Smoke signals., July 01, 2005, Page 5, Image 5

JULY 1, 2005
Smoke Signals 5
Tribes Break Ground At Chemawa Station
Grand Ronde and Siletz will team up to establish Keizer business park.
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uiamonas t rom uusi urana Honae I noai onairwoman uneryie Kennedy (second from right) joins Siletz Chairwoman Delores Pigsley (sixth from left),
rxeizer mayor Lore onnsiopner rounn irom ngni; ana oiner eieciea oniciais ana sianers io turn over me nrsi mounas ot din at me June l o ground DreaKing. I nis
ceremonial event started of the building phase of the 1 5-acre multi-use project that will one day be part of a larger development: The Gateway to Keizer."
By Ron Karten
Something really had to be done
with this 15.7-acre parcel. On
Wednesday, June 15, when the
Tribes of Grand Ronde and Siletz met
down the block from the Chemawa
Indian School with the mayor of
Keizer and staffers and guests from
all three to break ground for an up
coming development, everybody had
to park in ruts so big that the black
berry vines looked inviting. That is
all going to change now.
With the application of nine gold
painted shovels hitting the earth at
once, the ground was broken for
110,000 square feet of retail, res
taurant, professional office, light
industrial and even flexible space,
depending on how the market de
velops, and the Tribes were offi
cially on the way to turning the
land into a productive (and rut
free) development.
"A time of celebration," is how
Cheryle Kennedy, Grand Ronde
Tribal Chairwoman described
the moment.
Siletz Chairwoman Dolores
Pigsley saw it as a benefit for the
community and the Chemawa In
dian School. "It is going to create
jobs," she said.
Pigsley started school at
Chemawa in 1945, she said, and
now lives within a mile of the com
ing development. It will be part of
a larger, 237-acre project going up
simultaneously across the street.
Once completed, it will be known as
"The Gateway to Keizer."
The larger project will include a
transportation center, possibly fea
turing a commuter rail transit sta
tion taking advantage of the
Burlington Northern tracks run
ning by. An entertainment and
sports center will include the exist
ing Keizer Stadium, home to the
minor league Keizer Volcanoes
baseball team. The Grand Rondes
were a major sponsor of the team
last year.
The field used to be a play area
for Keizer Mayor Lore Christopher.
"Pretty soon," she said, "it's going to
be a playground again."
She thanked the Tribes "for being
such wonderful partners."
The plans have been nearly four
years in the making, said Kennedy.
When all is said and done, this 15
acre parcel might well hold the
larger development's landmark, a
500,000 gallon elevated water tank,
planned for the southern tip. It will
provide fire safety for the develop
ment and will be a gift from the
Tribes to the city, said Grand Ronde
Tribal Engineer Eric Scott.
He expected that the contract for
building the infrastructure will be
awarded in July, and that most of
the infrastructure would be com
pleted by October.
No timetable or final plans have
yet been set for final development
of the project, said Scott, but ideas
like a museum or interpretive
center have been circulating.
Robert Kentta, Siletz Cultural
Specialist, liked that idea. "A lot of
people believe that the
Kalapooians are extinct," he said.
"It's changing slowly; ever so
slowly. And this is a good oppor
tunity to talk about federal Indian
policy and Indian schools."
This 15-acre site was originally
part of the Chemawa Indian School
property. Early in the 20lh Century,
it was transferred to the Federal
Highway Administration for con
struction of 1-5 and the Salem Park
way. After the highways were
completed, the remaining property
was deemed surplus and in 2002, it
was transferred to the two Tribes.
For both, the area is part of their
aboriginal territory.
"It Will Look Like This" .
Tribal Engineer Eric Scott describes '
the location of the buildings. . s- v.
, . a. r t; - J !i" K