sNok signflz
MARCH 15, 2024
7
Meeting can be viewed by at the Tribal website
PROJECTS continued
from front page
council to make all of this happen.”
Projects
Creekside Elder Housing: The
24-unit project located at Creekside
Drive and Grand Ronde Road in-
cludes 12 two-bedroom, one-bath
duplexes. Each unit is 1,120 square
feet, with 16 market rate units and
eight subsidized units.
Each one has solar panels plus
backup battery storage, and is rated
by the Energy Trust of Oregon as a
net-zero home, meaning that over
the course of the year, tenants should
pay next to nothing in utility bills.
The $7.19 million project is fund-
ed with 80 percent Tribal dollars
and 20 percent federal grant funds.
The project was completed in De-
cember 2023 and a grand opening
was held in late January.
Homeownership development
phase one: The project is located
at McPherson Road east of Grand
Ronde Road, with all 20 homes
projected to be ready for occupancy
by the end of March. Home sizes
range from two- to four-bedroom,
1,200- to 2,000-square-feet on
10,000-square-foot lots. Each unit
is solar-ready. The project is funded
by federal sources and Spirit Moun-
tain Casino revenues.
Wind River Apartments,
phase 3: There will be up to 45
units within 10 apartment build-
ings located adjacent to the Tribe’s
Housing Department offices at
28450 Tyee Road. The apartments
will contain a mix of one- and
two-bedroom solar ready units.
There are plans to explore adding
solar panels with Energy Trust of
Oregon. The design phase of the
$12.5 million project is due to be
complete within a few months and
construction is expected to start
this summer.
Warriors of Hope program
expansion: The $1.7 million,
2,100-square-foot addition to the
current Community Center was
complete in May 2023. The funding
breakdown is 50 percent Tribal and
50 percent federal.
“That was a really exciting proj-
ect. … This was one of the smaller
projects we got built last year but
it has one of the biggest impacts on
our community due to the program
it houses and the services that they
provide,” Webb said.
Warriors of Hope is the Tribe’s
program for survivors of domestic
and sexual violence.
Language education building:
The $4.35 million, 6,600-square-
foot building was completed in
September 2023. It has six class-
rooms, offi ce space and an outdoor
playground. It is located next to
the existing Education Department
complex on the Tribal campus and
houses the Tribe’s Chinuk Wawa
education program.
It was paid for through a combi-
nation of Tribal, federal and other
funding.
Health care and vaccination
clinic: Located adjacent to the cur-
rent Health & Wellness Clinic, the
new 10,000-square-foot building
broke ground in March 2023 and
was recently completed. The $7
million project is primarily grant
funded.
The 8,400-square-foot interior
includes a reception area with
vaulted ceiling and children’s play
area, spacious medical and dental
exam rooms, high-tech labs, a break
room and administrative offi ces.
Outside space includes an
800-square-foot concrete patio and
a covered, 700-square-foot fi sh pit
area. Adjacent but indoor next to
the fi sh pit is a community kitch-
en that is set up to accommodate
streaming nutrition classes with
offsite Tribal members.
Staff will soon be able to begin
moving into the building and a
grand opening event is set for
Wednesday, May 17.
Grand Ronde Fire Station
expansion: This $8 million project
is funded through American Res-
cue Plan Act funds and includes a
20,000-square-foot expansion with
offi ce space, classroom, living quar-
ters and four bays for fi re equip-
ment and engines. Construction
began in May 2023 and is expected
to be complete this summer.
Child development center:
The 26,000-square-foot building
will include 12 classrooms, a new
kitchen, outdoor play areas and
support areas, and is located be-
hind the old powwow grounds near
the existing Tribal gym. The project
is funded with federal, Tribal and
grant funds and is approximately
$16 million. Construction began
in December and is expected to be
complete by the end of 2024.
Resident and recreation cen-
ter: The new 20,000-square-foot
building will be located at the
Smith property across from Trib-
al Housing Department offices
with a design cost of $660,000 and
construction costs undetermined.
Community input will determine
most of the programs offered at the
center. Webb is hoping to secure
federal grant money for construc-
tion of the project, which is tenta-
tively slated for 2025.
Electric vehicle charging sta-
tions: All buildings on campus will
have electric vehicle chargers add-
ed in the future, with all new build-
ings constructed as EV charging
ready. One solar charging station
was installed at the Tribal Gover-
nance Center in 2023. Two more
will be purchased with six chargers
located on campus and two electric
vehicles added to the Tribal fl eet
for employee use. The chargers and
stations are being funded through
an Oregon Department of Trans-
portation Carbon Reduction Grant.
Multi-use path from Grand
Ronde to Spirit Mountain Casi-
no: The Tribe received a $206,000
grant from the Oregon Depart-
ment of Transportation’s Commu-
nity Paths Program for a feasibility
study for a pedestrian/bike connec-
tion between Grand Ronde Road and
Spirit Mountain Casino. The study
should be complete by year’s end.
Tumwata Village: Located at
the former Blue Heron Paper Mill
site in Oregon City, much of the
work this year has been focused on
environmental cleanup efforts. The
project was awarded an $800,000
Brownfi eld grant and $2 million in
congressional funding. Thus far,
24 structures have been removed
and more demolition work will
continue this year. The Tribe will
soon submit a land-use application
to Oregon City for development of
the site.
Webb also gave a brief update
about the projects Public Works
Coordinator John Mercier has been
working on during the past year.
Currently, Mercier is in the process
of updating the Long Range Trans-
portation Plan from 2019 and will
submit it to the Bureau of Indian
Affairs for approval. Approximately
$25 to $30 million is projected to be
spent on transportation planning in
the next 20 years.
In the area of transportation
maintenance, Grand Ronde Road
work, from highways 18 to 22, be-
gan in June and was complete by
September.
“It caused some delays and im-
pact to the community but the fact
that they were able to get in and get
that work done so quickly, it means
that we have now a safe and more
reliable road,” Webb said.
The project was a collaboration
between the Tribe and Polk County.
After his presentation was com-
plete, Webb fi elded six questions
and comments from the audience.
“I appreciate all of the questions
and the wonderful report that
you’ve given today,” Tribal Council
Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy
said. “It’s truly a tribute to you and
your tenacity to make sure that all
of these projects get done.”
In other action, door prize win-
ners were Lee Huffman, Ashley Tu-
omi, Lise Alexander, Judy Ballini
and Richard McKnight, $50 each;
and Lisa Watson, Tauni McCam-
mon and Deborah Good, $100 each.
The next General Council meet-
ing will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday,
April 7, at the Lane Community
College Longhouse in Eugene.
The entire meeting can be viewed
by visiting the Tribal government’s
website at www.grandronde.org
and clicking on the Government tab
and then Videos.
ELECTION BOARD
VACANCY
IMMEDIATE OPENING
• Must be a CTGR Tribal member.
• Must be able to work at least one
day per week in the election office,
mid-July through early September.
• Apply by Saturday, March 16.
Scheduled Appointments Only
Walk-In Day
Monday
Thursday
For questions contact
Shannon Ham-texeira.
Tuesday
To schedule an appointment:
shannon.ham-texeira
@grandronde.org
Call (503) 879-1424 or
CTGRTribalVSO@GrandRonde.Org
503-879-2301
Ad by Samuel Briggs III