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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 2017)
PROGRESS 2017 January 2017 By JADE MCDOWELL EO Media Group As Hermiston prepares for a wave of public investment in 2017, signifi- cant private-sector developments are also on the horizon. In the spring, Lifeways is set to open a 16-bed acute psychiatric care facility on Linda Avenue in Herm- iston. The facility will allow patients needing the highest level of psychi- atric care in a secure facility to be treated in Umatilla County instead of somewhere across the state. It is expected to provide 35 family-wage jobs with an annual operating budget of $2.8 million when complete. Good Shepherd Medical Center’s $11 million expansion is set to open in the fall, and is also expected to add about 35 family-wage jobs to the community. The former Umatilla Chemical Depot won’t be cranking out manu- facturing or tech jobs quite yet in 2017, but the Columbia Development Authority expects to receive the depot land from the Army in 2017, opening up some of the most prime industrial land in the state for development. “I’m optimistic by this time next year the development authority will have full ownership of its portion of the depot,” CDA executive director Greg Smith said. He said a variety of companies have already expressed interest in the property, and called a recent deal with the Army to secure water rights on the land “probably one of the East Oregonian/Hermiston Herald Partners in a new 16-bed acute psychi- atric facility that Lifeways is building in Hermiston participate in a groundbreaking ceremony in July 2016. EO file photo biggest economic development wins for Umatilla County and Morrow County for the next 10 years.” The 2017 transfer of the land, at the crossroads of two interstates, a railroad mainline and two ports, has the potential to attract hundreds of new jobs and major construction projects to the Hermiston area over the next few years. Some new developments in Herm- iston opened at the tail end of 2016 but will become fully realized in 2017. The Holiday Inn Express on the corner of Highway 395 and Hermiston Avenue opened some of its 93 rooms on Dec. 7, but the hotel will become fully operational in early 2017. One of downtown Hermiston’s other landmarks — the former RoeMarks building on the corner of Northeast Second Street and Page 5 Main Street — became home to the Simmons Insurance Agency in December after an extensive remodel. In January the western portion of the building will also be filled when Bloomz Coffee moves in. Siki Japanese, a sit-down restau- rant offering sushi and traditional Japanese entrees, will fill the former El Cazador building on Eastern Oregon’s busiest intersection where Elm Avenue crosses Highway 395. The former NAPA Auto Parts building on Hermiston Avenue will also be filled with Julissa’s Meat Market, which is remodeling the building now with the help of a façade grant from the Hermiston Urban Renewal Agency. Ranch and Home has been taking steps toward building a new 100,000-square-foot store in Herm- iston off South Highway 395. In December the Hermiston planning commission approved a replat of the lots there. Photo courtesy of the Echo School District A conceptual rendering of a remodeled Echo School. By ANTONIO SIERRA EO Media Group Umatilla County school districts were four-for-four in their 2016 bond campaigns and will now follow their ballot victories with 2017 construction. All four districts benefited from the Oregon School Capital Improvement Matching Program, a relatively new program that provided them with an extra $4 million for facility improvements. The Milton-Freewater Unified School District took home the largest amount of money, using the The new hotel tower won’t be an exact clone of the other one. Each story will rise 10 feet, six inches, versus nine feet in the other tower. “We learned from the first one,” George said. “These hotel rooms will be a little larger. They would be outfitted with the latest technology such as charging stations in the nightstands and televisions built into the walls.” A drum-shaped rotunda will link the two towers. The hotel could include a spa, coffee bar and large outdoor sundeck with a pool and cabanas. The old 1995 hotel will come down to make room for a concert venue to replace the state grant, a private grant and a bond issue to raise $33.4 million for a new elementary school, athletic field and improvements to existing facilities. To get all of those projects done, Milton-Freewater has a robust construction schedule planned. Milton-Freewater superinten- dent Rob Clark said the district has set aside the spring to begin demol- ishing an old cannery on South Mill Street, to convert the site into the new Gib Olinger Elementary School. Summer will bring new heating and cooling units for McLoughlin current Rivers Event Center. The ballroom would seat 1,500 people comfortably, more than twice the number of the current facility, which would be repurposed into additional gaming floor space. The ballroom stage would open to accommodate either inside or outside crowds. The master plan also includes a new powwow grounds, a five-story parking garage and expansion of the Cineplex. The addition of more screens will allow the theater to play movies longer. Suites with waiter service will be available for private viewing. The indoor horse arena will seat 2,500 and be large enough to accommodate rodeos. George said they’ve High School, roofing at Central Middle School and a generator at Ferndale Elementary School. When the power goes out, we can’t flush the toilets,” Clark said. “That can spell trouble at an elementary school.” Clark expects Gib Olinger to be ready for the beginning of school in 2018. The Echo School District has also gotten a quick start on its bond projects. Echo superintendent Raymon Smith said a revamped front office with better security measures will finish internal renovations within discussed the idea of equip- ping the arena to convert the flooring for other events such as basketball games. Additional restaurants are a part of the plan, though George didn’t yet know specifics. The list could possibly include another high end restaurant, sports bar, two weeks and a new bus barn should be completed by the end of the month. Smith expects the rest of the projects, which includes a 3,000-square-foot expansion and a new façade, to be completed by March 2018. Athena-Weston School District superintendent Laure Quaresma said many items on the bond package list will be checked off in 2017, including lighting upgrades at Athena Elementary School and new roofing at Weston-McEwen High School, among other things. Weston Middle School will be burger place such as In-n-Out Burger or Five Guys Burgers and Fries and a mid-range eating eatery, such as Chilis. The upgrades will use green energy, George said. Wildhorse has applied to the Energy Trust of Oregon to qualify for energy incentive rebates and is looking at Thank you to our clients for the continued confidence and support of our firm. targeted in 2018 and all schools will receive security upgrades. The Umatilla School District was the only county district that passed a bond in November rather than May, meaning it’s still earlier in the planning process than the other three districts. Umatilla superintendent Heidi Sipe said roofing projects for the district’s schools will begin in the spring, but the schedule for the other bond projects, which also includes heating and cooling upgrades, secu- rity improvements and an expan- sion at McNary Heights Elementary School, have yet to be determined. possibly using geothermal energy. “Being green is important to the tribes,” he said. George hopes Pendleton and the surrounding commu- nities embrace the changes at Wildhorse, such as increased hotel rooms, restaurants and convention space. “Sixty percent of people who visit us go into Pend- leton to eat and shop,” he said. “Some like to stay in town. Our overflow goes to Pendleton.” ——— Contact Kathy Aney at kaney@eastoregonian.com or call 541-966-0810. 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