, th e college has
provided job training and education to
students who have made differences in
this region ’ s w orkforce, according to
Public Information Officer Lori Hall.
“ The purpose o f the in itiative is to
encourage and attract targeted industry
by leveraging education and training
buildings.
There are currently two development resources at CCC,” said Hall. “ As large
sites. Once finished, if bo th are sold businesses move into the BEA, we cannot
only provide them educated employees
and built upon, the sm all fo rest that
surrounds the co llege in cludin g the w ho are jo b-read y at the tim e of hire,
main one between the high school and but we can also offer customized training
specific to a business and help grow their
the college, w ill be removed.
To this effect, Oregon City’ s economy existing workforce.” a
A new transit project is included in the
w ill increase w ith the potential for jobs
to open near the college. This will impact BEA. This new transit center removes the
the college and students because of a stark existing bus turn around at the flag pole
by Roger Rook and, instead, provides a
close location to these businesses.
“ There’ s no way to absolutely predict new entrance at the south endof campus
th e fu tu re econ o m ic im p a c t,” said behind DeJardin Hall and connects to the
main CCC entrance off of Molalla Ave. and
th e D irector o f th e Sm all B usin ess
Trails
End Highway.
Development Center Robert Campbell,
The transit project is paid by a grant
regarding the economic impact of the BEA.
“ But I do have an opinion regarding how the college had p reviously requested
and got awarded to im prove access to
this project w ill create value to industry,
CCC and support job development in the
our ca re er and tech n ica l education
Clackamas County area.
students, the region and the college.”
A grow in g econ o m y is a b e n e fit to
everyone in Oregon City and students at
Clackamas Community College.
CCC is p artnerin g up w ith the city
o f O regon C ity and the O regon City
Chamber of Commerce in promoting the
Beavercreek Employment Area, which is
more than 80 acres of available industrial
property. The property includes the sea
of trees that divides Oregon City High
School and CCC,/as w ell as the farm land
to the northeast across Beavercreek Road.
This area w ill eventually be occupied by
The gran t provid es $ i.?6 m illio n
fro m th e O rego n D e p a rtm en t o f
T ra n sp o rta tio n ’ s C on nectO regon VI
Program to pay for the improved transit
center on campus.
The grant will also pay for a.shared-use
path, wayfinding signage and a secure
bicycle parking, granting better access
to the adjacent Oregon City High School,
since the existing one is a rocky path,
shrouded by trees, that is often used by
the community and students from both
schools. In addition, this improves access
to the planned BEA.
“ Our goal is to m ake it easier for
employees to reach the employment area,”
said Luke Norman, the transportation
system s analyst. “ W hether they walk,
ride a bike or take the bus.”
According to the 2016 transportation
survey, 21 percent of students cited the
lack of access to a car as the main issue
for completing one or more classes.
“ W e are excited by the opportunity
th e transit center provides to expand
transportation options for stu d en ts,”
said Norman.
The new transit center project is part of
the DeJardin expansion. It is currentlyin
preliminary design, and if the schedule
followed is the same as Harmony West
and ITC, then it should A constructed
around spring 2018 w ith Completion in
latest of summer 2019.